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UFC on ABC 1: Calvin Kattar vs. Max Holloway odds, picks and prediction

Previewing Saturday’s UFC on ABC 1 fight between Calvin Kattar and Max Holloway, with MMA betting odds, picks, tips and predictions.

In a featherweight bout in Saturday’s main event, Calvin Kattar and Max Holloway meet at UFC on ABC 1 at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The event is also known as UFC Fight Island 7. The prelims kick off at noon ET on ESPN+, followed by the main card on ABC/ESPN+ at 3 p.m. ET.

Kattar (22-4) heads into the octagon standing an identical 5-foot-11 as his counterpart, but he holds a three-inch reach advantage. He’ll need it, as Holloway (21-6) has posted a 6.47 to 5.01 advantage in significant strikes landed per minute, with a 44.57 to 41.40 lead in significant strikes-accuracy percentage. While Kattar is slightly ahead in takedown average at 0.47 to 0.22, Holloway is well ahead at 83.33 to 37.50 in takedown-accuracy percentage.

Kattar – a.k.a. “The Boston Finisher” – posted a unanimous-decision victory over Dan Ige last time out in the main event July 15, 2020. That followed up an impressive Round 2 KO/TKO over Jeremy Stephens on the UFC 249 card May 9, 2020. This will easily mark Kattar’s biggest challenge to date. It’s his second consecutive headliner event and third in the past four cards. In his 26 career professional fights, he is 11-0 via KO/TKO, with a 2-1 mark by way of submission, although his last win by tap came June 27, 2009, at WCF: World Championship Fighting 7 against Rodrigo Almeida. So, it’s been quite a while.

Holloway is looking to bounce back after back-to-back losses to Alexander Volkanovski for the featherweight strap at UFC 245 and UFC 251. Holloway has dropped three of his past four bouts, including a setback against Dustin Poirier at UFC 236. He did defend his belt successfully on three occasions prior to that Poirier loss, and he won it back against Frankie Edgar at UFC 240. He remains positioned at the top of his weight division, and can get right back in the championship mix if he avoids a setback here.

This event will be broadcast on network television for the first time since a FOX broadcast in December 2018. It will also be the first time a limited number of fans can attend since UFC 248. The UFC is expecting around 2,000 fans, or less than 10 percent capacity.

Place your legal, online UFC on ABC 1 sports bets in CO, IA, IN, NJ, PA, TN and WV at BetMGM, the King of Sportsbooks. New customer offer. Terms and conditions apply. Bet now!

Calvin Kattar vs. Max Holloway: Betting odds, predictions and picks

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Thursday at 2:47 p.m. ET.

HOLLOWAY (-165) will regain his championship form over Kattar (+140), so take Holloway on the 2-way line, although it certainly won’t be a cakewalk. In fact, I am expecting the judges to get involved in the end, so take YES (-175): “WILL THE FIGHT GO THE DISTANCE?” as well.

As far as round betting, again, take HOLLOWAY ON POINTS (+125) for a decent little return as I don’t expect to see any knockouts in this battle between two premier fighters. If you want a little bit of wiggle room, and don’t want to tap a particular fighter for the win, taking OVER 4.5 ROUNDS (-185) isn’t a bad wager, and backing OVER 3.5 ROUNDS (-200) isn’t terribly expensive. Anything more expensive than that though is terribly risky for not that great of a return.

To watch the early prelims and prelims, sign up for ESPN+ now.

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UFC on ABC 1: Carlos Condit vs. Matt Brown odds, picks and prediction

Previewing Saturday’s UFC on ABC 1 fight between Carlos Condit and Matt Brown, with MMA betting odds, picks, tips and predictions.

In a welterweight bout on Saturday’s main card, Carlos Condit and Matt Brown meet at UFC on ABC 1 at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The event is also known as UFC Fight Island 7. The prelims kick off at noon ET on ESPN+, followed by the main card on ABC/ESPN+ at 3 p.m. ET.

Condit (31-13) stands two inches taller than his counterpart, with a slight half-inch advantage in the reach department. The two are fairly even in the significant strikes landed per minute category, with Brown (24-17) holding a slight 3.81 to 3.69 advantage. Brown is also much more accurate with the big blows, leading 54.26 to 39.11 in significant strikes-accuracy percentage.

Brown has hinted that this could be the final fight of his career, while Condit is fighting in the final bout of his current contract, so both of these fighters should let it all hang out. Brown is coming off a second-round KO/TKO loss to Miguel Baeza in Jacksonville, Fla., May 16, 2020. Win or lose, Brown fights have been exciting lately, with five straight bouts ended via KO/TKO (2-3), and seven straight stoppages dating back to his last decision on March 14, 2015, at UFC 185.

