Five championship belts. Four champions. Three championship fights. We’ve arrived with the UFC’s biggest event of the year, stacked from the first fights in the prelims to the featured bouts. The BetUS online sportsbook has the UFC odds for the entire card plus, a rich list of props for all your online sports betting.
History will be made at one point or the other. The question is whether we see two UFC legends reach new heights or if we’re in for a historic upset or two. Let’s find out.
- Date: Saturday, Mar. 6, 10:00 p.m.
- Venue: UFC Apex, Las Vegas, NV, USA
- Watch on: Pay-per-view
Jan Blachowicz vs Israel Adesanya (UFC Light Heavyweight Championship)
In less than three years, Israel Adesanya (20-0-0) has gone from a tantalizing prospect known only to the most devoted MMA fans to one of the UFC’s biggest stars. Now he’s just one win away from becoming the next simultaneous two-division champion. But he’s got his hands full with the champion, Jan Blachowicz (27-8-0).
Blachowicz has had a different path to glory going from a gatekeeper, who had an even UFC record at one point, to an unstoppable knockout artist. The Polish star will once again be a sizable underdog here, a spot he’s flourished in with a 7-1 record in his last eight.
Adesanya may be the greatest striker that has graced the Octagon and, despite being a 185er, he will be the bigger fighter here. He holds a two-inch reach advantage over the champ. And not having to cut weight could mean he can focus more on his training and fight with more power. He is the favorite per UFC betting odds for good reason.
That is a scary proposition as Adesanya is already faster and more complex than Blachowicz. But if anyone has a “puncher’s chance,” it’s Blachowicz who has won three of his last four fights by knockout.
My heart is with the underdog here, but Adesanya is on a different level. Even the elite strikers of his division couldn’t hold a candle to him and Blachowicz could be just another scalp to his burgeoning victim list.
I expect Adesanya to utilize leg kicks to keep Blachowicz at bay and to use his feints and movement to keep him guessing. Blachowicz will get frustrated looking for clean angles to hit Adesanya.
Adesanya will pick Blachowicz apart and land the knockout blow some time in the middle rounds to capture his second belt and set up a potential superfight with Jon Jones. And, New!
Pick: Israel Adesanya -250
Odds For This Event
- Jan Blachowicz +200
- Israel Adesanya -250
* odds are subject to change
Amanda Nunes vs Megan Anderson (Featherweight Championship)
From a future double champ to a current one; the women’s bantamweight and featherweight champion Amanda Nunes (20-4-0) defends the latter against Megan Anderson (11-4-0). The Australian challenger is a massive fighter coming in at 6’0” with a 72” reach, three inches longer than Nunes’.
As big as Anderson is, she’s dwarfed by her betting odds. It’s getting ridiculous and the public is not giving her any chance. Anderson is a dangerous opponent to overlook. She has significant power in both her hands and feet and she’s continually getting better.
But Anderson is getting faded because she lost to both Holly Holm and Felicia Spencer, two fighters Nunes beat easily. Anderson also averages just 1.82 significant strikes landed per minute (SLpM) to 2.94 absorbed. These are unflattering stats and she’ll need more volume to get Nunes’s attention.
Nunes won’t be underestimating Anderson though. I expect her to chop Anderson’s long legs, clinch her up, and eventually take her down and submit her. Still, these betting odds are crazy and offer little value even in a parlay. Thread carefully here.
Pick: Amanda Nunes -1400
Odds For This Event
- Amanda Nunes -1400
- Megan Anderson +700
* odds are subject to change
Petr Yan vs Aljamain Sterling (UFC Bantamweight Championship)
The Nunes-Anderson fight may be a lopsided affair, but this one is a dead pick’em between an elite striker in champion Petr Yan (15-1-0) and an elite striker in challenger Aljamain Sterling (19-3-0). Yan opened as a favorite but the public has bet them to an even exchange.
Yan has had a fairly under-the-radar UFC career despite being arguably the best striker outside of Adesanya. With a switch stance, Yan is also adept at attacking and counter-attacking from multiple angles. He moves in and out fast and hits hard despite the lack of knockouts in his resume.
But Sterling has been a man on a mission. Since his loss to Marlon Moraes in 2017, Sterling has ran through five straight opponents including Cory Sandhagen. Sterling has evolved from being just a wrestler to having explosive striking.
There is a decent chance Yan catches Sterling if he gets too aggressive, but the disparity in grappling will be the difference-maker here.
What Sterling can’t match in technique against Yan, he will make up for in speed, power, and ferocity. I like for Sterling to pressure Yan and use his superior grappling to edge this fight.
Pick: Aljamain Sterling -115
Odds For This Event
- Petr Yan -115
- Aljamain Sterling -115
* odds are subject to change
