UFC returned for a televised event today (Friday, December 9th, 2016). The card was headlined by a heavyweight bout between Derrick Lewis and Shamil Abdurakhimov. All in all, 12 favorites won, while zero upsets occurred, the first event without an underdog winner since UFC 177 in August 2014. Here’s how everything played out based on the Several Bookmakers closing odds: Favorites That Won In the main event of the evening, Derrick Lewis had difficulty dealing with Shamil Abdurakhimov in the first three rounds. Abdurakhimov scored repeated takedowns in the first three rounds and kept his distance, even earning a warning for timidity. In the fourth round, however, Lewis finally scored top position and pounded Abdurakhimov out to earn a TKO victory. Lewis was victorious as a -240 (Bet $240 to win $100) betting favorite while Adburakhimov lost as a+220 (Bet $100 to win $220) underdog. In a heavyweight co-main event, Francis Ngannou turned heads by defeating Anthony Hamilton without landing a punch. Hamilton closed the distance with a takedown after a naked leg kick, but Ngannou quickly locked in a Kimura, eventually taking top position and forcing Hamilton to tap out. Ngannou was victorious as a -420 favorite while Hamilton lost at +375. In a light heavyweight scrap, Corey Anderson absolutely dominated Sean O’Connell, easily scoring takedowns in the first and second rounds to set up a ground and pound finish in the second frame. Anderson held serve as a -380 betting favorite while O’Connell was +340. In a light heavyweight battle, Gian Villante landed massive strikes both high and low to wear down UFC newcomer Saparbek Safarov. Safarov hurt Villante at the end of the first round, but the second frame was all Villante as he poured it on and earned a TKO victory along the fence. Villante was a -185 betting favorite while Safarov was +170. In a women’s strawweight bout, Justine Kish got the better of Ashley Yoder on the feet and had some extremely entertaining scrambles on the canvas, doing just enough to earn a close decision victory. Kish was a -220 favorite while Yoder lost as a +200 dog. In a welterweight contest, Randy Brown worked over UFC newcomer Brian Camozzi on the feet, hurting him badly, then survived an armbar on the ground to eventually score a finish along the fence via knees and punches. Brown was -145 while Camozzi was a +135 underdog. In a middleweight fight, Gerald Meerschaert made an impressive UFC debut, reversing a takedown from Joe Gigliotti and locking in a an anaconda choke to earn a submission victory in the first round, the first stoppage of the night. Meerschaert was a -190 favorite while Gigliotti was +175. In a middleweight scrap, Andrew Sanchez thwarted Trevor Smith’s clinch and wrestling game, landing heavy strikes from distance and easily winning a unanimous decision. The judges easily sided with Sanchez when it was all said and done via unanimous decision. Sanchez held serve as a -195 favorite while Smith was +180. In a featherweight contest, Shane Burgos made a very impressive UFC debut, landing huge shots against Thiago Trator and slugging it out for three straight rounds to win a unanimous decision. Burgos picked up the win as a -185 favorite while Trator lost as a +170 underdog. In a lightweight bout, Marc Diakiese got all he could handle from a game Frankie Perez. Diakiese’s wrestling helped him win the first round, but he was put on his back in the second, taking a lot of damage. In the decisive third frame, Diakiese again scored a takedown and stayed on top long enough to win a decision. Diakiese was victorious as a -260 favorite while Perez lost at +240. In a middleweight fight, Ryan Janes took on Keith Berish in an entertaining back-and-forth scrap. Both men landed heavy blows on the feet, but Janes pushed forward constantly and finished the fight in top position to win two out of three rounds and the decision. Janes won as a -155 favorite while Berish was +145. In the opening bout of the evening, strawweights Juliana Lima and JJ Aldrich threw down. Lima scored several takedowns in the bout and actually got the better of Aldrich in the stand-up as the fight wore on, easily taking all three rounds to win a unanimous decision. Lima was a -220 favorite while Aldrich closed as a +200 dog. Underdogs That Won None
