Ufc Predictions Prelims
There are three title fights on the card for Saturday’s UFC 259 in Las Vegas, headlined by the main event light heavyweight bout between Jan Blachowicz and Israel Adesanya. The main card will begin at 10 p.m. ET at UFC APEX. Below, we look at BetMGM‘s odds for the full UFC 259 fight card.
- UFC 259 undercard preview: Complete online breakdown, predictions for top four (of 10) 'Prelims' matches on ESPN/ESPN+ this weekend (Sat., March 6, 2021) in Las Vegas: Cruz vs. Kenney, Yadong vs.
- Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is bringing more “Prelims” fights to ESPN+ this weekend (Sat., Feb. 27, 2021) when UFC Vegas 20: “Rozenstruik vs. Gane” returns to UFC APEX in Las.
UFC Vegas 15 ‘Prelims’ Preview - Pt. 1 Utah monolith: Helicopter crew discovers mysterious metal monolith deep in the desert Under pressure, Trump appointee Emily Murphy approves. A UFC card is more than the main event, with the main card, prelim fights, and early prelim fights, you can see up to 15 UFC fights on fight night and our Expert UFC handicappers spend hours researching each one, to bring you the best UFC predictions.
Blachowicz enters as the UFC’s light heavyweight champion and will defend his title against middleweight champ Adesanya. In the penultimate fight of the night, Amanda Nunes defends her women’s featherweight strap against Megan Anderson. Petr Yan puts the bantamweight title on the line against Aljamain Sterling the fight before.
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UFC 259 odds: Main card
All odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated at 9:50 a.m. ET.
Jan Blachowicz (+195) vs. Israel Adesanya (-250)
Adesanya (20-0) is the heavy favorite with an implied win probability of 71.43% despite Blachowicz (27-8) being the incumbent champ in the higher weight class. A $10 bet on Adesanya to win would return a profit of just $4.
Also see:Blachowicz vs. Adesanya odds, picks and prediction
Amanda Nunes (-900) vs. Megan Anderson (+600)
Nunes (20-4) is the biggest betting favorite on the entire UFC 259 fight card with an implied win probability of 90.09% against Anderson (11-4). It would take a $900 bet in order to turn a profit of $100.
Also see:Nunes vs. Anderson odds, picks and prediction
Petr Yan (-120) vs. Aljamain Sterling (+100)
Yan (15-1) is only a slight favorite while defending his title against Sterling (19-3). This is the closest betting line on the UFC 259 card with Yan having an implied win probability of a modest 54.55%.
Also see:Yan vs. Sterling odds, picks and prediction
Islam Makhachev (-450) vs. Drew Dober (+330)
Makhachev (18-1) is the favorite against the more experienced Dober (23-9, 1 NC) in this lightweight bout. A $10 bet on Dober would return a profit of $33 with an upset victory.
Also see:Makhachev vs. Dober odds, picks and prediction
Thiago Santos (+140) vs. Aleksander Rakic (-165)
The main card begins with another light heavyweight battle between the division’s No. 2 challenger in Santos (21-8) and No. 4 in Rakic (13-2). The lower-ranked Rakic is the slight favorite with a 62.26% implied win probability.
Also see:Santos vs. Rakic odds, picks and prediction
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UFC 259 odds: Prelims
Dominick Cruz (+105) vs. Casey Kenney (-125)
Cruz (22-3) is a short dog in a bantamweight bout against Kenney (16-2-1) concluding the prelims. Kenney is unranked and trying to move up with a win against the No. 11 contender.
Song Yadong (-160) vs. Kyler Phillips (+135)
Yadong (16-4-1, 1 NC) is being given the edge and a 61.54% win probability against Phillips (8-1) in another bantamweight contest. Yadong is 14th in the division rankings.
Joseph Benavidez (+110) vs. Askar Askarov (-135)
Askarov (12-0-1) is the favorite in a flyweight battle with Benavidez (28-7). The two rank third and second, respectively, in the division.
