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Results: Marc-Andre Barriault defeats Julian Marquez via second-round TKO at the 4:12 mark. Barriault was a -150 favorite to win and checked in at +215 odds to win by knockout.
Talk about a punishing performance #UFC285 pic.twitter.com/NxZccGX76m
— UFC (@ufc) March 5, 2023
The much anticipated UFC 285 is set for Saturday, March 5, live from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The co-main event will feature a women’s flyweight championship bout between Valentina Shevchenko and Alexa Grasso. There is also a bout between Julian Marquez and Marc-Andre Barrriault. The prelim will get start at 8:00 p.m. ET and air on ESPN+.
Marquez (9-3) is entering this one off a loss but is 3-2 in his UFC career. He got a win in the Dana White Contender Series in 2017. He was out of action from 2018-2021 and then returned to defeat Maki Pitolo via a third-round anaconda choke. Marquez has won 67 percent of his bouts via KO/TKO and 33 percent via submission. He has yet to win a fight that has gone the distance in his career.
Barriault (14-6-0) lost his last bout to Anthony Hernandez in Sept 2022 via arm triangle. He started his UFC career in 2019 and lost his first three bouts with a no-contest included in there. The orthodox fighter has won 64 percent of his bouts via KO/TKO and another 29 percent via unanimous decision. With the way that his career started, it would take him an insane hot streak for him to earn a title shot.
How to watch Julian Marquez vs. Marc-Andre Barriault
Date: Saturday, March 4
Fight time: Preliminary card starts at 8:00 p.m. ET
Live stream: ESPN and ESPN+ via WatchESPN or the ESPN app
DraftKings Sportsbook Odds/Predictions
Marquez: +130
Barriault: -150
Splits: 79% of handle, 56% of bets on Marquez
Despite not being the odds-on favorite, Marquez is getting a lot of action on the handle and the split. Barriault is the more experienced here which is probably why most people have decided to ride with him. He averages 5.35 significant strikes per minute and lands 46 percent of them. Marquez averages about 4.18 significant strikes per minute, but the key here is that both guys defend about 50 percent of the significant strikes they have. Whoever can take advantage would gain the upper hand.