We just witnessed a change of monarch and a second title being on the line in the last UFC numbered event, and one would think that after an event like that, the UFC would ease up a bit as they get closer to the next big one, but not this time, as we are getting a remarkable fight night in the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.
This UFC Fight Night will be headlined by an interesting bantamweight clash, which sees Cory Sandhagen facing the undefeated Umar Nurmagomedov, as they both try to make their way to title contention.
The co-main sees Shara Magomedov, making the most out of his opportunities to fight, as the one-eyed bandit continues his undefeated streak fighting outside of the USA due to not being able to clear medical checkups with only one eye, and he will be facing Michal Oleksiejczuk.
With Marlon “Chito” Vera clashing against the former Flyweight Champion Deiveson Figueiredo, and Tony Ferguson clashing against Michael Chiesa, we are getting a fun main card.
We have to point out that besides 6 excellent main card bouts, we also have another 7 prelims filled with international talent to keep the hype going up as the event goes by, so we are eager to dive into it.
You can check all the UFC/MMA bets, the analysis of each fighter, and the final bet you can make in these fights.
UFC Fight Night: Sandhagen vs. Nurmagomedov Fight Card Odds and Picks – Info
| Cory Sandhagen 4.21 | Umar Nurmagomedov 1.24 |
| Shara Magomedov 1.295 | Michal Oleksiejczuk 3.605 |
| Marlon Vera 2.199 | Deiveson Figueiredo 1.69 |
| Tony Ferguson 4.725 | Michael Chiesa 1.195 |
| Mackenzie Dern 1.88 | Lupita Godinez 1.92 |
| Joel Alvarez 1.54 | Elves Brener 2.507 |
| Alonzo Menifield 3.13 | Azamat Murzakanov 1.36 |
| Mohammad Yahya 3.77 | Kauê Fernandes 1.27 |
| Shamil Gaziev 1.373 | Don’Tale Mayes 3.01 |
| Guram Kutateladze 1.5 | Jordan Vucenic 2.736 |
| Victoria Dudakova 1.55 | Sam Hughes 2.431 |
| Jai Herbert 1.68 | Rolando Bedoya 2.169 |
| Sedriques Dumas 1.5 | Denis Tiuliulin 2.562 |
| When? | Saturday, July 3rd, at noon ET, 11:00 am CST, 10:00 am MT, and 9:00 am PT |
| Where? | Etihad Arena, in Abu Dhabi |
| Where can I watch it? | UFC Fight Pass |
UFC Fight Night: Cory Sandhagen vs. Umar Nurmagomedov
Why Bet on Cory Sandhagen?
Cory Sandhagen has dynamic striking, creative offense, and excellent footwork. He has been at the very top of the division and he has fought the best of the best.
Even though his opponent comes with a huge hype train, his level of competition is just so far removed from the level of Cory Sandhagen that there’s always a decent likelihood that he gets shown levels and obliterated.
Why Bet on Umar Nurmagomedov?
Nurmagomedov is a feared name in the MMA world right now. Khabib’s cousin has won his first 5 fights in the UFC and is an undefeated fighter with a 17-0 record. He has excellent grappling skills that Dagestani elite fighters are known for and decent striking skills.
So far Umar has displayed great grappling that Dagestanis are known for and we don’t see how he will not be able to bring the fight to the ground at will as we have seen no matter how good a fighter’s takedown defense is, these Dagestani fighters always can force their opponent to the ground and dominate them in that field.
Final Betting Analysis: Cory Sandhagen vs. Umar Nurmagomedov
Cory Sandhagen is the biggest challenge so far to Nurmagomedov’s march to title contention.
Sandhagen needs to be able to stop Nurmagomedov’s takedowns to keep the fight standing and perhaps he needs to find a finish as well Umar is the hometown fighter and the judges will favor his control time on the ground for this fight.
However, we do expect Umar Nurmagomedov to find the method to take Sandhagen to the ground and continue to dominate the fight from there until he either gets the finish or the judges’ cards get involved.
UFC Fight Night: Shara Magomedov vs. Michal Oleksiejczuk
Why Bet on Shara Magomedov?
Shara is the middle eastern golden boy at the moment, due to the absence of Khamzat Chimaev. We like his style, it’s fun, but we believe he is going to be figured out pretty soon.