Rogerio Bontorin (+115) vs. Kai Kara-France (-140)
Kara-France (21-9, 1 NC) and Bontorin (16-2, 1 NC) clash in another flyweight bout on the undercard. It would take a $140 bet on Kara-France to fetch a profit of $100 with a victory. A $100 wager on Bontorin nets a $115 return.
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UFC 259 odds: Early prelims
Tim Elliott (+100) vs. Jordan Espinosa (-120)
Elliott (17-11-1) enters UFC 259 as the flyweight division’s No. 12 challenger and is a slight betting underdog against the unranked Espinosa (15-8, 1 NC). A $100 bet on Elliott to win would return a profit of $100 at even-money.
Kennedy Nzechukwu (+200) vs. Carlos Ulberg (-250)
Ulberg (5-0) is undefeated and favored over Nzechukwu (7-1) in the first light heavyweight bout of the night. Both fighters are unranked.
Sean Brady (-225) vs. Jake Matthews (+175)
Brady (13-0) battles Matthews (17-4) in a welterweight contest. A $100 bet on the underdog Matthews would return a profit of $175 with an upset victory but at implied odds of just 36.36%.
Livinha Souza (+190) vs. Amanda Lemos (-225)
The unranked Lemos (8-1-1) meets Souza (14-2) as a modest favorite in a women’s strawweight bout. Souza is the division’s No. 15 contender.
Uros Medic (-175) vs. Aalon Cruz (+145)
Medic (6-0) looks to stay undefeated as the favorite in a lightweight fight against Cruz (8-3). It would take a $175 bet on Medic to fetch a $100 profit.
Mario Bautista (-250) vs. Trevin Jones (+195)
UFC 259 begins with a bantamweight bout between the favored Bautista (8-1) and underdog Jones (12-6, 1 NC). Jones has an implied win probability of just 33.90%.
When is UFC 259?
The main card of UFC 259 is scheduled for Saturday at 10 p.m. ET. The main event should begin around midnight ET.
Prelims begin at 6 p.m. ET.
Where is UFC 259?
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UFC APEX, Las Vegas
How/Where can I watch UFC 259?
Catch the entire UFC 259 fight card, including Blachowicz-Adesanya, on Pay-Per-View on ESPN+.
Sign up for ESPN+ now and don’t miss any of the action.
Where can I bet on UFC 259?
Get some action on UFC 259 by placing a legal sports bet at BetMGM.
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Predictions! UFC Vegas 21 ‘Prelims’ Preview – Pt. 2
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is bringing more “Prelims” fights to ESPN+ this weekend (Sat., March 13, 2021) when UFC Vegas 21: “Edwards vs. Muhammad” returns to UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada. MMAmania.com’s Patrick Stumberg continues the UFC Vegas 21 “Prelims” party with the second (and final) installment of a two-part undercard preview series below.
After a star-studded pay-per-view (PPV), Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) returns to standard ESPN+ this Saturday (March 6, 2021) with another show inside UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Leading the way is Welterweight contender Leon Edwards, who takes on late-notice opponent Belal Muhammad in his first fight since July 2019. Earlier in the evening, Ryan Spann tries to bounce back from a rough loss against the resurgent Misha Cirkunov, while Dan Ige looks to do the same against Gavin Tucker.
We’ve got three more UFC Vegas 21 “Prelims” bouts to preview and predict (check out the first batch here), so let’s not waste anymore time …
185 lbs.: Eryk Anders vs. Darren Stewart
Eryk Anders (13-5) followed up his successful LFA title run with wins in three of his first four Octagon appearances, only to lose his next three in quick succession. Victories over Vinicius Moreira and Gerald Meerschaert put him back on track, though he failed to get past Krzysztof Jotko in his most recent effort.
He’ll have one inch of height and reach on “The Dentist”
Darren Stewart (12-6) stumbled his way to an 0-3 (1 NC) UFC start, though he did walk away with “Fight of the Night” for his terrific war with Julian Marquez. He’s gone on to win five of his next eight, earning another two post-fight bonuses along the way.
