The most anticipated return to the PFL has to be Antonio Carlos Jr. this week when he makes his comeback official against Simon Biyong in the first regular season event for light heavyweights. Will Carlos Jr. be able to go back to his championship ways? Or is the newcomer from MMA Bellator too much to handle?
Continue reading as we discuss the Carlos Jr. vs Biyong prediction ahead of placing any bets on MMA fights tonight.
Carlos Jr. vs. Biyong Picks
- Picks: Biyong ML (+185) & Biyong to win by TKO/KO.
Carlos Jr. vs. Biyong Information
Antonio Carlos Jr. vs Simon Biyong
Location of the game: The Theater at Virgin Hotels, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Date & Time: April 12, 2024. 9 PM ET main card start
Where to Watch: ESPN+ / ESPN 2
Last Fight Record
Carlos Jr. is making his return to the cage for the first time since his decision win over Bruce Souto in the PFL in June 2022.
Biyong is coming off a decision loss to Jose Augusto at Bellator 296 last May.
Carlos Jr. vs. Biyong Betting Analysis
Antonio Carlos Jr.
Carlos Jr. is a Brazilian mixed martial artist with a professional MMA record of 15-5, including 11 submission wins so far at the age of 34. He is a world-class BJJ practitioner; winning multiple gold medals at the BJJ World Championships. He also won The Ultimate Fighter Brazil 3 heavyweight tournament and is still currently tied for second all-time in submissions in the middleweight division.
Carlos Jr. is listed as a 6’2” submission specialist with a 79” reach, fighting out of the orthodox stance. He is the former 2021 PFL light heavyweight world champion and 11 of his 15 career wins have come by submission.
Simon Biyong
Biyong is an Italian mixed martial artist born in Cameroon with a professional MMA record of 9-3, including 7 TKO/KO wins. He is 33 years old and only started MMA to train to help with stress while going through art school. Now he has a chance to win $1 million at the end of 2024 if he wins the light heavyweight title.
Biyong stands at 6’5” and fights in the orthodox stance with an 80” reach. He fought in Bellator since 2021 and went 2-2 with 1 TKO victory.
Updates
Both fighters are healthy heading into this fight according to ESPN and PFL reports.
Carlos Jr. vs. Biyong Betting Preview
If you want to bet on Carlos Jr. or learn some new Simon Biyong betting strategies, you first need to understand how to break down betting lines and study the film on these fighters. Learning the styles of these guys is key to being able to intelligently make predictions in an unpredictable sport.
According to PFL odds, Carlos Jr. is going into Friday night as the -260 betting favorite over the +200 Biyong.
The oddsmakers favor the bout to end inside the distance at -220. The over/under also sits at 1.5 rounds.
From a technical and stylistic standpoint, these two are very different. Carlos Jr. is a pure grappler with zero TKO/KO wins and Biyong is a striker with zero submission wins.
The physical advantages go to Biyong due to his massive size and his being younger and fresher in combat years.
Carlos Jr. designs his game plans around trying to get the fight to the ground. He will relentlessly attempt takedowns with single legs, body locks up against the cage, and more while setting them up with his punches.
Biyong is just as relentless, but he wants to hurt his opponent and end the fight with his hands. This will be an interesting matchup and the fight will be determined by who can lead the pace and dictate where this fight is fought in the cage.
Carlos Jr. vs. Biyong Betting Prediction
After carefully looking at this light heavyweight matchup, our official Carlos Jr. vs Biyong prediction is that Biyong will catch him coming into range and shock the world with a TKO/KO victory.
The PFL has been a place where stories like this are born. Expect an underdog to kick off his quest for PFL gold this Friday, making it a smart bet to place. Carlos Jr. has been away from competing for two years now and this might impact on his readiness.
If you want to bet on MMA this weekend, make sure you check out the other fight analyses at Insiders Betting Digest for the PFL event and UFC 300 coming up.
- Picks: Biyong ML (+185) & Biyong to win by TKO/KO.
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