UFC 253: Hakeem Dawodu vs. Zubaira Tukhugov odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Saturday’s UFC 253 fight between Hakeem Dawodu and Zubaira Tukhugov, with MMA betting odds, picks, tips and bets.

In featherweight bout, Hakeem Dawodu and Zubaira Tukhugov tangle at UFC 253 Saturday at the UFC’s Fight Island facility in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The prelims kick off at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2/ESPN+, followed by the main card set for 10 p.m. ET on pay-per-view: Subscribe to the PPV at ESPN+ now.

Dawodu (11-1-1) checks into this bout with a 5½-inch reach advantage in this featherweight tussle. He tends to drop a flurry of punches on his opponents, posting 5.28 significant strikes landed per minute in his five bouts at the UFC level with a 46.61 significant strikes-accuracy percentage. He is coming off a split-decision win over Julio Arce at UFC 244, and while he has four consecutive victories, three of the four have gone the distance with one KO/TKO.

Tukhugov (19-4-1) will be looking to take Dawodu to the canvas as soon as possible. It’s where Tukhugov holds a decisive advantage. He has a 2.88 takedown average and a 56.52 takedown-accuracy percentage. Tukhugov is 4-1-1 in his six bouts at the UFC level, including a first-round KO/TKO last time out against Kevin Aguilar on Feb. 22. Four of his six fights at the UFC level have gone the distance, too.

Special UFC 253 Promotion!

Bet $1 on either Adesanya or Costa to win, WIN $100 (in free bets) if EITHER Adesanya or Costa records a knockdown during the fight.

Place your legal, online sports bets in CO, IN, NJ and WV at BetMGM, The King of Sportsbooks! Terms and conditions apply. Bet now!

Hakeem Dawodu vs. Zubaira Tukhugov betting odds

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated at 6:28 a.m. ET.

DAWODU (+120) is a nice option as a short dog on the 2-way line, as he has tremendous punching power which will help him win the day, although he’ll definitely have to work for it. Tukhugov (-143) is also a solid puncher, and he is a strong grappler, too, so Dawodu will want to avoid going to the mat.

Roll the dice on DAWODU BY KO/TKO, DQ or SUBMISSION (+480), too, as you can almost multiple your stake by five times if he can deliver inside the distance. If you were to bet DAWODU BY DECISION/TECHNICAL DECISION (+210) as a hedge against the first 5-way line bet, you wouldn’t lose much than just betting the 2-way line. But if Dawodu comes through by knockout or tap, you win big. It’s worth the small price.

Also see:

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. Please gamble responsibly.

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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UFC 253: Ketlen Vieira vs. Sijara Eubanks odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Saturday’s UFC 253 fight between Ketlen Vieira and Sijara Eubanks, with MMA betting odds, picks, tips and bets.

In a women’s bantamweight fight, Ketlen Vieira and Sijara Eubanks get together at UFC 253 Saturday at the UFC’s Fight Island facility in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The prelims kick off at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2/ESPN+, followed by the main card set for 10 p.m. ET on pay-per-view.

Vieira (10-1) checks into this one looking to bounce back after her first professional loss, a first-round knockout against Irene Aldana on the UFC 245 card on Dec. 14, 2019. Despite the loss, she is 4-1 at the UFC level, with two of her past three fights finishing inside the distance. She has wins against Cat Zingano and Sara McMann, so she has already proven herself as one of the top fighters in her weight class. Vieira is particularly impressive as a grappler, and she has managed a 57.14 takedown-accuracy percentage and 0.76 submission average.

Eubanks (7-4) has bounced back with a pair of unanimous decision victories after two straight setbacks to Aspen Ladd and Bethe Correia. She is also one who isn’t afraid to go to the canvas, but that’s a bad idea against a more superior fighter. She isn’t a finisher, and eight straight professional fights for “SarJ” have ended up going the distance.

Special UFC 253 Promotion!

Bet $1 on either Adesanya or Costa to win, WIN $100 (in free bets) if EITHER Adesanya or Costa records a knockdown during the fight.

