Colby Covington will tell anyone who will listen that he is the best MMA welterweight in the world. Conversely, Robbie Lawler operates in relative silence and lets his fighting skills in the octagon do his talking. Both will get a chance to make a statement on Saturday when they meet in the main event of UFC on ESPN 5 from the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. The UFC on ESPN 5 card features the main bouts starting at 3 p.m. ET. The second-ranked Covington (14-1) can all but lock up a title shot with his seventh straight victory. Meanwhile, Lawler (28-13), ranked No. 11, needs a win to offset a stretch in which he’s lost three of four. Covington is a -225 favorite (risk $225 to win $100), while Lawler is priced at +185 in the latest Covington vs. Lawler odds. In the co-main event, Jim Miller (-175) faces Clay Guida (+155) in a battle of veteran lightweights. You need to hear from SportsLine MMA expert Kyle Marley before locking in any UFC on ESPN 5 picks and Covington vs. Lawler predictions of your own.
Marley won the first-ever “ToutMaster” UFC betting contest sponsored by MMAOddsBreaker and is in contention to win this year’s contest. He also appears regularly on multiple MMA betting and DFS shows. Over the past year, $100 bettors who have followed Marley’s picks are up more than $21,000.
At last week’s UFC 240 card in Edmonton, Marley nailed Max Holloway’s one-sided title defense against veteran Frankie Edgar. He told SportsLine members that Holloway’s advantages in speed and striking would be the difference in a unanimous-decision victory. That’s exactly what happened, as the champion won all five rounds on two of the three judges’ scorecards.
Two weeks ago at UFC on ESPN 4, Marley predicted that Greg Hardy (-115) would knock out Juan Adams (-105) in a battle of heavyweight prospects that Vegas viewed as virtually even. Hardy finished an overmatched Adams in 45 seconds. Anyone who followed Marley’s advice booked an easy winner and those who have followed him throughout 2019 are way up.
Now, with UFC on ESPN 5 fast approaching, Marley has carefully studied every matchup on the 12-fight bill, identified the best value in the UFC odds and released his MMA picks for every single fight. He’s sharing those selections only over at SportsLine.
Marley knows the UFC Newark main event is likely to be a turning point in the careers of both fighters. Covington returns to the octagon following a 14-month layoff. He defeated Rafael dos Anjos by unanimous decision in June 2018 for the interim welterweight belt, but was later stripped of it for turning down a bout against then-champion Tyron Woodley.
The outspoken Covington, 31, has been campaigning for a title shot against Usman, but the champ is sidelined indefinitely while he recovers from hernia surgery. UFC president Dana White reportedly has guaranteed Covington a chance at the title if he defeats Lawler on Saturday.
Lawler, 37, is noted for taking part in some of the most action-packed bouts in UFC history, particularly his two-fight rivalry with former UFC contender Rory MacDonald, who has since joined Bellator. He stopped MacDonald in their memorable July 2015 rematch that left both fighters hospitalized. You can only see Marley’s Lawler vs. Covington picks and UFC predictions at SportsLine.
At UFC on ESPN 5, we can tell you Marley is backing Salim Touahri (-130) against Mickey Gall (+110) in a welterweight bout on the preliminary card.
Marley knows Touahri (10-3) will attempt to break a two-fight losing streak and is coming off a split-decision loss to Keita Nakamura in December. Prior to his two-fight skid, Touahri had won five straight, including four fights by knockout. Gall (5-2) famously submitted CM Punk in the first round of the pro wrestler’s UFC debut, but has lost two of his past three bouts.
“If Touahri can stuff takedowns, he should win on his feet and could even knock Gall out,” Marley told SportsLine. Book Touahri over Gall as one of your top UFC Newark picks.
Marley also has strong picks for Covington vs. Lawler, Guida vs. Miller and every other bout on the stacked UFC on ESPN 5 card. You can see every one of his UFC predictions at SportsLine.
Who wins Covington vs. Lawler? And how exactly does each fight end? Visit SportsLine now to get detailed picks on all 12 fights at UFC on ESPN 5, all from the incomparable expert who’s up more than $21,000 on MMA in the past year, and find out.
