Saturday night in Las Vegas can’t come soon enough as UFC fans count down the hours before the start of UFC 239. Top to bottom the card rocks, especially the main card. When you have a Ben Askren fight and it’s not even the co-main event you know these fights are top-notch.
The 12-bout card from the T-Mobile Arena in the City of Sin once again is stacked. However, from a betting point-of-view, we have some big favorites entering the octagon. The Light Heavyweight title is on the line and Jon Jones looks to walk away from UFC 239 still the champ over Thiago Santos and I can tell you right now the books will be big fans of Jones. Some opened Jones around -900 favorite and the number continues to climb down.
Another championship is on the line in the co-main event as heavy favorite Amanda Nunes defends her Bantamweight belts against big fan-favorite Holly Holm. But these two main event fights are not even the fights that the bettors have their eyes on. The Welterweight fight between Jorge Masvidal and Ben Askren has ‘Fight of the Night’ written all over it. And, let’s not forget about another Light Heavyweight fight on the card between Jan Blachowicz and Luke Rockhold.
We have three UFC 239 fight previews that we are throwing out and don’t forget under the fight previews we have the rest of the UFC 239 fight odds from MyBookie.ag.
UFC 239 Main Event
Light Heavyweight 5 Rounds Title Fight
Thiago Santos +500
Jon Jones -800
Like I said up above, Jon Jones opened around -900 but quickly this number has dropped. Jones (record: 24-1) has won back-to-back fights since the Daniel Cormier fight and right now Jones is -800 favorite (risk $800 to cash $100) and I see his octagon awareness being a huge key in this fight. Santos (record: 21-6) has won four straight and is a huge underdog +500 (risk $100 to cash $500) but if he connects on Jones this fight could be interesting.
Prediction: Jon Jones does win this fight but betting him at -800 is crazy. The books will be heavy on parlays with Jones so again look for the books and myself to be big Santos fans. However, at the end of the day, Jones’ talent will be too much. Give me Jones by KO or TKO +140 in this UFC 239 Main Event.
Women’s Bantamweight 5 Rounds Title Fight
Holly Holm +320
Amanda Nunes -420
The closer the weekend gets the better two-way action this Women’s Bantamweight title fight will have. The champ, Nunes (record 17-4), comes in as the favorite -380 (risk $420 to cash $100) as she has beaten all the top ladies in the UFC (Cyborg, Shevchenko, and Rousey). On Saturday, she will look to add the name Holm to her hit list. Holly Holm (record 12-4) is getting no respect as the underdog +320 (risk $100 to cash $320) but if her boxing and kickboxing skills connect early we will have the fight of the night right here.
Prediction: Call me crazy but give me Holly “The Preacher’s Daughter” Holms to pull off the upset of the night and become the ‘New’ Bantamweight champion. She wins this fight with her quick jabs, lower leg kicks, and keep an eye out for body shots from Holms. Yes, I believe Amanda Nunes is up there as one of the greatest female fighters of all time in the UFC but some fights are just bad matchups and Saturday night will be a bad matchup for the champ.
Welterweight 3 Rounds
Jorge Masvidal +185
Ben Askren -225
Prediction: I added this fight because with an oddsmakers point-of-view I’m a bit confused that this number has not been bet upwards to Ben Askren -250 or higher. Is Jorge Masvidal a live ‘dog’ 100 percent? Yes. However, this will not be a street fight and Askren style will bring out the boo birds across the Strip of Las Vegas but he easily gets the win.
The rest of UFC 239 Odds – Provided MyBookie.ag
Light Heavyweight 3 Rounds
Jan Blachowicz +200
Luke Rockhold -240
Welterweight 3 Rounds
Diego Sanchez +285
Michael Chiesa -360
Featherweight 3 Rounds
Gilbert Melendez +250
Arnold Allen -325
Bantamweight 3 Rounds
Nohelin Hernandez +325
Marlon Vera -400
Strawweight 3 Rounds
Randa Markos +200
Claudia Gadelha -240
Bantamweight 3 Rounds
Alejandro Perez +170
Yadong Song -210
Middleweight 3 Rounds
Jack Marshman +450
Edmen Shahbazyan -650
Welterweight 3 Rounds
Chance Rencountre +375
Ismail Naurdiev -550
Middleweight 3 Rounds
Pannie Kianzad +170
Julia Avila -210
– Raphael Esparza is a writer/handicapper from Doc’s Sports Service and he is an Oddsmaker Consultant for MyBookie.ag. Like and follow him @VSIDocsports and his MMA odds @MyBookieMMA.
