Though the UFC has packed the end of the year with a relentless series of fight cards, this weekend's return to Madison Square Garden should be the highlight of the remaining season. With three titles on the line Saturday, including the return of Georges St-Pierre and the long-awaited settlement of the Cody Garbrandt and TJ Dillashaw feud, matchups compelling for a variety of reasons stack the main card.
Glancing at the Fighter Effectiveness of the entire card, we can see that UFC 217 boasts a largely successful cadre of talent. As a group, they generally dish out much more punishment than they receive, a hallmark for longevity in the sport. All but one of the six past or current champions show up on the "more effective" side of the threshold. Notably, St-Pierre takes a minimal amount of damage during his fights, reflective of his conservative and strategic fighting style, while Joanna Jedrzejczyk delivers an absurd rate of output via a seemingly endless gas tank.
click to enlargeNow let's look at how the matchups compare to the betting lines.