Henry Cejudo and Dominick Cruz tangle for the bantamweight strap in the co-main event at UFC 249 at the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla. The card kicks off Saturday at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN/ESPN+, with the main card on pay-per-view.
Cejudo (15-2-0) enters on a five-fight win streak, including a pair of KO/TKO wins against TJ Dillashaw (UFC Fight Night Jan. 19, 2019) and Marlon Moraes (UFC 238 June 8, 2019). The former Olympian has 17 career bouts, and he has never been submitted. On the flip side, he has never won by submission, either, so you can expect him to keep this one upright. Avoid that type method of victory when selecting your wagers. His last loss at the UFC level came April 23, 2016 in a split-decision loss to Demetrious Johnson at UFC 197. He also suffered a split-decision loss to Joseph Benavidez at The Ultimate Fighter 24 Finale Dec. 3, 2016. He took out his frustrations from those two losses on Wilson Reis with a second-round knockout at UFC 215 (Sept. 9, 2017) and has been on a mission since, a calculated and careful mission, some might say.
A string of injuries has forced Cruz (22-2-0) from the octagon over the past few years. In fact, the last time we saw “The Dominator” was Dec. 30, 2016 when he left following a unanimous decision loss to Cody Garbrandt for the title at UFC 207. Yeah, it’s been a while, and rust is certainly a concern, especially against a polished pounder like Cejudo. Cruz hasn’t won in the octagon since June 4, 2016 against Urijah Faber. While Cejudo likes to throw hands and try and end it early, Cruz is more calculated and draws his fights out. Seven of his past eight fights have been decided by the judges, winning six of those battles. He is 4-1 across his past five championship bouts, too. Like Cejudo, Cruz doesn’t care much for the mat, last winning via submission Sept. 9, 2006.
Want to place a bet on UFC 249? Place them at BetMGM. New customer offer: Risk-free first bet! Visit BetMGM for terms and conditions. Bet now!
Henry Cejudo vs. Dominick Cruz betting odds
Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Thursday, May 7 at 6 p.m. ET.
It’s hard to bet Cruz (+180) on the 2-way line, only due to the rust. This price is awfully attractive, though. Cejudo (-223) is the moderate favorite, and he is expected to keep his strap, but “The Dominator” represents a real danger when healthy. He is so technical which wows the judges, while Cejudo can play it safe on occasion, working ever so hard to protect what is his.
Looking to method of victory, you should avoid any talk of a submission. Instead, taking Cejudo by KO/TKO or DQ (+275) is worth a look, as is a roll of the dice on Cruz to win by decision/technical decision (+275). If you like to hedge bets, and cheer for a method of victory, not caring which fighter wins, those are the ways to go. Cejudo might try and end this one early, and there are concerns Cruz can go a full distance after such a long layoff. As such, taking UNDER 4.5 (+162) for total number of rounds, and NO (+150) WILL THE FIGHT GO THE FULL FIVE ROUNDS, might be the best bets.
New to sports betting? A $10 bet on Cruz (+180) to win on the 2-way line returns a $18 profit. A $10 bet on Cejudo to win by KO/TKO or DQ (+275) earns a $27.50 profit. A $10 wager on the Under 4.5 rounds (+162) fetches a net profit of $16.20, while $10 on NO, the fight will not go the full five rounds profits $15.
To watch the full card, sign up for ESPN+ now.
If you want some action on this MMA bout, place your wagers at BetMGM now. For more sports betting picks and analysis, visit SportsbookWire.com.
Follow @JoeWilliamsVI on Twitter, and follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and 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.
[lawrence-newsletter]
[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=2559]