UFC 293 Betting Recap: Strickland Makes History Amidst Favorite Wins
Largest Underdog Pulls Off a Win
We saw history made on UFC 293: Sean Strickland became the largest underdog to capture the UFC middleweight title. The brawler was as long as +540 when the betting odds closed. Not only did he make shocking UFC news, but Strickland made his backers plenty of money. In what was an event where favorites nearly swept, the biggest dog came out with a monumental victory.
As well explore a variety of boxing odds and other bouts odds here to win!
UFC 293 Results: Action-Packed Despite Predictable Results
Most pundits counted out Strickland. Had anyone told folks he would go out there and outstrike Israel Adesanya for five rounds, they’d be laughed out of the room. But Strickland not only won a clear-cut decision, which also cashed a shrewd bet online, but he also put on a riveting performance. This was but one of many despite favorites making it predictable.
SEAN STRICKLAND APPLIED THE PRESSURE 💥 #UFC293 pic.twitter.com/AJ7lMKqDf2
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) September 10, 2023
Nine of the 11 favorites came out victorious. Other than Strickland, Jose “Chepe” Mariscal was the only underdog who won. The +180 dog finished Jack Jenkins after a takedown attempt injured his elbow. This injury also cashed the ‘under’ bet on the total at +150.
Tyson Pedro also knocked Anton Turkalj out at pick’em odds. The Australian came through and was a sharp UFC picks given his price. Additionally, fans who bet him to win by a finish would have won $135 for every $100 wager. Those who bet a Round 1 victory would have raked $300 for a $100 stake. Any of these could have been the best UFC bets.
Mixed Outcomes For Home Heroes
The Australasians did not dominate as the crowd would have liked. Overall, fighters from the region went 4-5. They went 3-2 as favorites and 0-3 as underdogs. Most notably, Adesanya and Jenkins lost as -700 and -200 favorites, respectively. But Justin Tafa (-200), Carlos Ulberg (-260), and Jamie Mullarkey (-260) all emerged victorious.
Tai Tuivasa could not bring home a win as a +195 underdog. “Bam Bam” lost his third straight fight and dropped to 1-4 as an underdog under the UFC. As for his opponent, Alexander Volkov (-240), the Russian won his third straight fight and via another finish. He improved to 8-1 as a favorite with the promotion.
Ulberg was one of the stars of the show. The kickboxer not only won his fifth straight fight, but he did it via a rear-naked choke in the third round. He cashed a finish prop at -135 and secured the first submission victory of his career. The prop on Ulberg to win in Round 3 was at +950 and a Round 3 submission was a whopping +5500!
Totals: Going ‘Over’ Proved Lucrative
Of the 12 bouts, seven went over their totals. A few of these were the expected results. But a few proved to be lucrative bets per their UFC lines.
Adesanya-Strickland was one as a bet on this to go over 4½ rounds and was at +145 by fight time. The Manel Kape–Felipe dos Santos fight also went to a decision and cashed the over 2½ total at +160. Also in the early prelims, Charles Radtke beat “Blood Diamond” by a decision to cash the ‘over’ at +165.
Next PPV: UFC 294: Makhachev vs Oliveira 2
The UFC returns to Abu Dhabi and features the hotly anticipated rematch between Islam Makhachev and Charles Oliveira. UFC predictions are divided here again despite the champion, Makhachev, being a -350 favorite on the betting lines. He made quick work of Oliveira in their first bout. But every fight is different and “Do Bronx” is no stranger to pulling off upsets.
