Cody Stamann and Brian Kelleher will square off in a featherweight bout in the prelims at UFC 250 at the UFC’s Apex Facility in Las Vegas. The card kicks off Saturday at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN/ESPN+ and pay-per-view.
Stamann (18-2-1) enters as a heavy favorite (-278) over the veteran Kelleher (21-10) in one of the better bouts on the preliminary card. The favorite posted a majority-decision draw last time out against Song Yadong Dec. 7, 2019, so Stamann will be champing at the bit trying to get a little redemption after the disappointing result. It was the fifth time in six bouts since arriving at the UFC level where his fate was left in the hands of the judges, going 4-0-1 in those fights. In 21 career professional fights he has never lost via KO/TKO, winning six times. In addition, 13 of his 16 pro bouts have ended up going to Round 3 or longer.
Kelleher heads into this one on the heels of a Round 2 knockout win over up-and-comer Hunter Azure May 13. A quick fight is par for the course for Kelleher, as each of his past four fights have finished inside the distance, and 14 of his past 17 bouts as a professional have done likewise. In 31 career fights he has won eight times by KO/TKO, only losing once in such manner. It’s a coin-flip when he goes to the canvas, as he has nine wins by submission as a pro, but he has also tapped out six times, too.
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Cody Stamann vs. Brian Kelleher betting odds
Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Wednesday, June 3 at 7:35 p.m. ET.
Stamann (-278) is the heavy favorite to win, but betting such a chalky favorite is a risky proposition given the small return. If anything, Kelleher (+220) is worth a roll of the dice as a much better value.
The best bet is to look to the total number of rounds and bet UNDER 2.5 (+200). Kelleher often doesn’t go very long into the night. While Stamann has a tendency to see his fights go to the judges, Kelleher has a lengthy mix of knockouts and submissions, and it’s unlikely this bout goes the distance. So, also bet NO (+190): WILL THE FIGHT GO THE DISTANCE?
New to sports betting? A $10 bet on Stamann (-278) to win only returns a profit of $3.60. A $10 bet on Kelleher (+220) to spring the upset returns a profit of $22. A $10 bet on UNDER 2.5 rounds (+200) fetches a profit of $20.
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