Eight of his professional victories have come inside the distance, seven by form of knockout.
Now here’s a fascinating crossroads tussle. Anders went from profoundly entertaining and promising to consistently underwhelming, while Stewart went from genuinely hapless to utterly devastating. Anders likely has the tools to win this, but Stewart’s far more likely to fully unleash his own arsenal, which has me leaning the Brit’s way.
Stewart just powers through adversity far better than Anders does, and Anders’ lack of a great takedown game should give Stewart free reign to knuckle down and overpower him. Whether in a slugfest or a slow-paced slog, Stewart lands more and heavier blows to seal the win.
Prediction: Stewart via unanimous decision
125 lbs.: Cortney Casey vs. J.J. Aldrich
Following a length run at 115 pounds, Cortney Casey (9-8) announced her arrival in the Featherweight division by tapping Mara Romero Borella with a bonus-winning armbar. One month later, she stepped up on short notice against Gillian Robertson, who caught her in a rear-naked choke late in the third round.
Four of her seven stoppage wins have come by form of knockout.
Though her efforts on The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 23 failed to result in an immediate Octagon invite, J.J. Aldrich (8-4) went on to win four of her next five following an unsuccessful debut against Juliana Lima. Then came young gun Sabina Mazo, who defeated her by narrow split decision in Jan. 2020.
Though the shorter of the two by two inches, she’ll enjoy a slight reach advantage.
For a match up between striking specialists with zero UFC knockouts between them, this could end up being a lot of fun. Aldrich clearly has the edge in speed and crispness, while Casey’s physicality and relentlessness allow her to trade hands with almost anyone in the division. It will come down to whether Aldrich’s mobile sharp-shooting pleases the judges more than Casey’s flurries and forward movement.
Casey once went to three consecutive split decisions, so there’s no telling what will actually happen after the final bell rings, but between the aforementioned speed advantage and Casey’s lack of upper-body movement, Aldrich will end up landing the cleaner shots. And I say that sways at least two judges.
Prediction: Aldrich via split decision
135 lbs.: Rani Yahya vs. Ray Rodriguez
Now in his nineteenth year as a professional, Rani Yahya (26-10-1) makes the walk this weekend in the midst of a 7-2-1 run dating back to 2014. He is winless since 2018, however, dropping a decision to Ricky Simon and drawing with Enrique Barzola in his most recent effort.
He has dispatched 20 professional opponents via submission.
Ray Rodriguez (16-7) got his first crack at UFC stardom on “Contender Series,” where he was summarily mauled by Tony Gravely. One year later, he stepped up on short notice to face Brian Kelleher in the Octagon, tapping to a guillotine 39 seconds into the first round.
He’ll enjoy a three-inch reach advantage.
Like Demian Maia, Yahya has his mixed martial arts (MMA) game down to a science: he’ll come out guns blazing in pursuit of takedowns, which he has enough energy to properly attempt for about eight minutes. His gameplan is to either score an early submission, making up for his relative lack of physicality through world-class technique and sheer effort, or if that fails, last just long enough to win the second round and avoid losing the third 10-8.
Plan A should be plenty against Rodriguez, whose submission defense has consistently failed him throughout his career and whose takedown defense looks similarly porous. Yahya can only threaten with that ground game for so long, but with such a considerable gap in grappling prowess, he’ll get the finish well before his gas tank empties.
Prediction: Yahya via first-round submission
UFC Vegas 21 features a solid main event and several other quality contender clashes make for a nice evening of fights. See you Saturday, Maniacs.
Remember that MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC Vegas 21 fight card this weekend, starting with the ESPN+ “Prelims” matches, which are scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. ET, then the remaining main card balance on ESPN+ at 8 p.m. ET.
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To check out the latest and greatest UFC Vegas 21: “Edwards vs. Muhammad” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here.
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Current UFC “Prelims” Prediction Record for 2021: 32-20
Ufc Predictions For Saturday
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