The Best Bets On The Board Heading In To UFC 241
The Ultimate Fighting Championship is headed back to the Honda Center in Anaheim, California with an absolutely loaded fight card for UFC 241. UFC Heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier will put his title belt on the line in a rematch with Stipe Miocic after taking the championship from him in their first meeting. Meanwhile, Nate Diaz will make his highly anticipated return to the Octagon to face Anthony Pettis in the co-main event.
We took a look at the card and have three solid prop bets for you to consider. Here’s a look at what we like:
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UFC Heavyweight Title Bout
Daniel Cormier (22-1) vs. Stipe Miocic (18-3)
Odds: Cormier -143 at PointsBet
While a significant portion of UFC fans hoping Cormier would defend his title against Brock Lesnar were disappointed when this rematch was booked, there is no doubt that Miocic has the potential to make this title match a memorable one. Miocic had won six straight fights including knockout wins over Fabricio Werdum, Alistair Overeem, and Junior dos Santos before getting tagged by Cormier in a stunning first-round knockout loss back in July of 2018. Now he is seeking his vengeance after a full year to prepare for the rematch.
Miocic will have learned from his mistakes against Cormier with an opportunity to redeem himself and take back the title. However, it won’t be easy against a master technician in D.C. Cormier is a perfect 15-0 at heavyweight, including three straight stoppage victories heading into this title defense. Miocic has the potential to end this bout with one strike. However, the same can be said about Cormier, and the fact that he is the more technically sound fighter gives him the slight edge.
Prop Bet Pick: Cormier via Stoppage
Welterweight Bout
Anthony Pettis (22-8) vs. Nate Diaz (19-11)
Odds: Pettis -130 at PointsBet
Pettis’ decision to permanently move to the welterweight division paid immediate dividends for him with a knockout win over Stephen Thompson. However, the good vibes might not last very much longer following his decision to take this fight with Diaz.
Diaz is exactly the type of fighter that has given Pettis fits in the past. While he hasn’t fought since losing to Conor McGregor via decision in August of 2016, Diaz will have had plenty of time to prepare for this matchup as a true brawler that has to be hungry for an opportunity to show that he still has it. Diaz will attack the body and do his best to wear down Pettis round by round.
This bout has serious “Fight of the Night†potential, and since both fighters could win this matchup with one strike, we’ll bet the “fight ends in a knockout†prop on this one.
Prop Bet Pick: Fight Ends Via Knockout
Middleweight Bout
Yoel Romero (13-3) vs. Paulo Costa (12-0)
Odds: Romero -162 at PointsBet
Costa has quickly become one of the hottest prospects in the UFC with a perfect 12-0 record, including four straight victories inside the Octagon. He’s scored TKO wins over Garreth Mclellan, Oluwale Bamgbose, Johny Hendricks, and Uriah Hall since joining the UFC. Now he is set to take a major step up in competition level when he meets the No. 2 ranked middleweight in Romero.
Romero’s incredible pace and grappling ability could slow down Costa a little bit and put him on his heels. Romero is a battle-tested fighter with world-class wrestling ability. It’s important not to discount how big of a step up in competition level this fight will be for Costa. The smart money is on Romero to find a way to get the job done and hand Costa the first loss of his career.
Pick: Romero Via Decision
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Dave Golokhov is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Dave, check out his archive and follow him @davegolokhov.