UFC 288: Smith vs Porter 05/06/2023 – Heavyweight fighters Braxton Smith and Parker Porter slug it out in a three-round heavyweight clash in the early preliminaries of UFC 288 on Saturday, May 6, at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Smith will be making his debut inside the octagon while Porter is making his seventh appearance in the UFC. Smith looks to continue his five-fight winning streak as Porter aims to halt his losing skid to two. Sports betting sites are going for Porter in this clash by virtue of his experience as they see Smith as untested in the octagon and are unimpressed with his knockout victories.
UFC 288: Smith vs Porter 05/06/2023
| When: | Saturday, May 6, 6:00 PM ET |
|---|---|
| Where: | Prudential Center, Newark, New Jersey, USA |
| TV: | ESPN+ |
| Stream: | UFC Fight Pass |
UFC 288: Smith vs Porter 05/06/2023 Odds
| Fighter | Odds | Fighter | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Braxton Smith | +145 | Parker Porter | -170 |
Main Card
Braxton Smith
Braxton Smith (5-1) steps into the octagon for the first time in his career. He made his debut in January 2014 against Chase Sherman but lost by a one-round technical knockout. He went into an eight-year break before coming back to the MMA scene in May 2022 when he fought Cody Beck. The fighter known as “The Beautiful Monster” used just 85 seconds to knockout Beck with a head kick. From there, he strung up four more KO wins against Jakori Savage, Edison Lopes, Cameron Chism-Brugard and another against Savage. Less than two months after his fifth-straight win, he will make his UFC debut with the hope of continuing his winning run and gain more lucrative bouts in the future.
Parker Porter
Parker Porter (12-8, 3-3 UFC) will make his seventh appearance in the UFC as he looks to finally end his two-match slide. The 38-year-old fighter from Hartford, Connecticut, kicked off his UFC career with a loss to Chris Daukaus. He bounced back months later with a unanimous decision win over Josh Parisian. Porter would win two more victories by unanimous decision to Chase Sherman and Alan Baudot. However, Jailton Almeida put to a stop his three-fight streak with a submission win. He will be lined up to fight Justin Tafa but was unsuccessful as Tafa knocked him out in the first round. Porter aims to regain his winning rhythm by defeating Smith in the three-round battle.
Smith vs Porter Betting Numbers
| Record | 5-1-0 | 6-4-0 |
| Last Fight | Win | Loss |
| Country | USA | USA |
| Height | 5’8″ | 6’0″ |
| Weight (lbs) | 264 | 260 |
| Reach (in) | N/A | N/A |
| Win by KO/TKO | 100% | 42% |
| Win by Submission | 0% | 25% |
| Decisions | 0% | 33% |
| Strikes landed per minute | N/A | 8.54 |
| Striking accuracy | N/A | 47% |
| Striking absorbed per minute | N/A | 6.37 |
| Striking defense | N/A | 64% |
| Takedown average | N/A | 1.91 |
| Takedown accuracy | N/A | 100% |
| Takedown defense | N/A | N/A |
| Submission average | N/A | 1.91 |
Smith vs Porter Betting Picks
Smith and Porter seek to bring their A-game inside the cage as they look to secure a win that would promote them to the contender’s rankings in the UFC. Braxton Smith will have his first test in the veteran Porter in the hopes of extending his winning run to six matches. However, he will be the underdog in this fight, according to experts betting on UFC matches. Smith needs to find his striking game early to dispatch Porter. On the other hand, Porter needs to stay away from Smith’s dangerous punches to improve his chances of winning. A knockout is possible with these fighters as they put the premium on their heavy hands and unleash telling blows that could help impress the judges once the fight goes the distance.
