Tag: UFC on ESPN 11

UFC on ESPN 11: Jim Miller vs. Roosevelt Roberts odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 11 fight between Jim Miller and Roosevelt Roberts, with MMA betting odds, picks, tips and bets.

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Jim Miller and Roosevelt Roberts meet in a catchweight bout (155 pounds) on the main card at UFC on ESPN 11 – also known as UFC Fight Night 173 – Saturday at the UFC’s APEX Facility in Las Vegas. The prelims kick off at 5 p.m. ET, followed by the main card set for 8 p.m. ET on ESPN/ESPN+.

Miller (31-14) heads into this one with plenty of experience, but he has rather long odds against the up-and-comer Roberts (10-1). The latter towers over the veteran Miller, standing six inches taller with a two-inch reach advantage over the southpaw. Miller suffered a unanimous decision setback to Scott Holtzman last time out, Feb. 15 at Rio Rancho, N.M. The loss snapped a streak of five straight fights finishing inside the distance for Miller. In fact, before the loss to Holtzman, Miller had three wins and a loss, each by submission. Miller has posted 2.83 strikes per minute, landing just 40.77 percent, so he has the potential to rain himself out early. He also has a takedown average of 1.69, while posting a takedown percentage of 41.76.

Roberts topped Brok Weaver in Round 2 by submission May 30 on the Woodley-Burns Fight Night card, and has posted three wins in four outings since reaching the UFC level. Five of Roberts’ 10 career professional wins have come via submission, with the guillotine his choke of choice. He also has three wins by TKO (punches), so he is anything but a one-trick pony.

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Jim Miller vs. Roosevelt Roberts betting odds

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Friday, June 19 at 5:45 a.m. ET.

Roberts (-250) will cost you a pretty penny, and he is just not worth the risk against the crafty veteran Miller (+200) – at least not worth the risk on the 2-way line. Instead, look to ROBERTS BY KO/TKO, DQ or SUBMISSION (+140), which is a much better value, and a sound play as long as he obviously doesn’t win by decision. As such, if you’re going to take Roberts to win by knockout or submission, rolling with the UNDER 2.5 ROUNDS (-112) is also highly recommended.

New to sports betting? A $10 bet on Roberts (-250) returns a profit of just $4. A $10 play on Roberts by KO/TKO, DQ or submission (+140) fetches a profit of $14, while a $10 bet on the Under 2.5 rounds (-112) returns a net profit of $8.93.

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.

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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 ESPN 11 play-by-play and live results (5 p.m. ET)

Check out live play-by-play and official results from UFC on ESPN 11 in Las Vegas.

LAS VEGAS – MMA Junkie is on scene and reporting live from Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 11 event, and you can join us for live play-by-play and official results beginning at 5 p.m. ET (2 p.m. PT).

The event takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The card airs on ESPN and streams on ESPN+.

In the main event, Curtis Blaydes (13-2 MMA, 8-2 UFC) takes on Alexander Volkov (31-7 MMA, 5-1 UFC) at heavyweight. In the co-feature, Shane Burgos (13-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) meets Josh Emmett (15-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) at featherweight.

Follow along with our round-by-round updates and official results beginning at approximately 5 p.m. ET for the ESPN/ESPN+ prelims and 8 p.m. ET for the main card on ESPN/ESPN+.

To discuss the show, be sure to check out our UFC on ESPN 11 discussion thread. You can also get behind-the-scenes coverage and other event notes from on-site reporter John Morgan (@MMAjunkieJohn) on Twitter.

Enjoy the fights, everyone.

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Austin Hubbard vs. Max Rohskopf

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Records: Austin Hubbard (11-4 MMA, 1-2 UFC), Max Rohskopf (5-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC)
Division: Lightweight
Broadcast: ESPN/ESPN+
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Roxanne Modafferi vs. Lauren Murphy

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Records: Roxanne Modafferi (24-16 MMA, 3-4 UFC), Lauren Murphy (12-4 MMA, 4-4 UFC)
Division: Women’s flyweight
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Frank Camacho vs. Justin Jaynes

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Records: Frank Camacho (22-8 MMA, 2-4 UFC), Justin Jaynes (15-4 MMA, 0-0 UFC)
Division: Lightweight
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Cortney Casey vs. Gillian Robertson

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Records: Cortney Casey (9-7 MMA, 5-6 UFC), Gillian Robertson (7-4 MMA, 4-2 UFC)
Division: Women’s flyweight
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Marc-Andre Barriault vs. Oskar Piechota

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Records: Marc-Andre Barriault (11-4 MMA, 0-3 UFC), Oskar Piechota (11-3-1 MMA, 2-3 UFC)
Division: Middleweight
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Tecia Torres vs. Brianna Van Buren

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Records: Tecia Torres (10-5 MMA, 6-5 UFC), Brianna Van Buren (9-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC)
Division: Women’s strawweight
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Bobby Green vs. Clay Guida

