UFC Fight Night 148 takes place Saturday, March 23 at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. The offshore sportsbooks recently opened up the betting odds for the full card, and here they are.
UFC Fight Night 148 Opening Odds
Stephen Thompson -285
Sergio Pettis +205
Curtis Blaydes -245
Justin Willis +175
Alexis Davis -230
Jennifer Maia +170
Deiveson Figueiredo -175
Jussier Formiga +135
Angela Hill -130
Randa Markos -110
John Makdessi -215
Jesus Pinedo +165
Maycee Barber -265
JJ Aldrich +185
Bobby Moffett -185
Bryce Mitchell +145
Ryan MacDonald -165
Chris Gutierrez +125
Luis Pena -230
Steven Peterson +170
Eric Shelton -150
Jordan Espinosa +110
Marlon Vera -245
Frankie Saenz +185
And here are my initial thoughts on the UFC Fight Night 148 Opening Odds:
- I’m still not entirely sure why Pettis is moving up to welterweight, but here we are. The former UFC lightweight champion has been fade material for quite a few years now, having struggled to find consistency at both featherweight and lightweight. Now, he’s moving up 15lbs to fight at welterweight and he gets a top opponent in “Wonderboy” in his debut. Sure, he’s struggled a bit himself lately, but at least Thompson has been losing razor-thin decisions to top welterweight contenders. Both guys are flashy strikers and stylistically this should be a fun fight, but Thompson is the bigger fighter and the size should be the difference here. I wouldn’t be surprised if he got to -400 by fight day.
- Though it’s a heavyweight fight and there’s always the chance of an upset, I like Blaydes to beat Willis. I just haven’t been impressed at all by Willis in the Octagon and although Blaydes was knocked out by Francis Ngannou in his last fight I believe he takes care of business here and the odds seem bang on.
- In what is a rare flyweight matchup, I like Figueiredo to beat Formiga. Though it’s a step up for Figueiredo, I think he’s one of the best flyweights in the world and this is his chance to prove it. He has a ton of knockout power for a 125er and I think there’s a good chance he actually finishes Formiga in this fight.
- In the women’s flyweight division, I’m very high on Barber and think she should beat Aldrich, but the opening line is a bit high for a fighter who is moving up a weight class. Aldrich is a pretty good wrestler and we haven’t seen Barber get tested in the grappling department yet. Odds are she keeps the fight standing and outstrikes Aldrich, but I’m not sure there’s any value here.
- As for an underdog pick, Espinosa looks like someone to keep an eye on. I just don’t think there’s anything special about Shelton’s game, and although he does have more UFC experience, I don’t think it’s going to matter. Espinosa is one of the better flyweight prospects in the UFC and shined during his appearance on Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series. He hasn’t fought since last summer which is a bit of a worry, but I’m willing to ignore the layoff and take the plus money on Espinosa and fade Shelton at the same time.
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