UFC Fight Night 111 Picks: Washed-Up Champs Fight For Relevancy

The card for UFC Fight Night 111 (Saturday, June 17th) isn’t anything to write home about, but it does contain a few noteworthy fights. The event is quite possibly the last chance for three former champions — Holly Holm, Andrei Arlovski, and Rafael dos Anjos — to revive their ailing careers. All three are reeling after a string of recent losses, and another defeat could mark the end for them.

Let’s go through the main events for the night so you can make some savvy bets at one of our top sites.

Holly Holm (-600) vs Bethe Correia (+400)

After famously defeating Ronda Rousey back in 2015, Holly Holm (10-3) went on to lose her next three consecutive fights. Her future at the UFC is now looking increasingly uncertain, and a loss to 11th-ranked Bethe Correia (10-2-1) would probably force her out of the promotion.

Correia isn’t doing too well, either. She’s only won one of her last four fights, and that was a tight split-decision victory against the lowly Jessica Eye. Between the two of them, Holm and Correia have collectively won one of their last seven fights.

Holm is definitely the superior striker in this match-up, and if she can manage the distance, Correia will have a tough time out-striking her. At 35 years old, Holm’s career is coming to an end. But against Correia, she’s clearly the better fighter. 

Pick: Holly Holm (-600)

Andrei Arlovski (+195) vs Marcin Tybura (-250)

Former heavyweight champ Andrei Arlovski (25-14) has lost his last four fights, enduring a huge amount of punishment in the process. He faces the younger Marcin Tybura (15-2) this Saturday.

Arlovski had his heyday back in the mid-2000s and is a shadow of the fighter he used to be. Tybura doesn’t have a particularly impressive record, but he isn’t dealing with almost two decades of wear.

At 38 years old, the end is nigh for Arlovski. he’s achieved all he can in the sport and will be put out to pasture by the big Pole.

Pick: Marcin Tybura (-250)

Tarec Saffiedine (+220) vs Rafael dos Anjos (-280)

After a brief stint as the lightweight champion, dos Anjos (25-9) suffered back-to-back losses against Eddie Alvarez and Tony Ferguson. Now he’s been demoted to fighting lower-tier opponents like Tarec Saffiedine (16-6).

Since joining the UFC, Saffiedine has lost three of his five fights. His success at Strikeforce hasn’t translated neatly to the UFC. Dos Anjos may be going through a rough patch, but he’s still a whole lot better than Tarec Saffiedine.

Pick: Rafael dos Anjos (-280)