Ultimate Fighting Championship has announced six huge bouts for this summer featuring a plethora of champions and top title contenders in five different weight classes. MMA oddsmaker Nick Kalikas has opened betting odds for the six contests.
The first bout, a lightweight contest between Donald Cerrone and Tony Ferguson, will take place at UFC 238 on June 8 in Chicago. Here’s Nick’s rationale behind his odds:
“Donald Cerrone vs Tony Ferguson is one of the most fan friendly fights made in years. Cerrone has looked like a new man in his return to lightweight. He’s gained confidence and looks motivated and hungry for a push at the belt. Ferguson is a very well-rounded fighter and is fighting with a chip on his shoulder after battling personal issues and getting stripped of his interim title. Stylistically, both fighters are highly capable finishers both standing and on the ground. Both men possess serious knockout power and have the potential to get knocked out. Ferguson’s speed and unpredictability give him the edge here.”
Max Holloway vs Frankie Edgar was originally announced for UFC 222 early last year and Nick gave his thoughts on the bout then, but a lot has changed in the past 18 months. The bout will now take place as the headliner of UFC 240. Here are Nick’s thoughts on it:
“Frankie Edgar is the ultimate underdog, and at 37 years old, challenging for Max Holloway’s belt may be his biggest hurdle to overcome yet in his career. Edgar has strong wrestling and has the conditioning to go the distance with Holloway, but in the past year, he was knocked out for the first time by Brian Ortega and has only beaten Cub Swanson since. Holloway destroyed Ortega, but finally looked human when he unsuccessfully moved up to lightweight to challenge Dustin Poirier. Holloway’s striking has become elite, having easily finished stand-up specialists Jose Aldo (2x) and Anthony Pettis. Edgar’s wrestling could be an X-factor if he can take Holloway down and keep him down, but it’s unlikely he can stand and trade with Holloway, a fighter who’s willing to take a shot to dish out five more. Holloway was a -215 last time, but now he’ll be a -300 favorite.”
UFC 241 in August will feature a heavyweight title rematch, with the roles of Stipe Miocic and Daniel Cormier reversed this time.
“Stipe Miocic may not have respected Daniel Cormier’s power last time, but Cormier certainly has his attention in this rematch after taking Miocic’s belt. Miocic is arguably the best heavyweight of all time and I expect him to be smarter and more prepared with intense mental focus. Both fighters are solid wrestlers, although neither utilized their grappling last time. Miocic has strong boxing and needs to control distance with his length and size, because his chin needs protected. Cormier is a tremendous athlete with some sneaky explosive power and is capable of having success in the clinch due to his Olympic wrestling background. Cormier’s confidence should be at an all-time high knowing what he did last time and he’s taken his game to a new level. After being an underdog the first time, Cormier will open as a -140 betting favorite in the rematch.”
UFC 241 also features a welterweight contest between two of the most popular lightweight fighters in UFC history:
“Nate Diaz returns to the Octagon for the first time in three years to take on former lightweight champion Anthony Pettis. Both of these fighters can put on an impressive striking display, with Pettis being flashier while Diaz can throw a higher a volume of strikes for a sustained period. Pettis is coming off one of the best victories of his career, knocking out former welterweight title challenger Stephen Thompson while Diaz is coming off his two bouts against Conor McGregor. Pettis should have his confidence at an all-time high, and this fight being three rounds instead of five should help him because Diaz can typically push a sustained tempo, but I’m not quite sold that the Pettis of old has returned. Both fighters have taken a heavy amount of damage in their last five fights and neither can afford to fall behind early. You have to slightly favor Pettis in this match-up, because if he doesn’t get overwhelmed, he should find multiple openings to land big shots.”
A middleweight title bout has been announced to merge the championship with the interim championship at an unspecified date:
“Robert Whittaker vs Israel Adesanya is a great fight that could end at any moment. Whittaker possesses more punching power, but Adesanya is the more diverse striker. Whittaker has some wrestling in his back pocket, but he primarily uses it in reserve to keep fights standing and outwork opponents and Adesanya flashed an improved ground game recently. It was great to see Adesanya pass a huge test in his last bout against Kelvin Gastelum and he seems to be getting better every time we’ve seen him. Whittaker is recovering from a hernia that cancelled his bout against Gastelum at the last second. With everything taken into consideration, this fight should be close to a pick ’em.”
Lastly, a lightweight title fight also has been announced which also merges the championship with the interim belt at an unspecified date:
“There are no secrets to the gameplans for Khabib Nurmagomedov and Dustin Poirier. Poirier has risen to the top of the lightweight division since moving to 155 pounds four years ago. Poirier’s striking has become elite and he’s one of the most powerful combination strikers in the weight class. Nurmagomedov may be the most successful top control wrestler in UFC history and while he showed flashes of improved striking in his victory against Conor McGregor, he would be wise to stick to his strengths against Poirier, a fighter who can punish mistakes. Poirier will have opportunities for success on the feet, but Nurmagomedov’s grappling is a reality that’s hard to ignore. Nurmagomedov will open as a -325 favorite.”
Kalikas opened the betting lines for all six bouts moments ago via Several Bookmakers
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UFC 238: Chicago, Illinois – 6-8-19
Donald Cerrone +150
Tony Ferguson -180
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UFC 240: Holloway vs. Edgar
7-27-19 – Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
UFC Featherweight Title
Frankie Edgar +230
Max Holloway -300
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UFC 241: Cormier vs. Miocic 2
8-17-19 – Anaheim, California
UFC Heavyweight Title
Stipe Miocic +110
Daniel Cormier -140
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Nate Diaz +140
Anthony Pettis -170
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UFC Middleweight Title
Israel Adesanya -115
Robert Whittaker -115
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UFC Lightweight Title
Dustin Poirier +255
Khabib Nurmagomedov -325
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