You cannot be so one-dimensional in MMA these days, and his debut was sketchy.
Firstly, this one takes place inside a bigger cage, which gives an advantage to Shara right off the bat. However, his last fight at UFC Saudi Arabia also had the bigger cage, and Shara was hittable in the early goings.
Why Bet on Michal Oleksiejczuk?
Lord Michal has the complete opposite striking style to Shara Bullet. The Russian favors distance, open stance kickboxing, where he circles and stays to the outside.
Michal is a high-pressure boxer who wants to close the gap and crowd you as soon as he can.
Lord Michal has a reputation for coming out hot and getting those early KOs in close, but the level of competition he’s done it against really isn’t comparable to the level of striking caliber that we have seen from Shara.
Final Betting Analysis: Shara Magomedov vs. Michal Oleksiejczuk
We see small glimpses that indicate Michal could be live for an upset, but they’re met with an overall hesitance to trust the Polish striker.
Honestly, Oleksiejczuk KO is worth a sprinkle here as a hedge. But we have to pick Sharabutdin Magomedov as we don’t know how Oleksiejczuk is in fighting shape after his arm was almost broken just 2 months ago.
UFC Fight Night: Marlon Vera vs. Deiveson Figueiredo
Why Bet on Marlon Vera?
Marlon Vera is a fighter with a complicated set of skills. He’s pound-for-pound one of the most dangerous guys on the roster, but he’s also a slow starter and someone who struggles to put minutes together.
His recent record is littered with wins where his finishing prowess has bailed him out of a decision loss. Vera’s ability to do damage is unlike anyone else at 125lbs or 135lbs, so we’re unsure how much weight to put on either fighter finding their path to victory.
Why Bet on Deiveson Figueiredo?
We’re still on the fence about Figueiredo and his move to Bantamweight. We get that he couldn’t make the Flyweight cut anymore, but he’s still an undersized 36-year-old in a division where speed means more than power. His grappling looked great in that Cody fight, but we didn’t think his striking did.
Figgy has proven to be durable throughout his career, but Rob Font and Cody Garbrandt are generous opposition given that both are on sharp declines.
Final Betting Analysis: Marlon Vera vs. Deiveson Figueiredo
Chito has an elite chin and great BJJ, so we think this fight is binary in its outcomes. He either does damage and scores a finish or a knockdown-based decision win, or Figgy wins a decision via minute-superiority.
At the end of the day, we’re usually ones to favor what history has shown us, and that leaves me siding with Figgy over Marlon. We do still think this one will be a close fight, but Figgy has shown he has enough to match Vera’s power, and his grappling can work to good effect too.
UFC Fight Night: Tony Ferguson vs. Michael Chiesa
Why Bet on Tony Ferguson?
Ferguson is completely washed up by now, and it’s kind of disgusting the UFC keeps letting him fight. He got tapped by Bobby Green. And completely shut out on the mat by Paddy, Dariush, and Oliveira.
Why Bet on Michael Chiesa?
Chiesa’s submission game is the clear way to win this clash. The second most likely result is a TKO from a weird position.
There is not much to discuss here, he holds the advantages he requires, and Tony’s 7 matches losing streak is a pretty hard tell.
Final Betting Analysis: Tony Ferguson vs. Michael Chiesa
We guess Chiesa’s a more gentle opponent as he’s a wrestling and submission guy, but that’s also been Tony’s biggest weakness recently.
We expect Chiesa to get a clean victory, and we do expect it to be that way, only because it hurts our feelings to see Tony Ferguson get completely mauled, he has been through enough, but the man will NOT retire on his own.
UFC Fight Night: Mackenzie Dern vs. Lupita Godinez
Why Bet on Mackenzie Dern?
Mackenzie Dern is supposedly an elite BJJ practitioner but she can’t strike to save her life. She has looked awful in her recent fights, getting beaten up by Jessica Andrade and Amanda Lemos.
Not sure why she is the favorite here due to the awful striking displays with no sign of improvement.
Why Bet on Lupita Godinez?
Lupita Godinez is a strong wrestler with powerful punches for WMMA. She lost her last fight to Vinra Jandiroba which is no shame. Being a good wrestler, she can stuff Dern’s takedown attempts and we do not think Dern has a chance if she does not get her opponent to the ground in this fight.
