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UFC 247: Jones vs Reyes Odds, Picks & Betting Preview

Cole Shelton

by Cole Shelton in Mixed Martial Arts News

Updated Apr 6, 2020 · 10:31 AM PDT

Jones vs Reyes promotional image
Jones vs Reyes headlines UFC 247 on Saturday, Feb. 8th.
  • Will Jon Jones defend his belt again?
  • Can Valentina Shevchenko continue her reign over the flyweight division?
  • See the betting preview for the main and co-main event and odds for the main card below

The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is back in Houston, Texas, this Saturday (Feb. 8) for UFC 247 where two titles are on the line.

In the main event, arguably the greatest fighter of all-time, Jon Jones, looks to defend his light heavyweight belt when he battles undefeated Dominick Reyes. The co-main event pairs flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko against top contender Katlyn Chookagian.

The main card airs live on pay-per-view at 10:00 PM ET. The table below displays the odds for the main card.

UFC 247 Odds

Fighter Odds
Jon Jones -450
Dominick Reyes +325
Fighter Odds
Valentina Shevchenko -1400
Katlyn Chookagian +750
Fighter Odds
Juan Adams -230
Justin Tafa +180
Fighter Odds
Mirsad Bektic -145
Dan Ige +115
Fighter Odds
Derrick Lewis -280
Ilir Latifi +220

All odds as of Feb. 3rd.

Will Jones’ Reign Continue With Win Over Reyes?

Jon Jones (25-1 and one no-contest) is coming off a split-decision win over Thiago Santos at UFC 239 to defend his light heavyweight belt. Before that, he earned a decision win over Anthony Smith for his first title defense since reclaiming the belt after being suspended for drug violations.

In his career, “Bones” has beaten the likes of Daniel Cormier, Alexander Gustafsson, Shogun Rua, Chael Sonnen, Rashad Evans, and Lyoto Machida. He also holds the record of being the youngest UFC champion when he won the light heavyweight belt back in 2011.

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Dominick Reyes (12-0) is a very impressive 6-0 in the UFC with four stoppage wins. In his last fight, he headlined a card for the first time and knocked out Chris Weidman in the first round. In the scrap before, he earned a split-decision win over Volkan Oezdemir in a fight many believe Oezdemir won. He also has notable wins over Ovince Saint Preux and Jared Cannonier

There is no question Jon Jones is the better fighter but Dominick Reyes has legitimate one-punch knockout power. He proved that in his last fight against Weidman  when he connected to put the former champ down. In this fight, the hook is something Jones needs to be worried about.

Jones has not been dominant in his last two fights, which he says is due to not being motivated. But he and his coaches say he is motivated to shut-up Reyes, who’s been talking trash in the buildup to the fight.

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In terms of gameplan, Jones will likely use his reach to touch up Reyes and once again use his leg kicks to damage his opponent’s lead leg for the first few rounds. Then, when Reyes starts to worry about the leg kicks, Jones will go for a takedown and secure it.

Once he has control on the ground, Jones has one of the best top games, and I believe he will either score a TKO win or a submission win.

Pick: Jon Jones (-450)

Jones vs Reyes Matchup Table

Jones
VS
Reyes
32 Age 30
6’4″ Height 6’4″
84.5″ Reach 77″
10 UFC finishes 4
14 UFC title fights 0

Can Anyone Beat Shevchenko at Flyweight?

Although Katlyn Chookagian doesn’t have the flashiest style, she may very well be the toughest test of Valentina Shevchenko’s career at flyweight.

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Chookagian is a point fighter and uses her jab and reach to get in and out to piece up her opponent without getting touched. There is a chance she could do that against Shevchenko but I think the champion will be able to get this fight to the ground at will and dominate the fight on the ground to earn a decision win.

With the odds for Shevchenko at -1200 there is no value on her. So I’d recommend to not bet this fight, but if you do, you may as well take a stab at Chookagian with her being a massive underdog. She does have a path to victory in this fight.

Other UFC 247 Picks

  • Juan Adams (-230): Adams will beat Justin Tafa thanks to his wrestling and power advantage.
  • Dan Ige (+115): There is value on Ige as the underdog; he is the more tactical fighter and he’ll earn a decision win.
  • Derrick Lewis (-280): Latifi was getting KO’d at light heavyweight and is a small 205-pounder. Lewis is one of the biggest heavyweight and has massive power; this will be another KO win.
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