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Don’Tale Mayes vs Caio Machado Preview
The UFC Apex Center in Las Vegas, Nevada hosts UFC Fight Night: Nicolau vs. Perez on Saturday. Maheshate Hayisaer and Gabriel Benítez get the prelims started at 4:00 PM ET. Canada has just one representative on the card, with Caio Machado taking on Don’Tale Mayes in the heavyweight division.
Machado was born in Brazil but fights out of Vancouver, Canada, and trains at Franco Kickboxing Pankration. “Bigfoot” earned his way into the UFC via the Contender Series, the same way Mayes joined the organization. However, this is a big test for Machado, so can he get his first UFC win when facing “Lord Kong” this weekend?
Don’Tale Mayes vs Caio Machado Head-to-Head and Key Stats
Don’Tale Mayes is Caio Machado’s toughest test, with the American having much more high-level experience. Mayes has faced some of the biggest names in the sport but has an unimpressive record of ten wins and six losses. Machado has eight wins, two losses, and one draw during his professional MMA career. But most of his fights came under the Battlefield Fight League banner.
“Bigfoot” made his professional MMA debut against Jamie Smyth at BFL 47 in 2017. The bout ended in a draw after three rounds. However, the two fighters fought again at BFL 54, with Caio Machado walking away victorious. Machado tasted defeat for the first time in his third pro fight, with Dustin Joynson winning via unanimous decision. But the Vancouver-based fighter didn’t let this loss destroy his career, remaining unbeaten in his next seven fights. During his winning streak, Machado stopped five opponents and picked up the BFL Heavyweight Championship. “Bigfoot” defended his BFL title thrice before moving to Dana White’s Contender Series in 2023.
The Contender Series is a springboard for many up-and-coming fighters, and Caio Machado capitalized on the opportunity against Kevin Szaflarski. Dana White usually reserves UFC contracts for those who win via stoppage, but Machado got his contract after beating Szaflarski via a unanimous decision. However, “Bigfoot” had a rough start to life in the UFC, losing to Mick Parkin after three rounds. But Machado gets another chance to prove he belongs in the organization against Don’Tale Mayes this weekend.
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Don’Tale Mayes has struggled with consistency during his professional MMA career but started his journey with a victory. After beating Harry Hunsucker via knockout in his debut, Mayes climbed the regional MMA ranks. Wins over Arnold Adams and Demoreo Dennis got “Lord Kong” his first shot at a UFC contract. However, Allen Crowder got a third-round stoppage win against Mayes in Dana White’s Contender Series, sending the American back to the regional circuit. In his next bout, Mayes faced Mohammed Usman at Victory FC 60. Luckily, “Lord Kong” got another shot in the Contender Series this time capitalizing on the chance. Mayes stopped Mitchell Sipe in the second round, but he didn’t get an immediate contract.
The 32-year-old fought under the V3 Fights banner while waiting for his next Contender Series bout. After beating Nkemdirim Oti at V3 Fights 71, Don’Tale Mayes took on Ricardo Prasel during Contender Series 2019: Week 4. Prasel didn’t make it out of the first round, and Dana White handed Mayes a contract. In his UFC debut, the organization paired him with former UFC Interim Heavyweight Champion Ciryl Gane. Gane outclassed “Lord Kong”, ending the bout via submission in the last round. Mayes has faced many big names during his UFC career, fighting the likes of Gane, Rodrigo Nascimento, Augusto Sakai, and Andrei Arlovski.
Don’Tale Mayes has fought eight times in the UFC, winning thrice, losing four times, and getting one no-contest. 67% of Mayes’ wins came via KO/TKO, with just one win coming via decision. However, “Lord Kong” lost 50% of his bouts by submission, but he showed great toughness on the scorecards. Caio Machado has won two professional MMA bouts via submission but mainly uses his fists to finish the fight. “Bigfoot” has three KO/TKO stoppages on his record, with just two decision victories. However, Machado is yet to win in the UFC, losing his debut bout against Mick Parkin in 2023.
Don’Tale Mayes vs Caio Machado Predictions
Don’Tale Mayes vs Caio Machado Fight Prediction: Don’Tale Mayes unanimous decision win over Caio Machado
At UFC Fight Night: Nicolau vs. Perez, Don’Tale Mayes takes on Caio Machado during the prelims. “Bigfoot” and “Lord Kong” are both coming into this bout on a losing streak, so neither fighter can afford to lose. Mayes lost to Rodrigo Nascimento for a second time in his latest bout, with Caio Machado losing to Mick Parkin. However, we predict Mayes will beat Machado this weekend, but the fight will go the distance.