Lupita Godinez isn’t a very good striker herself, and we don’t think she holds that much of an advantage over Mackenzie with the hands. Loopy is a wrestler and has always done her best work when she’s mauling girls.
Final Betting Analysis: Mackenzie Dern vs. Lupita Godinez
For Godinez, her biggest strength is her biggest enemy here, because by initiating the grappling she will give Dern a way into the fight. We imagine there will be moments where that can be taken into account, but for the most part, it forces Loopy to compete where she is not her best.
This fight is for Dern to lose, so we expect her to get the victory here.
UFC Fight Night: Joel Alvarez vs. Elves Brener
Why Bet on Joel Alvarez?
Joel Álvarez is known for his submission skills and long reach, making him a dangerous opponent on the ground. His striking has improved, but he often relies on his grappling to secure victories. He only lost to the elites in his division with his latest loss coming to Arman Tsarukyan.
Alvarez has cardio/long-distance concerns, as he’d barely ever won a fight in the second half until most recently against Diakiese.
Why Bet on Elves Brener?
Elves Brener is a dynamic striker with quick movement and powerful kicks. He has shown resilience and the ability to withstand pressure in his last fight against Myktybek Orolbai which is impressive as Orolbai is a good fighter with suffocating pressure grappling. However, we have seen Orolbai take Brener down despite the latter’s good takedown defense and I think Alvarez can do the same thing against Brener.
Brenner’s problems are quite so drastic, but the 20-fight veteran has a record of 2-4 in fights that have gone the distance. Not a trustworthy statistic.
Final Betting Analysis: Joel Alvarez vs. Elves Brener
Absolute banger that is fully deserving of a spot on the main card, more so than the old man circus. Both men are very well-rounded guys who bring a chaotic energy to fights from the opening bell. That style is not without its criticisms, so both men have had their fair share of being underdogs recently.
Now, Brener is a good underdog as he is a good technical and powerful striker, but I think Alvarez is more well-rounded and has a clear path to victory if he adopts a similar gameplan as Orlbai against Brenner.
UFC Fight Night: Alonzo Menifield vs. Azamat Murzakanov
Why Bet on Alonzo Menifield?
Alonzo Menifield is an underrated fighter in my opinion, but he’s much more reliant on KO power and general explosiveness. If elongated into a more technical and longer distance fight, he should struggle to look the better man on the scorecards.
Why Bet on Azamat Murzakanov?
Azamat Murzakanov is slowly looking like the complete package at Light Heavyweight. He’s got decent striking with power, grappling ability, and also decent cardio, and an above-average work rate.
Final Betting Analysis: Alonzo Menifield vs. Azamat Murzakanov
We think Murzakanov is deserving of favourite status here, for those reasons. There are concerns about him being the smaller man though, as he’s going to have to overcome 5 inches of reach to land his offense.
Someone is probably getting knocked out in this fight but we can see Murzakanov getting into the range of Menifield and hurting him at close range to get the win.
UFC Fight Night: Mohammad Yahya vs. Kauê Fernandes
Why Bet on Mohammad Yahya?
Mohammad Yahya is the hometown fighter but also the underdog in this card. He had an awful performance against Trevor Peek and it seems this dude only fights in his country. Maybe he is counting on that sweet home cooking to give him his first win in the UFC.
Why Bet on Kauê Fernandes?
Now there is no way Kaue Fernandes should be that much of a favorite though. He lost his debut in the UFC as well and we don’t know yet if he is a UFC level fighter. He does display good grappling and knockout abilities in the regionals but he is a newcomer at this level.
Final Betting Analysis: Mohammad Yahya vs. Kauê Fernandes
To us, this is a good moment to pick the underdog or pass on betting. We think Mohammad Yahya is the inferior fighter, but he does have decent grappling and might be able to keep the fight competitive enough to get that home-cooked judges’ decision win he is looking for.
UFC Fight Night: Shamil Gaziev vs. Don’Tale Mayes
Why Bet on Shamil Gaziev?
Yeah, Shamil Gaziev ran out of gas and quit against Jairzinho. But it was a 5 round fight and he was not ready for the main event in his just 2nd UFC fight.