Condit – a.k.a. “The Natural Born Killer” – snapped a five-bout losing streak with a unanimous-decision win over Court McGee last time out on Oct. 3, 2020. He has fallen hard since fighting for a strap at UFC 195 against “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler. He lost that night in the title bout as he tried to regain his strap, and he hadn’t won in over five calendar years before his win over McGee. Now, Condit looks to start 2021 off on the right foot, searching for consecutive victories for the first time since he rattled off five straight victories from Sept. 16, 2009, to Feb. 4, 2012. Condit’s last fight went the distance, but two of his past three have come by stoppage (both submissions), and six of his past nine have finished inside the distance.

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Condit vs. Brown: Betting odds, predictions and picks

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Thursday at 2:44 p.m. ET.

Condit (-165) just hasn’t been himself lately, and BROWN (+140) might be fighting with more desperation than usual if he really is going to call it a career. As such, I like the moderate underdog here as a nice value.

I also really like NO (-110): “WILL THE FIGHT GO THE DISTANCE?” as Brown’s past seven fights have not needed the judges to get involved. Condit hasn’t been as quick to find a winner lately, but 66.7% of his previous nine have ended via stoppage. UNDER 2.5 ROUNDS (+100) appears to be a pretty good value, too, as if the fight doesn’t go all the way, it isn’t going this far, either.

I am also buying BROWN IN ROUND 2 (+950) and BROWN IN ROUND 3 (+1500). I like him for the upset win, and if he finishes in either of the final two rounds, you’ll be well ahead even though you’ll obviously lose one end. BROWN BY KO/TKO, DQ or SUBMISSION (+280) is worth a roll of the dice, too.

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Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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UFC on ABC 1: Santiago Ponzinibbio vs. Li Jingliang odds, picks and prediction

Previewing Saturday’s UFC on ABC 1 fight between Santiago Ponzinibbio and Li Jingliang, with MMA betting odds, picks, tips and predictions.

In a welterweight bout on Saturday’s main card, Santiago Ponzinibbio and Li Jingliang meet at UFC on ABC 1 at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The event is also known as UFC Fight Island 7. The prelims kick off at noon ET on ESPN+, followed by the main card on ABC/ESPN+ at 3 p.m. ET.

Ponzinibbio (28-3) streaks in with seven consecutive victories, including a fourth-round KO/TKO win over Neil Magny in his most recent bout Nov. 17, 2018, in the main event in his native Argentina. He has been sidelined since due to a pair of bacterial infections, which forced him to spend eight days in the hospital. The Argentine fighter was initially discharged, but started to lose weight and developed a fever, which had his doctors concerned. He was forced to spend 10 more days in the hospital before being cleared to return to training and physical therapy. He was unable to regain his strength, however, and doctors said his career might be in jeopardy as a result. After many more meetings with doctors, including a rheumatologist, he was correctly diagnosed and able to rebuild strength and get back on track with his career after the scare.

Jingliang (17-6) also fought Magny in his last fight (March 7, 2020), losing by unanimous decision at UFC 248. The loss snapped a three-bout win streak, which had Jingliang rising in the welterweight rankings. Five of his previous nine pro bouts have finished inside the distance, including five victories via KO/TKO.

Place your legal, online UFC on ABC 1 sports bets in CO, IA, IN, NJ, PA, TN and WV at BetMGM, the King of Sportsbooks. New customer offer. Terms and conditions apply. Bet now!

Ponzinibbio vs. Jingliang: Betting odds, predictions and picks

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Thursday at 2:40 p.m. ET.

Ponzinibbio (-275) is a rather heavy favorite in this one, and that’s surprising considering he is coming back from such a lengthy layoff and there are plenty of questions concerning his strength and cardio and whether there will be any rust. As such, JINGLIANG (+225) might be worth a small-unit play as a good flyer.

We aren’t likely to see Ponzinibbio fire out of the box and look for a quick finish. He will likely take it slow as he eases back into the octagon, trying to conserve his energy and see where he is physically before letting it go full out against a tough opponent. It wouldn’t be surprising to see this one need the judges, so it’s rather surprising YES (+130): “WILL THE FIGHT GO THE DISTANCE?” Take advantage. OVER 2.5 ROUNDS (+110) gives you a little wiggle room if it doesn’t quite go the distance, and is still a nice value at plus-money.

It’s a little risky, but back JINGLIANG IN ROUND 1 (+900), JINGLIANG IN ROUND 2 (+1300) and JINGLIANG IN ROUND 3 (+2000). Yes, you will lose at least two of those, and all three if Ponzinibbio wins or Jingliang wins on points. But if Jingliang gets the finish, you’ll be far ahead, and it is worth the risk.

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Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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UFC on ABC 1: Punahele Soriano vs. Dusko Todorovic odds, picks and prediction

Previewing Saturday’s UFC on ABC 1 fight between Punahele Soriano and Dusko Todorovic, with MMA betting odds, picks, tips and predictions.

