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Hardy Drops Bomb on Spivak

The Underdog Is Popular Pick in Heavyweight Bout

There is a reason UFC 272 is opening with Sergey Spivak and Greg Hardy: one man is going to get finished and most likely in a spectacular fashion. Going by the UFC betting odds, it should be Hardy, the underdog. But upon closer inspection, the American may just destroy Spivak and parlays everywhere.

  • Date: Saturday, March 5, 10 p.m. ET
  • Venue: T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, NV, United States
  • Watch on: Pay-Per-View

Spivak vs Hardy

  • Weight Class: Heavyweight (265)
  • Rounds: Three
  • Moneyline: Greg Hardy +180, Sergey Spivak -230
  • Totals: Over 1½ (-160o), Under 1½ (+130u)

The online sports betting lines are painting one of two outcomes in this fight. Either Sergey Spivak beats Greg Hardy over the course of two to three rounds or Hardy (7-4-0) sparks Spivak (13-3-0) within the first two. If it was a 50/50 proposition, we may be inclined to bet the former. But it isn’t …

Hardy Drops A Bomb On Spivak
Stacy Revere/Getty Images/AFP

Regardless Who He Fights, Hardy Cracks

You know what they say: “the bigger they are, the harder they fall.” That has been the case for Greg Hardy, who has seen 9 of his 11 professional bouts end with a finish. Hardy will go into a fight and either knock out the opponent or get starched himself. It has been the latter in his last two bouts.

But even in his losses against Tai Tuivasa and Marcin Tybura, Hardy handled himself well. He hurt Tuivasa and was finished because he rushed him too recklessly. That Tuivasa also knocked out Derrick Lewis and is knocking on a title shot only alleviates Hardy’s loss.

Hardy is still raw as a fighter. He has virtually no ground game and any experienced grappler can exploit this. But this is easier on paper as Hardy is still strong and explosive. The best fighters in the division should be wary of Hardy, who could be the hardest hitter outside of the top five.

Spivak Shaky Chalk at Best

Skill-for-skill, Sergey Spivak is one of the better fighters of the UFC’s heavyweight division. The Moldovan bloodied and submitted Tuivasa once upon a time. In fact, most of his wins have come via his grappling. And yet the 27-year-old is not ranked in the shallow division.

Spivak has yet to have a trademark win. Beating Tuivasa was a nice feather on his cap, but he caught the Australasian fighter on one of the worst stretches of his career. On his feet, Spivak still leaves plenty to be desired and that’s why it’s hard to bet online on a fighter like him.

Over 15 to 25 minutes, few heavyweights can match Spivak’s prolific grappling. But every fight starts on its feet and until Spivak can hold his own here, he may make bettors regret trusting him.

Who Wins?

Either Spivak weathers Hardy’s early onslaught and beats him over three rounds or he doesn’t and becomes the newest scalp in the former NFL star’s collection. Going by the betting odds, we lean on the latter happening. Hardy is not the most polished fighter. However, he more than makes up for it with his speed and power.

Spivak is also giving up a lot in size against Hardy. The underdog has a two-inch height and reach advantage. This will work in his favor as he fends off Spivak’s half-hearted takedown attempts and puts him down within the first five minutes.

Pick: Greg Hardy +180

Alternatively, betting the under 1½ rounds may be the best UFC bet here. Either Hardy knocks Spivak out early or Spivak finds a way to finish Hardy on the mat.

Pick: Under 1½ (+130)

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