UFC on ESPN+ 31: Shahbazyan vs. Brunson takes place on Saturday, August 1 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada. The offshore sportsbooks recently opened up the betting odds for the full card, and here they are.
UFC on ESPN+ 31 Opening Odds
Edmen Shahbazyan -270
Derek Brunson +230
Joanne Calderwood -130
Jennifer Maia +110
Vicente Luque -215
Randy Brown +185
Lando Vannata -175
Bobby Green +150
Kevin Holland -215
Trevin Giles +165
Jonathan Martinez -225
Frankie Saenz +190
Gerald Meerschaert -195
Ed Herman +170
Ray Borg -230———Cancelled
Nathan Maness +170
Johnny Munoz +120
Nate Maness -140
Markus Perez -200
Eric Spicely +170
Timur Valiev -300———Cancelled
Jamall Emmers +250
Vince Cachero +185
Jamall Emmers -265
Chris Gutierrez -305
Cody Durden +225
Here are my initial thoughts on the UFC on ESPN+ 31 Opening Odds:
- The first thing to note is that this event was originally set to be headlined by Holly Holm vs. Irene Aldana. However, the fight was postponed after Aldana tested positive for COVID-19 and Shahbazyan vs. Brunson was elevated to the main event instead. This bout will only be three rounds and not five rounds like a typical UFC main event because of the short notice factor.
- Shahbazyan vs. Brunson is definitely the best fight on the card. Shahbazyan is only 22 years old and is one of the brightest young stars in the UFC. Managed by Hall of Famer Ronda Rousey, Shahbazyan is a perfect 11-0 to start his young MMA career and he’s 4-0 in the UFC. In his last fight, he KOed Brad Tavares in devastating fashion. As for Brunson, he’s a veteran of the sport and has an impressive 11-5 record in the UFC. He has proven time and time again his wrestling can help him grind out wins, making this main event a very intriguing main event. Shahbazyan has looked amazing in the UFC, but I believe Brunson may be a live dog here.
- The co-main event is a big fight at women’s 125lbs as Calderwood fills in on very short notice to fight Maia. Calderwood was set to fight UFC women’s flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko until got injured. Instead of waiting around, Calderwood stepped up to fight Maia. Both women have proven they can win fights in the UFC and both women are very durable. Calderwood is more proven, but the short-notice could very well play a factor in the outcome.
- One of the most exciting fights on the card is Luque vs. Brown. Both welterweights on the rise, with Luque a winner of seven of his last eight fights and Brown a winner of three of his last four. I’m expecting the “Fight of the Night” between these two, but I do favor Luque quite a bit.
- This rematch between Vannata and Green should be a lot of fun, as well. These two met back at UFC 216 in 2017 and they fought to a draw in a “Fight of the Night” performance. Both Vannata and Green are coming off of wins over Yancy Medeiros and Clay Guida in their last fights, respectively, and appear to be in solid form. The first fight between these two was awesome for the fans to watch and the rematch should be no different this time around.