Gaziev is big even for a heavyweight and there could be an argument that if it was a 3-round fight, Gaziev would win as rounds 1 and 2 could be scored in his favor.
Why Bet on Don’Tale Mayes?
Don’Tale Mayes is at a mediocre point compared to the rest of the heavyweights on the roster.
The way we see it, Don’Tale Mayes lacks the power to keep things even for a heavyweight and when he loses, it’s usually through decision.
Final Betting Analysis: Shamil Gaziev vs. Don’Tale Mayes
We can see Gaziev winning by decision here as he does have the size and power to overwhelm Mayes early in the fight and Gaziev will have the homecourt advantage in Abu Dhabi.
Expect the crowd to cheer here as Gaziev lands a victory.
UFC Fight Night: Guram Kutateladze vs. Jordan Vucenic
Why Bet on Guram Kutateladze?
Guram Kutateladze was somehow able to beat Gamrot while losing his only 2 other fights in the UFC.
He is the more well-rounded fighter between the two here, and if he could handle Gamrot’s grappling, he should have no issue defending against Vucenic’s takedown attempts.
Why Bet on Jordan Vucenic?
Jordan Vucenic is a fighter looking to make his promotional debut, and he has a decent rounded game. Vucenic has a good grappling game but that applies in the regional scene and may not translate to the UFC.
He is likely to have quite a bit of trouble if he encounters the Kutateladze who managed to win against Gamrot.
Final Betting Analysis: Guram Kutateladze vs. Jordan Vucenic
We think we will have to pick Kutateladze as he beat one of the best pound-for-pound wet blanket fighters in Gamrot even if he should have lost the fight.
If he follows the same path to victory, he should be able to handle what Vucenic brings to the table with ease and land another victory.
UFC Fight Night: Victoria Dudakova vs. Sam Hughes
Why Bet on Victoria Dudakova?
Victoria Dudakova is a good grappler with decent striking and she has won her first 2 fights in the UFC so far. And the UFC seems to be feeding her an easy match to boost her record.
Why Bet on Sam Hughes?
The question of the night may be “How is Sam Hughes still in the UFC with a 8-6 record?” She should have been cut a long time ago, but for some reason, she is still hanging in there.
Final Betting Analysis: Victoria Dudakova vs. Sam Hughes
Even though things on paper seem one-sided in favor of Dudakova, this is WMMA so you never know. Sam Hughes could make her way somehow to a decision win but at these odds, it’s not even worth it.
We expect Dudakova to win and continue to improve on her record.
UFC Fight Night: Jai Herbert vs. Rolando Bedoya
Why Bet on Jai Herbert?
Jai Herbert has a powerful striking and reach advantage here. He is the more experienced fighter and has beaten decent fighters like Kyle Nelson his most impressive performance so far is probably getting a draw against Ludovit Klein who is on a 6 fight-undefeated streak.
Why Bet on Rolando Bedoya?
Rolando Bedoya looked awful in his last fight against Kenan Song. He had a weird striking technique that did not seem to be threatening at all. He is winless in the UFC and judging from the eye test, he may not even be UFC quality as we can’t recall any fighter with a more awkward striking style that looks more like a cat slapping their owners.
Final Betting Analysis: Jai Herbert vs. Rolando Bedoya
We believe that Rolando won’t be able to hang in there for long against Herbert, so we expect him to be utilizing the striking to get the best results in this clash and start getting some hype going for the event.
UFC Fight Night: Sedriques Dumas vs. Denis Tiuliulin
Why Bet on Sedriques Dumas?
Sedrique Dumas belongs in a jail cell and not a cage for being arrested so many times. We do not know why the UFC is still keeping this being on the roster and we enjoyed seeing Nursulton Ruziboev knocking him out in his last fight.
Why Bet on Denis Tiuliulin?
Denis Tiuliulin has a 10-9 record with his only win against a washed-up Jamie Pickett. This guy is clearly not UFC level and he has been submitted or knocked out easily whenever he loses in the UFC.
Final Betting Analysis: Sedriques Dumas vs. Denis Tiuliulin
We do have to pick the lowlife over the jobber as Dumas has shown a semblance of ability of being able to fight at the UFC level. At least we can trust him more to not get finished.
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