Place your legal, online sports bets in CO, IN, NJ and WV at BetMGM, The King of Sportsbooks! Terms and conditions apply. Bet now!

Ketlen Vieira vs. Sijara Eubanks betting odds

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated at 6:49 a.m. ET.

VIEIRA (-200) is a heavy favorite on the 2-way line, and just a little more expensive than I care to risk on a regular basis, but she’s a lock to win this match.

Vieira is a finisher, while Eubanks tends to rely on the eye of the judges. The latter is not what you want from a fighter, at least when you’re betting money. Take the fighter who wants to take it into their own hands. VIEIRA BY KO/TKO, DQ or SUBMISSION (+360) is also worth a small-unit bet.

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. Please gamble responsibly.

Also see:

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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UFC 253: Dominick Reyes vs. Jan Blachowicz odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Saturday’s UFC 253 fight between Dominick Reyes and Jan Blachowicz, with MMA betting odds, picks, tips and bets.

In a light heavyweight title bout, Dominick Reyes and Jan Blachowicz square off at UFC 253 Saturday at the UFC’s Fight Island facility in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The prelims kick off at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2/ESPN+, followed by the main card set for 10 p.m. ET on pay-per-view.

Reyes (12-1) stands in two inches taller than his Polish counterpart, but he has a one-inch reach disadvantage. The southpaw has racked up an impressive 4.88 significant strikes landed per minute, while posting a 49.44 significant strikes-accuracy percentage. He has been champing at the bit to get back into the octagon after suffering a unanimous decision loss to Jon Jones at UFC 247 on Feb. 8, a fight he feels he should have won. With a victory over Blachowicz, he can claim the belt he feels he rightfully should be defending right now, as “Bones” vacated the belt in favor of a move to the heavyweight division.

Blachowicz (26-8) could ruin the plan of Reyes, as he looks to win his fourth straight fight. After a third-round knockout loss in the main event on Feb. 23, 2019 against Thiago Santos, Blachowicz bounced back with a knockout win over Luke Rockhold, a split-decision win over Jacare Souza and a KO/TKO victory against Corey Anderson last time out in a revenge rematch. His best bet will be trying to get Reyes down to the canvas, as a toe-to-toe battle cannot be won by the Polish fighter.

Special UFC 253 Promotion!

Bet $1 on either Adesanya or Costa to win, WIN $100 (in free bets) if EITHER Adesanya or Costa records a knockdown during the fight.

Place your legal, online sports bets in CO, IN, NJ and WV at BetMGM, The King of Sportsbooks! Terms and conditions apply. Bet now!

Dominick Reyes vs. Jan Blachowicz betting odds

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated at 5:40 a.m. ET.

Reyes (-278) will cost you too much on the 2-way fight result line, so AVOID. Instead, Reyes is a better bet on the 5-way line, taking REYES BY KO/TKO, DQ or SUBMISSION (-103) at near even money. Reyes has a chip on his shoulder and there is no way he is losing this belt a second straight time.

As such, I think this is going to be a short fight, too. Reyes is going to fire out of the chute and try to end Blachowicz’s night early. Take UNDER 3.5 ROUNDS (-152), as the prop betting the fight will not go the distance (-223) is just too steep, as is Under 4.5 rounds (-200). In addition, pinpoint the fight finish for ROUND 2 (+400) and ROUND 3 (+650). If the fight ends in one of those two rounds, you’ll lose one, but still be way ahead.

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. Please gamble responsibly.

Also see:

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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UFC 253: Kai Kara-France vs. Brandon Royval odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Saturday’s UFC 253 fight between Kai Kara-France and Brandon Royval, with MMA betting odds, picks, tips and bets.

In flyweight action, Kai Kara-France and Brandon Royval will square off at UFC 253 Saturday at the UFC’s Fight Island facility in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The prelims kick off at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2/ESPN+, followed by the main card set for 10 p.m. ET on pay-per-view.