Mayes’ most recent victory came against the former UFC Heavyweight Champion Andrei Arlovski. “Lord Kong” got a second-round stoppage victory over Arlovski, but we don’t see Mayes stopping “Bigfoot” on Saturday. Betting on the method of victory is always an exciting UFC wager. If you’re betting on this bout, we predict Don’Tale Mayes will win via a unanimous decision against Machado. The Vancouver-based fighter hasn’t lost via stoppage during his professional career, so despite forecasting a loss for Machado, he’s unlikely to lose via knockout or submission.
Don’Tale Mayes must avoid going to ground with Caio Machado. Mayes isn’t a terrible grappler, but Machado has multiple submission victories and is dangerous on the mat. Machado also defends 80% of his opponent’s takedowns. It’s important to factor in every possibility when betting on MMA events, so wagering on “Bigfoot” to land the most takedowns is a great idea. Mayes successfully defends 60% of takedown attempts, but we predict Machado will land over 1.5 takedowns this weekend.
Don’Tale Mayes vs Caio Machado Betting Picks
Caio Machado gets another chance to secure his first UFC win when facing Don’Tale Mayes this weekend. Machado is the favorite at our sportsbook, with odds of -114. However, our moneyline pick is Mayes at -108. We can’t underestimate Mayes’ experience inside the octagon, facing two former UFC champions during his career. “Bigfoot” hasn’t faced a high-level UFC opponent yet, and we believe Machado will lose via a unanimous decision.
Caio Machado’s best chance of winning is to command a high tempo throughout the fight. The Canada-based fighter lands 6.57 significant strikes per minute, nearly double Don’Tale Mayes’ 3.60. Mayes defends only 46% of his opponent’s punches, so he must tighten his defense during the early rounds. “Lord Kong” has much more power than “Bigfoot”, so he doesn’t need to land as many strikes to get the job done. Betting on Machado to land the most significant strikes is a fantastic pick.
If Don’Tale Mayes can survive the first round, we forecast he’ll win via a unanimous decision. You can use your welcome bonus to capitalize on a decision victory for Mayes. Betting on over 1.5 rounds is safer than wagering on a method of victory. When placing an over/under rounds bet, we don’t have to rely on a fighter winning. However, if you’d like to increase your potential profits, you could combine a moneyline bet on Mayes and over 1.5 rounds in a parlay.
Anything can happen when two heavyweight fighters collide in the octagon. We predicted the fight to go the distance, but one punch from a 265 lbs man can change everything. That’s why monitoring the live betting markets during UFC bouts is important. The moneyline changes each round, so scan the markets for great value bets using our live betting features.
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UFC Fight Night: Nicolau vs Perez Full Fight Card
The UFC Apex Center hosts another action-packed Fight Night card this weekend, with Matheus Nicolau and Alex Perez headlining the event. The UFC’s flyweight division is slowly becoming one of the most stacked divisions in the organization. Nicolau and Perez can get into title shot contention with an impressive stoppage victory this weekend, meaning the main event is a must-watch fight!
Here is the UFC Fight Night: Nicolau vs Perez full fight card:
- Matheus Nicolau vs Alex Perez (5 Rounds, Main Event)
- Ryan Spann vs Bogdan Guskov (3 Rounds, Co-Main Event)
- Karine Silva vs Ariane Lipski (3 Rounds, Main Card)
- Jhonata Diniz vs Austen Lane (3 Rounds, Main Card)
- Jonathan Pearce vs David Onama (3 Rounds, Main Card)
- Tim Means vs Uros Medic (3 Rounds, Main Card)
- Rani Yahya vs Victor Henry (3 Rounds, Prelims)
- Austin Hubbard vs Michal Figlak (3 Rounds, Prelims)
- Don’Tale Mayes vs Caio Machado (3 Rounds, Prelims)
- Ketlen Souza vs Marnic Mann (3 Rounds, Prelims)
- James Llontop vs Chris Padilla (3 Rounds, Prelims)
- Ivana Petrović vs Na Liang (3 Rounds, Prelims)
- Maheshate Hayisaer vs Gabriel Benítez (3 Rounds, Prelims)
