UFC Abu Dhabi Best Bets

UFC Abu Dhabi Best Bets

UFC Abu Dhabi is a sensational fight night card with solid betting opportunities. The card has a handful of live underdogs at massive price tags. That makes it a unique card with a decent amount of upside.

*All odds are taken from DraftKings and are accurate as of 6:00 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 2.*

Cory Sandhagen +270

In the UFC Abu Dhabi main event, Cory Sandhagen is a massive underdog against Umar Nurmagomedov. The betting odds currently sit with Sandhagen priced at +270 while Nurmagomedov is a -340 favorite.

Let’s get the negative out of the way first: I could see Nurmagomedov winning this fight dominantly. I respect his skills and Sandhagen has shown defensive grappling flaws in previous outings. That said, I am not sold that he should be a -340 favorite. Despite showing great skills, he is unproven. Nurmagomedov has not beaten an elite fighter and his cardio has not been tested over five rounds. That should not be overlooked considering how big of a favorite he is.

I am optimistic that Sandhagen will show improved defensive grappling skills in this fight. This is largely because he has had several years to tune up his skills. Additionally, he is a smart fighter. If anyone can make improvements and craft a smart game plan, it’s Sandhagen.

Sandhagen’s elusive footwork should also make it harder for Nurmagomedov to attempt takedowns. It will be difficult to track Sandhagen down while he skirts around the octagon.

I am not attempting to claim that Sandhagen is a guaranteed winner in the UFC Abu Dhabi main event; however, he has a much better shot than the betting odds suggest.

Michal Oleksiejczuk +210

The second best bet for UFC Abu Dhabi can be found in the main event. I like Michal Oleksiejczuk to beat Shara Magomedov as a +210 underdog.

It is hard for me to find the logic in this betting line. Magomedov is a new UFC hype train. This is because of his striking skills. At this point, he has not shown any grappling upside. Well, in the middleweight division, Oleksiejczuk has performed well against strikers. The struggles arise when he is forced to grapple. That concern is not present in this fight.

Theoretically, this is a good matchup for both fighters. This is a fighter where they do not need to worry about their grappling flaws being exposed. If that’s the case, it does not make sense for either fighter to be a heavy underdog.

At a minimum, I expect this to be a competitive fight. On top of that, Oleksiejczuk has a legitimate chance to crowd Magomedov’s kicks and land massive shots. The path to victory is clear. That makes him one of the best bets available on UFC Abu Dhabi.

Rolando Bedoya +110

The final bet for UFC Abu Dhabi is for Rolando Bedoya to beat Jai Herbert. Bedoya is currently a +110 underdog.

Bedoya is 0-2 in the UFC. That is not great, but there is a case he should have had his hand raised in his UFC debut. Regardless, I am expecting improvements in this fight. Bedoya lost a significant amount of body fat and is dropping from welterweight to lightweight. I am interested in seeing how he improves when he fights in a better physical condition against smaller opponents. That is two beneficial changes taking place at once.

Bedoya showed solid hands while he was fighting at welterweight. That will be useful against Herbert. If Bedoya can land boxing combinations, he is likely to hurt the fragile Herbert.

At +110, I will take the risk that Bedoya has a strong showing in his new weight class. The move seems like a smart decision and shows devotion to his career.

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