UFC 241 takes place Saturday, August 17 at Honda Centre in Anaheim, California. The offshore sportsbooks recently opened up the betting odds for the full card, and here they are.
UFC 241 Opening Odds
Daniel Cormier -140
Stipe Miocic +110
Nate Diaz +140
Anthony Pettis -170
Yoel Romero -190
Paulo Costa +165
Sodiq Yusuff -305
Gabriel Benitez +225
Ian Heinisch -215
Derek Brunson +165
Devonte Smith -750
Khama Worthy +450
Cory Sandhagen -145
Raphael Assuncao +105
Manny Bermudez -245
Casey Kenney +175
Drakkar Klose -175
Christos Giagos +135
Hannah Cifers -230
Jodie Esquibel +170
Kyung Ho Kang -185
Brandon Davis +145
Sabina Mazo -190
Shana Dobson +150
And here are my initial thoughts on the UFC 241 Opening Odds:
- The main event should be an incredible rematch between DC and Miocic. These two fought last summer, with DC knocking Miocic out in an upset to take then belt. Since then, DC has won another fight against Derrick Lewis while Miocic has taken 13 months off. That layoff could potentially come back to hurt him in this fight, but perhaps he’s made the right adjustments. DC opened as the favorite for this rematch after closing as the dog the first time these two met, and that seems fair considering he won. But it’s heavyweight MMA and anything can happen, so don’t write off Miocic completely.
- The co-main event is “the people’s main event” between fan favorites Diaz and Pettis. Diaz hasn’t fought in three years since a decision loss to Conor McGregor while Pettis had an amazing welterweight debut when he knocked out Stephen Thompson. Both guys are exciting fighters who always put on a show for the fans, but Diaz opened up as the favorite here due to his popularity. Perhaps there could be some value on Pettis at a short line considering he’s been far more active and looked great against Thompson.
- The middleweight showcase bout between Romero and Costa is also a really intriguing fight. Romero hasn’t fought in over a year since a split decision loss to champion Robert Whittaker, while Costa has also had a lengthy layoff due to issues with USADA. Costa is undefeated and has incredible knockout power, but Romero is an amazing wrestler and has KO power himself. This should be one heck of a fight, but given Romero’s championship experience and wrestling pedigree he deserved to open as the betting favorite here.
- There are some really good fights on the prelims as well. One that’s intriguing is a bantamweight bout between the rising star Sandhagen and the veteran contender Assuncao. Sandhagen is on a nice win streak and looks like he could be the next big thing at 135lbs, but Assuncao is one of the most proven fighters in the division and has won many times as an underdog. Sandhagen opened as the favorite, but Assuncao should be given the respect of bettors.
- Another preliminary bantamweight bout I’d look at for a dog is the Kang vs. Davis fight. Kang has been a really underrated bantamweight for quite some time now, but Davis looked fantastic in his 135lbs debut against Randy Costa in his last fight and looks to have found his optimal weight class. Kang is solid but Davis has a better shot at winning this fight than the odds indicate.
- And finally, take a look at the women’s flyweight bout between Dobson and Mazo. The oddsmakers opened up Mazo as the favorite but the line has flipped and Dobson is now favored to win. Mazo was an elite prospect not that long ago and perhaps this is a good opportunity to take her at plus money now that the line has flipped. This seems to be a case of bettors fading Mazo after a bad UFC debut, but I believe she experienced the Octagon jitters in that fight.