In a middleweight bout on Saturday’s main card, Punahele Soriano and Dusko Todorovic meet at UFC on ABC 1 at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The event is also known as UFC Fight Island 7. The prelims kick off at noon ET on ESPN+, followed by the main card on ABC/ESPN+ at 3 p.m. ET.

Soriano (7-0) checks into this battle of unbeatens standing two inches shorter than Todorovic (10-0), while also having a 1.5-inch reach disadvantage. He’ll try to make it up by going to the takedown early and often, although Todorovic does have three submission wins, so Soriano will have to be careful.

Todorovic made his UFC debut Oct. 3, 2020, against Dequan Townsend, dusting his counterpart in Round 2 at the 3:15 mark by way of KO/TKO. In 10 career professional bouts, Todorovic has finished inside the distance on nine occasions, winning six times via KO/TKO and three by way of submission.

Soriano – a.k.a. “Puna” – has just one fight under his belt at the UFC level, too. He made quick work of Oskar Piechota at UFC 245, winning in Round 1 by KO/TKO. Like Todorovic, just one of Soriano’s pro bouts ended up going the distance. He’s won four times by KO/TKO with two wins via submission, both by rear-naked choke.

Place your legal, online UFC on ABC 1 sports bets in CO, IA, IN, NJ, PA, TN and WV at BetMGM, the King of Sportsbooks. New customer offer. Terms and conditions apply. Bet now!

Soriano vs. Todorovic: Betting odds, predictions and picks

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Thursday at 2:16 p.m. ET.

TODOROVIC (-160) is a moderate favorite in this one, and a good bet to take care of the slightly lesser experienced Soriano (+135). Bet the Russian fighter on the 2-way line and feel pretty confident about it.

Another good bet, although slightly more expensive than I like to wager, is NO (-200): “WILL THE FIGHT GO THE DISTANCE?” In 17 combined fights, these two combatants have managed to go the distance just twice. This one is likely to end by way or submission or KO/TKO. The better bet is probably the KO/TKO/DQ (-135). If you do not bet a specific fighter, it’s a pretty good value. I like TODOROVIC BY KO/TKO or DQ (+225) on the 7-way line where you can more than double up your initial wager.

To watch the early prelims and prelims, sign up for ESPN+ now.

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Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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UFC on ABC 1: Alessio Di Chirico vs. Joaquin Buckley odds, picks and prediction

Previewing Saturday’s UFC on ABC 1 fight between Alessio Di Chirico and Joaquin Buckley, with MMA betting odds, picks, tips and predictions.

In a middleweight bout on Saturday’s main card, Joaquin Buckley and Alessio Di Chirico meet at UFC on ABC 1 at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The event is also known as UFC Fight Island 7. The prelims kick off at noon ET on ESPN+, followed by the main card on ABC/ESPN+ at 3 p.m. ET.

Buckley (12-3) heads into this one standing two inches shorter than his counterpart, but he does possess a two-inch reach advantage. The southpaw holds a 4.89 to 3.25 significant strikes landed per minute advantage, although Di Chirico (12-5) is more accurate at 40.73 to 38.10 significant strikes-accuracy percentage. In addition, Di Chirico is more superior in takedown average at 1.66 to 0.66 and takedown-accuracy percentage at 45.83 to 16.67.

Since arriving at the UFC level, Buckley has won two of his three outings, including a second-round KO/TKO of Jordan Wright at UFC 255. In fact, all three of his UFC level fights, and each of his past five pro bouts, have resulted in KO/TKO, winning four of them.

Di Chirico enters on a three-bout losing skid, all by way of unanimous decision, including his loss to Zak Cummings Aug. 29, 2020. Overall, he has dropped five of his past eight bouts, and finished inside the distance just twice in the past nine pro fights.

Place your legal, online UFC on ABC 1 sports bets in CO, IA, IN, NJ, PA, TN and WV at BetMGM, the King of Sportsbooks. New customer offer. Terms and conditions apply. Bet now!

Di Chirico vs. Buckley: Betting odds, predictions and picks

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Thursday at 1:55 p.m. ET.

Buckley (-275) will cost you nearly three times your potential return, so it’s not a good idea unless you plan to toss him into a multi-fighter parlay. Instead, get a little more specific.

BUCKLEY BY KO/TKO, DQ or SUBMISSION (-105) is nearly even money, and the only way you lose is if he does or if he wins on points. Since each of his past five outings have ended by way of knockout, it’s likely the judges don’t get close to being involved.

That being said, take UNDER 2.5 ROUNDS (-125) for a nice value. If you don’t want to bet a specific fighter, but just the fight finish, roll with the KO/TKO/DQ (-135) at a good value.

To watch the early prelims and prelims, sign up for ESPN+ now.

MMA Junkie:

Follow @JoeWilliamsVI on Twitter. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and like us on Facebook.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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