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Saturday’s sports lineup is action-packed, featuring a full 15-game MLB schedule, a WNBA game between the Mystics and the Wings, and a high-profile boxing match pitting Jake Paul against Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. Additionally, UFC 317 takes center stage with two title fights but no one defending a title. Ilia Topuria will battle Charles Oliveira for the vacant lightweight belt, while Alexandre Pantoja defends his flyweight title against Kai Kara-France. The UFC 317 main card kicks off at 10pm.
Topuria, who is undefeated at 16-0, recently moved up to lightweight after competing at featherweight. Oliveira is a former UFC lightweight champ. Pantoja captured the flyweight title in July 2023 and has successfully defended it three times. Pantoja and Kara-France previously faced off in a 2016 exhibition match, which Pantoja won by decision. While Topuria aims to become the UFC’s next lightweight champion in Las Vegas, Pantoja looks to keep hold of his belt.
Today’s best bets include expert picks for UFC 317, MLB games, and the Paul vs. Chavez boxing bout.
MLB highlights include the Angels facing off against the Nationals at 9:38pm in Anaheim, broadcast on MLB Network. The Angels are competing in the wildcard race with a 40-41 record, while the struggling Nationals sit at 34-47 despite promising young talent. The pitching matchup sees Kyle Hendricks (5-6, 4.83 ERA) starting for the Angels, and Michael Soroka (3-5, 5.06 ERA) for the Nationals. Soroka is expected to be managed carefully due to his injury history, and Sports Line’s model leans towards the Nationals with +101 odds.
UFC 317’s 10pm main card in Las Vegas will air on ESPN+ and pay-per-view. Expert Renato Moicano picks himself to win against Beneil Dariush, noting Moicano’s durability and aggressive style might overwhelm Dariush despite both fighters being 36 years old.
In boxing, the Paul vs. Chavez Jr. fight starts at 8pm from Anaheim, available via pay-per-view. Oddsmakers and experts believe the fight may go the distance past the 10th round, as Chavez Jr. is known for his resilience, having only been stopped twice in his career, including a recent bout with Canelo Alvarez.
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Fan Take: This is an exciting night for fight fans as UFC 317 features compelling title bouts that could reshuffle the lightweight and flyweight divisions, offering fresh superstar potential. Meanwhile, the Jake Paul and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. fight draws significant mainstream attention, bridging boxing and entertainment worlds and helping to elevate combat sports’ popularity to new audiences.
