UFC returned for a free televised event last night (Saturday, November 5th, 2016). The card was headlined by a lightweight bout between Rafael dos Anjos and Tony Ferguson. All in all, eight favorites won, while five upsets occurred. Here’s how everything played out based on the Several Bookmakers closing odds: Favorites That Won In a lightweight bout, Beneil Dariush put on good pressure against Rashid Magomedov, landing some nasty left kicks to the body and throwing some nice knees in the Thai clinch. Magomedov failed to really push the pace until it was too late and he wound up losing a unanimous decision. Dariush pulled through as a slight -110 favorite (Bet $110 to win $100) while Magomedov closed as a +100 underdog. In a women’s strawweight fight, Alexa Grasso made an impressive UFC debut by outstriking and even occasionally outgrappling Heather Jo Clark en route to an easy unanimous decision victory. Grasso was a hefty -580 favorite while Clark was +490. In a bantamweight scrap, Erik Perez overcame a knee injury to outgrapple Felipe Arantes and walk away with a split decision victory. Arantes made things interesting with leg kicks and by finishing strong in the third round but he couldn’t put it away. Perez was a -230 favorite while Arantes lost as a +210 dog. In a welterweight battle, Max Griffin made quick work of Erick Montano, blasting him with big shots and putting the former TUF winner away with strikes in the opening minute. Griffin won as a -135 favorite while Montano was a +125 underdog. In a bantamweight war, Douglas Silva Andrade and Henry Briones tore into each other with huge strikes, although Andrade really started to land well in the second round. Andrade finished it with a beautiful spinning back fist in the third round that flattened Briones. Andrade was victorious as a -110 favorite while Briones was +100. In a middleweight bout, Sam Alvey overcame a slow start against Alex Nicholson to battle back and win the final two rounds en route to winning a decision. Alvey was victorious as a -160 favorite while Nicholson lost at +150. In a lightweight fight, Marco “Polo” Reyes got away with a decision against a game Jason Novelli. Both men evenly split the second and third rounds while most thought Novelli edged out the first frame but Reyes was awarded the split decision. Reyes won as a -150 favorite while Novelli was +140. In the opening bout of the evening, featherweight Enrique Barzola outworked an overmatched Chris Avila en route to easily winning a unanimous decision. Barzola was a -525 favorite while Avilva closed as a +450 dog. Underdogs That Won In a lightweight main event, Tony Ferguson utilized his unorthodox movement, pacing and attacks to perplex Rafael dos Anjos en route to winning three of the five round sin a thrilling headlining bout. Dos Anjos started strong but he had trouble once Ferguson settled in and started to land big straight punches and spinning attacks. Ferguson was a slight +125 (Bet $100 to win $125) underdog while dos Anjos was -135. In another big upset, lightweights Marcin Held and Diego Sanchez threw down in a battle of grapplers. Held got the better of the stand-up and attempted several submissions, but the UFC newcomer ran out of gas and allowed Sanchez to grab top position for the last two rounds where he won the decision. Sanchez was a hefty +260 underdog while Held lost despite being a -290 favorite. In a lightweight fight, Martin Bravo completely outclassed Claudio Puelles en route to being crowned the season three winner of TUF Latin America. Bravo stuffed Puelles’ takedowns then landed heavy combinations before dropping Puelles with a vicious body shot to earn the stoppage. Bravo was a +100 dog while Puelles was a -110 favorite. In a 140 pound catchweight fight, Joe Soto stepped up on short notice and took care of Marco Beltran, dropping to the floor and forcing a tapout with a nasty heel hook submission. Soto was a +120 underdog while Beltran was a -130 betting favorite.
