UFC returned to big network Fox earlier tonight (Saturday, August 27th, 2016) for a free televised event. The card was headlined by a welterweight bout between Carlos Condit and Demian Maia. All in all, seven favorites won, while three upsets occurred. Here’s how everything played out based on the Several Bookmakers closing odds: Favorites That Won In the featherweight co-main event, Anthony Pettis started very strong against Charles Oliveira in his 145 pound debut. Pettis worked hard for a finish via strikes in the first frame, but couldn’t put Oliveira away. Oliveira seemed to have the momentum with his grappling as the fight wore on, but Pettis sunk in a guillotine choke in the third round and forced the Brazilian to tap out. Pettis was a -160 favorite (bet $160 to win $100) while Oliveira was a +150 underdog. In a women’s strawweight bout, Paige VanZant started slow against Bec Rawlings, dancing on the outside and looking for big shots while Rawlings got the better of her on the feet. That all changed in round two when VanZant connected with a jumping switch kick which dropped Rawlings and set up the finish via hammer fists. VanZant was the winner as a -200 favorite while Rawlings lost at +185. In the preliminary card headliner, middleweights Sam Alvey and Kevin Casey threw down. Casey had success early from distance with his jab and kicks, but Alvey settled in late in the first round, hurting Casey badly in the second and then finishing him with a barrage of punches at the end of the second frame. Alvey closed at -260 while Casey was a +240 dog. In a featherweight scrap, Kyle Bochniak pulled out a razor thin decision against Enrique Barzola. Bochniak was caught off guard by Barzola’s improvement and aggressiveness on the feet, but landed some heavy kicks throughout the fight, winning a split decision he probably didn’t deserve. Bochniak was a -130 favorite while Phillips was +120. In a middleweight contest, Alessio Di Chirico pulled out a hard fought battle against Garreth McLellan. Both men had their moments, but Di Chirico landed some heavy shots and opened up a big cut on McLelland to pull out a split decision victory. Di Chirico was victorious as a -310 favorite while McLellan was +280. In a lightweight bout, Chad Laprise gave the fans a treat after missing weight against Thibault Gouti, hurting Gouti badly with a right hand then finishing him on the canvas with ground strikes. Laprise was victorious as a -320 favorite while Gouti lost at +290. In the opening bout of the night, Jeremy Kennedy took on short notice lightweight replacement Alex Ricci and put a ton of pressure on his opponent. Ricci worked strikes from the outside, but Kennedy repeatedly clinched and looked for takedowns, spending a significant majority of the fight pressing Ricci into the fence to pick up a decision win. Kennedy held serve as a -140 favorite while Ricci was +130. Underdogs That Won In the main event of the evening in a welterweight fight, Demian Maia put on an incredible display of Brazilian jiu-jitsu against Carlos Condit. Maia quickly scored a takedown, passed Condit’s guard and sunk in a rear naked choke to force a tapout from the former interim champion. Maia was victorious as a +115 (Bet $100 to win $115) underdog while Condit was -105. In a lightweight fight, Jim Miller and Joe Lauzon had a very competitive and entertaining rematch. Miller landed heavy strikes in the first round and the beginning of the second round, but Lauzon made the fight competitive standing and picked up takedowns in all three rounds, dominating on the ground in rounds two and three. Somehow, two judges gave the fight to Miller in the most controversial decision of the night. Miller was victorious as a +125 underdog while Lauzon was -135. In the opening bout of the Fox prelims, lightweight Shane Campbell was no match for UFC newcomer Felipe Silva. Silva landed a huge body shot along the fence, then unloaded combinations until Campbell couldn’t take it anymore and the ref intervened. Silva won as a +145 underdog while Campbell was -155.
