Edwards Leads Several Upsets From UFC 278
“Look at me now!” We’re looking at you, the new UFC Welterweight Champion, Leon Edwards. With a minute left in a fight he was losing, Edwards knocked Kamaru Usman out with a head kick. It sent everyone into a frenzy as Edwards pulled off one of the greatest comebacks in MMA history. And on top of that, he cashed as a 3-1 underdog on the UFC betting odds.
Edwards was not the only winning underdog on the online sportsbook. There have been a handful of upsets and plus-money bets that were cashed.
UFC 278: Plus-Money Bettors Cash Out
Tybura Rallies To Upset Romanov
While Edwards was the biggest underdog to win on UFC 278, Marcin Tybura was not far behind. The Pole rallied to hand Alexander Romanov his first professional loss. Tybura was a +230 underdog and was even bigger during the live betting odds after Romanov whooped him in the first round.
But the Moldovan gassed as Tybura took over and won the last two rounds. The majority of MMA media outlets scored the fight a draw alongside judge Derek Cleary. But the other two judges gave Tybura the decision much to his backers’ delight.
Rare Draw For Saldana and Woodson
Did anyone hit the draw prop bet on Luis Saldana and Sean Woodson? It would have paid $5,000 for every $100 wager. However, Saldana backers are likely peeved seeing as how he skewered himself with a blatantly illegal knee. Saldana celebrated like he had won via a finish but he instead lost a point, which led to scorecards going all over the place.
Had Saldana been sharper, he may have finished Woodson while he was recovering. Referee Mike Beltran also let Woodson continue fighting as the over 2½ rounds total bet cashed at -140. It’s a bad beat for both Saldana and under 2½ rounds bettors
Rockhold and Costa Go the Distance
Paulo Costa (-370) beating Luke Rockhold (+270) is not surprising. The Brazilian slugger outgrappled Rockhold in a bloody bout that also won both fighters the Fight of the Night. This was the first fight of Rockhold’s career to go to a decision.
Luke Rockhold purposely smearing his blood on Paulo Costa's face. An iconic moment in this lovely sport we all cherish. #UFC278
— Nolan King (@mma_kings) August 21, 2022
A prop bet online for this fight to “go the distance” was at +240 while a bet on Costa to win by decision was at +320. The win snapped Costa’s two-fight losing skid and sent Rockhold into retirement.
The Favorites That Delivered
Pedro and Albazi Make Short Work of Their Opponents
Despite some big upsets, the largest favorites on the card still won. Tyson Pedro (-800) and Amir Albazi (-500) needed only one round to dispatch their opponents. Pedro finished Harry Hansucker (+500) with a body kick just 65 seconds into the fight. Albazi choked Figueiredo in the final seconds of the first.
The Best UFC 278 Bet … The Last-Minute Headkick
Wagering on Edwards turned out to be one of the best UFC bets this year. But folks who bet him to win in round five would have turned dinner money into a year’s worth of groceries. Betting Edwards to win in round 5 would have paid $3,000 for every $100 wager while betting him to win in round 5 via knockout would have paid $4,000.
The Next UFC PPV: Chimaev vs Diaz
The next major event is UFC 279, which takes place on September 10 in Las Vegas. While no titles are on the line, fan favorites Khamzat Chimaev and Nate Diaz will square off. This is the last fight on Diaz’s contract with the UFC while Chimaev, the massive favorite here, is this close to a title shot.
