UFC 277: Pena vs. Nunes 2 predictions & tips with 12/1 accumulator!

UFC 277 takes place this weekend at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas, with the women’s bantamweight clash between Julianna Pena and Amanda Nunes topping the bill.

We’ve brought in UFC expert Bobbie Jackson for his thoughts on the main event and the undercard and he’s picked out his best bet for Pena vs Nunes and picked out a 12/1 accumulator covering the undercard.

UFC 277 predictions

Julianna Pena vs Amanda Nunes 

Bobbie’s best bet: Pena to win by KO, TKO, DQ or Submission

Amanda Nunes is seeking redemption when she attempts to win back the women’s bantamweight title from Julianna Pena in the main event at UFC 277.

Nunes, regarded by many as one of the best women to ever enter the octagon, was the first female in the UFC to win titles in two weight classes when she claimed the featherweight strap in 2018.

But Pena massively upset the odds, becoming the second-biggest underdog in UFC history to earn a win when she defeated Nunes to take bantamweight gold courtesy of a submission victory at UFC 269.

The pair will run in back on Sunday with Pena once again regarded as a major underdog, despite halted Nunes’ 12-fight win streak last time out.

Pena boldly opted to go toe-to-toe with one of the best strikers around in the opening round in their previous meeting and they were evenly matched.

The Venezuelan Vixen then pulled clear in round two, securing the takedown and earning a submission win.

Backing up that performance will likely be tough for the champion but she offers plenty of value and is worth siding with to claim another stoppage victory.

12/1 UFC 277 Accumulator Tip

Brandon Moreno v Kai Kara-France – Fight to go the distance – YES

Sunday’s co-main event is also a rematch with #1 ranked flyweight taking on #2 Kai Kara-France for the interim title.

The pair first squared off at UFC 245 in December 2019 with Moreno earning victory via a unanimous decision.

That was Kara-France’s first loss in the UFC and ended an eight-fight win streak, although he’s since bounced back to climb the rankings with a 4-1 record.

Moreno went on to win and then lose the flyweight title during an incredible trilogy with current champion Deiveson Figueiredo.

The winner will get a shot at Figueiredo when he returns from injury and Sunday’s contest should be full of fireworks.

Both have made vast improvements since that first meeting and it looks difficult to separate them once again with the judges likely to be called on.

Derrick Lewis v Sergei Pavlovich – Derrick Lewis to win by KO, TKO, DQ or Submission

Heavyweight duo Derrick Lewis and Sergei Pavlovich shouldn’t need the full three rounds to get their business done.

#5 Lewis boasts the record for the most knockouts in UFC history (13) while he has 21 wins via that route across his 36-fight career.

Pavlovich, who is #11 in the division, has only fought 16 times but 12 of those contests have ended in a knockout win, including each of his last three.

After losing to #3 ranked Tai Tuivasa last time out, Lewis will be eager to bounce back and his heavy hands should lead him to glory.

Anthony Smith v Magomed Ankalaev – Magmoed Ankalaev to win by KO, TKO, DQ or Submission

Anthony Smith is a veteran of the MMA game with 52 professional fights under his belt and he’s targeting one last run at the light heavyweight title.

The 34-year-old has stitched together a three-fight win streak to climb to #5 in the division, however, that run looks set to come to an end when he faces #4 Magomed Ankalaev.

Ankalaev suffered his one and only career defeat on his UFC debut against Paul Craig but has since blown through the division, winning eight in a row.

The Dagestan-based fighter already boasts nine knockout victories and looks set to make it 10 at the expense of Smith, who has lost via that route on nine occasions.

Julianna Pena v Amanda Nunes – Fight to go the distance – NO

Julianna Pena stunned the MMA world when beating Amanda Nunes to claim the women’s bantamweight title at UFC 269.

Pena halted Nunes’ 12-fight win streak and become the second-largest underdog to earn victory in the UFC.

Nunes, who still holds the women’s featherweight belt, landed some big shots in the opening round but she was out-wrestled and subsequently submitted after being taken down in round two.

Pena is rated as a major underdog once again but this fight could still go either way and it’s probably wise to steer clear of an outright winner for this accumulator.

Backing NO in the fight to go the distance market looks a much safer option with the pair rarely hearing the final buzzer.

Champion Pena has only gone the distance four times in 15 fights, seeing each of her last three trips to the octagon end early, while Nunes has only gone to the judges on five occasions in 26 fights.