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- What: UFC Vegas 88 Co-Main Event
- Who: Bryan Battle vs. Ange Loosa
- Date: Saturday, March 16, 2024
- Location: UFC Apex in Las Vegas, NV
- Time: Prelims (4:00 p.m. ET) Main Card (7:00 p.m. ET)
- How to Watch: ESPN+
This week, two UFC heavyweights ranked inside the top 10 will face off at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Tai Tuivasa will face Marcin Tybura in the contest that headlines the UFC Vegas 88 fight card on ESPN+. Before that fight, Bryan Battle and Ange Loosa will face off in a welterweight scrap in the co-main event of UFC Vegas 88. Here is some background on Battle and Loosa before we look at the betting breakdown for UFC Vegas 88.
Bryan Battle (10-2) is the winner of season 29 of The Ultimate Fighter. Battle fought at middleweight on the reality show, but he dropped to welterweight after one more fight at 185 pounds. Battle is 5-1 as a member of the UFC roster. He is coming off a September submission win over AJ Fletcher.
Ange Loosa (10-3) got his first shot with the UFC in 2022 when he served as a late replacement opponent for Mounir Lazzez on a UFC Fight Night card. Loosa lost that bout by decision. Since then, Loosa is 2-0 under the UFC banner. He is coming off a September decision win over Rhys McKee.
Before we look at the best bets for the Battle vs. Loosa matchup on the UFC Vegas 88 card, check out the best UFC betting sites and where you can find our betting pick for the main event of UFC Vegas 88.
UFC Vegas 88 co-main event: Bryan Battle vs. Ange Loosa betting picks
| Fighters |  |  |  |  |
| Ange Loosa | +140 | +129 | +130 | +130 |
| Bryan Battle | -160 | -159 | -160 | -160 |
Bryan Battle betting breakdown
Bryan Battle is a long, rangy welterweight, checking in at 6-foot-1 with a 77-inch reach. Battle uses his length well, but he is susceptible to leg kicks, which his previous opponent, AJ Fletcher, took advantage of, landing 13 of the 16 leg kicks he attempted on Battle in their September scrap. At 29, Battle is still relatively new to MMA, making his pro debut in 2019. As such, he remains a prospect, but he has shown improvements in each of his UFC outings and is developing into a solid 170-pound combatant.
Battle is a composed fighter, but when he decides to take control of the fight, he does so by applying a lot of pressure. He is a good striker and can handle himself on the mat as well. He has three knockout victories and five submission stoppages. Of his losses, one came via decision, and the other was a submission setback. In his most recent matchup, Battle employed kicks to the body to slow down his opponent. Those kicks served as a sort of jab to the body.
Battle averages 4.52 significant strikes landed per minute, and he absorbs 3.73 significant strikes in that same time. His striking success rate is 54 percent, and his defensive rate is 42 percent. Battle averages 0.94 takedowns per 15 minutes with a takedown accuracy of 25 percent. His takedown defense is 45 percent, and he averages 0.5 submissions per 15 minutes of UFC action.
Ange Loosa betting breakdown
Ange Loosa packs a lot of muscle on his 5-foot-10-inch frame, and he uses that muscle well, throwing his strikes with a lot of power and bad intentions. Of his 10 professional victories, the 30-year-old has five knockouts with one submission and four decisions. Loosa is a pressure fighter who does his best work when he puts his opponent against the cage and unloads a flurry of strikes. He is also improving his wrestling, which serves him well, as he has a heavy top game and is not shy about throwing ground strikes. Loosa can struggle when he is being pushed back, but as long as he is the one doing the pressuring, Loosa is a threat to score a knockout or at least do some real damage.
Loosa is an active striker, landing 6.32 significant strikes per minute, but he gets hit more than he lands, and that’s a concern. He absorbs 6.88 significant strikes per minute. He lands 46 percent of his striking attempts, and his defensive striking is 51 percent. Loosa sticks 2.25 takedowns per 15 minutes and has a success rate of 45 percent. His takedown defense is 100 percent and his submission rate is 0.2 per 15 minutes.
Best Bets: UFC Vegas 88 co-main event – Bryan Battle vs. Ange Loosa
If Ange Loosa can control this fight for the full 15 minutes with pressure and punches in bunches against the fence or via takedowns and a heavy ground game, he could pick up the upset win. However, the betting favorite, Bryan Battle, has improved exponentially every time he has stepped into the UFC Octagon. Assuming Battle has yet to reach his peak, there’s a good chance he will be prepared for everything Loosa brings into this fight, mainly his power and takedowns. For those who believe Loosa has reached his peak, the betting pick should be for Loosa to win. However, my betting pick for the co-main event of UFC Vegas 88 is for Bryan Battle to win via decision.
See below a list of reliable sportsbooks and choose the best one for you.
