UFC Abu Dhabi: Sandhagen vs. Nurmagomedov takes place on Saturday, August 3 at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, UAE. The offshore sportsbooks recently opened up the betting odds for the event, and MMAOB staff writer Adam Martin looks at the opening odds below.
UFC Abu Dhabi Odds
Umar Nurmagomedov -400
Cory Sandhagen +330
Shara Magomedov -175
Michal Oleksiejczuk +150
Mackenzie Dern -175
Lupita Godinez +150
Deiveson Figueiredo -135
Marlon Vera +115
Mike Chiesa -450
Tony Ferguson +350
Azamat Murzakanov -375
Alonzo Menifield +310
Joel Alvarez -185
Elves Brener +160
Shamil Gaziev -300
Don’Tale Mayes +250
Guram Kutateladze -200
Jordan Vucenic +170
Viktoriia Dudakova -250
Sam Hughes +210
Sedriques Dumas -250
Denis Tiuliulin +210
Rolando Bedoya -110
Jai Herbert -110
Kaue Fernandes -170
Mohammad Yahya +145
Here are my quick thoughts on the UFC Abu Dhabi Opening Odds:
- The main event of UFC Abu Dhabi features Umar Nurmagomedov against Cory Sandhagen. Nurmagomedov has won all five of his fights since he joined the UFC in 2021, but this fight against Sandhagen represents a massive step up in competition against one of the very best fighters in the bantamweight division. As for Sandhagen, he has won three straight fights heading into this matchup, with his last loss coming in 2021. It is not surprising to see Nurmagmedov open up as the favorite here given his last name and also his performances inside of the Octagon thus far. That being said, Sandhagen is one of the best fighters in the weight class, and it would be foolish to ignore him as a live underdog in this main-event fight.
- The co-main event features Shara Magomedov against Michal Oleksiejczuk. Magomedov has been hot as of late with two straight wins since joining the UFC, while Oleksiejczuk was most recently seen getting finished by Kevin Holland at UFC 302. Magomedov has far more momentum right now so it makes sense that he is the betting favorite heading into this fight. That being said, Oleksiejczuk always has a pincher’s chance.