Kara-France (21-8) is a whirling dervish, posting an impressive 5.27 significant strikes landed per minute, although he lands just 38.46 percent of those punches. He enters this bout with a one-inch reach advantage, but he is five inches shorter than his opponent. The Kiwi rebounded after a unanimous decision loss to Brandon Moreno at UFC 245 with a decision win over Tyson Nam on Feb. 22. While Kara-France is 4-1 since arriving at the UFC level, all five of those fights have ended up going the distance.

Royval (11-4) of Team FactoryX Muay Thai made a successful UFC debut last time out against Tim Elliott, winning in a Round 2 submission on May 30. That’s three consecutive submission wins dating back to a title bout loss at LFA 53 against Casey Kenney in November 2018.

Special UFC 253 Promotion!

Bet $1 on either Adesanya or Costa to win, WIN $100 (in free bets) if EITHER Adesanya or Costa records a knockdown during the fight.

Place your legal, online sports bets in CO, IN, NJ and WV at BetMGM, The King of Sportsbooks! Terms and conditions apply. Bet now!

Kai Kara-France vs. Brandon Royval betting odds

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated at 6:05 a.m. ET.

Kara-France (-250) is a heavy favorite over Royval (+200), but you can expect that he is going to have to work for it. As such, betting the New Zealander on the 2-way line is just too risky.

Instead, take KARA-FRANCE BY DECISION (-118) on the 5-way line instead. If you don’t like him, but agree it’s going the distance, take the FIGHT TO GO THE DISTANCE (-167) prop under the fight finish section. OVER 2.5 ROUNDS (-200) is a little steep, but also a sound wager, based on Kara-France’s five-bout streak of decisions at the UFC level.

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. Please gamble responsibly.

Also see:

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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UFC 253: Israel Adesanya vs. Paulo Costa odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Saturday’s UFC 253 fight between Israel Adesanya and Paulo Costa, with MMA betting odds, picks, tips and bets.

In a middleweight championship bout, Israel Adesanya and Paulo Costa will battle for the strap at UFC 253 Saturday at the UFC’s Fight Island facility in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The prelims kick off at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2/ESPN+, followed by the main card set for 10 p.m. ET on pay-per-view.

Adesanya (19-0) puts his unbeaten record on the line, and he also puts his middleweight title belt up for grabs. He will step into the octagon looking like the more impressive fighter, as he stands three inches taller than Costa (13-0), and he has an astounding eight-inch reach advantage. He took the title from Kelvin Gastelum at UFC 236 on April 13, 2019, and he has successfully defended his title twice since. Last time out was a unanimous decision against Yoel Romero at UFC 248. As impressive as Adesanya has been, three of his past four fights have gone the distance, and five of his past seven bouts have gone to the judges’ cards.

Costa is also unbeaten, and the last time we saw him was also a unanimous decision win over Romero back on Aug. 17, 2019 at UFC 241. Before that his first four fights at the UFC level ended in KO/TKO. While his overall record is impressive, and the four knockouts are nice, he hasn’t faced a fighter with anywhere near the pedigree of Adesanya, a.k.a. “The Last Stylebender.”

Special UFC 253 Promotion!

Bet $1 on either Adesanya or Costa to win, WIN $100 (in free bets) if EITHER Adesanya or Costa records a knockdown during the fight.

Place your legal, online sports bets in CO, IN, NJ and WV at BetMGM, The King of Sportsbooks! Terms and conditions apply. Bet now!

Israel Adesanya vs. Paulo Costa betting odds

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated at 5:22 a.m. ET.

ADESANYA (-182) is worth a play on the 2-way line, although it’s right at my personal limit for betting money lines. Still, I don’t see any way that the lanky Nigerian fighter falls to “The Eraser.” He has shown no signs of slowing down, although it does worry me that he tends to go the distance so much, relying upon wowing the judges with his technical ability.

As such, I think OVER 3.5 ROUNDS (+115) is a fabulous play, as two of Adesanya’s three title fights have been unanimous decision wins. In addition, it’s worth a small-unit play to take ADESANYA BY DECISION (+300), as you can triple up if it goes the distance. If you’re not feeling an Adesanya win, but like the idea of a DECISION (+165) without selecting a winner, that’s a good wager, too.

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. Please gamble responsibly.

Also see:

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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