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Records: Bobby Green (24-10-1 MMA, 5-5-1 UFC), Clay Guida (35-19 MMA, 15-13 UFC)
Division: Lightweight
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Jim Miller vs. Roosevelt Robertsv

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Records: Jim Miller (31-14 MMA, 20-13 UFC), Roosevelt Roberts (10-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC)
Division: Lightweight
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Lyman Good vs. Belal Muhammad

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Records: Lyman Good (21-5 MMA, 3-2 UFC), Belal Muhammad (16-3 MMA, 7-3 UFC)
Division: Welterweight
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Raquel Pennington vs. Marion Reneau

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Records: Raquel Pennington (10-8 MMA, 7-5 UFC), Marion Reneau (10-5-1 MMA, 5-4-1 UFC)
Division: Women’s bantamweight
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Shane Burgos vs. Josh Emmett

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Records: Shane Burgos (13-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC), Josh Emmett (15-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC)
Division: Featherweight
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Curtis Blaydes vs. Alexander Volkov

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Records: Curtis Blaydes (13-2 MMA, 8-2 UFC), Alexander Volkov (31-7 MMA, 5-1 UFC)
Division: Heavyweight
Broadcast: ESPN/ESPN+
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UFC on ESPN 11 discussion thread

UFC on ESPN 11 takes place Saturday in Las Vegas, and you can discuss the event here.

LAS VEGAS – MMA Junkie is on scene and reporting live from Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 11 event at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, which kicks off at 5 p.m. ET (2 p.m. PT). You can discuss the event here.

Be sure to follow along with the latest card updates in our UFC on ESPN 11 live results post, and then discuss the event in the comments section below.

Round-by-round updates and official results begin at approximately 5 p.m. ET for the preliminary card and 8 p.m. ET for the main card.

Marion Reneau expected Raquel Pennington matchup: ‘It was one that was bound to happen’

Marion Reneau knew she’d cross paths with Raquel Pennington, but it may have come a little sooner than expected.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Marion Reneau[/autotag] knew she’d cross paths with [autotag]Raquel Pennington[/autotag] eventually, but it’s happening a bit sooner than expected.

Reneau (9-5-1 MMA, 5-4-1 UFC) faces former bantamweight title challenger Pennington on Saturday at UFC on ESPN 11 and will compete on her 43rd birthday.

She was initially scheduled to face Ketlen Vieira on May 9 in Brazil, but the event was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic and she was given a different opponent at a different date. One she expected to meet down the line.

“I think this is a great fight and a great matchup,” Reneau told reporters Thursday in a virtual media day session. “If you look at both Raquel and I, we both match up fairly well. Both in the standing and I’d say on the ground as well so I think it’s gonna be an exciting fight. It was one that was bound to happen, it was something that we anticipated happening but it happened a lot sooner than we thought because I was supposed to fight Vieira before so this one happened a little bit sooner, no problem.”

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Reneau is coming off back-to-back decision losses to Cat Zingano and Yana Kunitskaya.

But the skid is not unfamiliar territory for Reanau, who avoided a three-fight losing streak in 2016, when she stopped Milana Dudieva.

“Sur,e I didn’t like the decisions for my last fight and the fight before I lost but I don’t put pressure on myself,” Reneau said. “I have to move forward so it’s not something that I focus on. I’ve learnt that at an early age and it’s followed me to now.”

To hear more from Reneau, check out the video above.

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Dana White: UFC already planning in case of second COVID-19 shutdown

If COVID-19 numbers keep rising, we could be facing another set of shutdowns, and this time, Dana White plans on preparing the UFC in advance.

LAS VEGAS — There’s growing evidence the rush to reopen in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic is beginning to backfire.

Coronavirus cases are rising at an alarming degree in much of the country, with states such as Arizona, Florida, and Oklahoma, which were among the earliest to lift shutdowns enacted to slow the pandemic, having some of the biggest increases.

This has affected the sports world, as well, complicating attempts to get major sports back up and running, with viral clusters tied to MLB’s Philadelphia Phillies and the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning coming to light Friday.

The UFC was the first major sports entity to return to action, getting the back up and running with UFC 249 on May 9 after an absence of nearly two months and avoiding major setbacks since the slate of regular events resumed.

UFC president Dana White isn’t going to let the company get caught flat-footed. In a press conference following Friday’s UFC on ESPN 11 weigh-ins at the UFC APEX, White told reporters he’s already mapping out a plan in case the country goes back under widespread stay-at-home orders.

“I told you guys going into this thing I’m always thinking about what’s next,” White told reporters, including MMA Junkie. “And one of the frustrating parts about this whole thing is, I keep telling this story, I was telling it again this morning four months ago I could have told you everything about this business, where’s it’s going, where it’s going to happen, I don’t know now. So all I do is sit around and strategize and try to plan. And I’m planning for a second shutdown, that it will happen again.”

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It’s far too soon for White to give details on what the UFC under a second shutdown might look like, but as an executive with two decades’ knowledge of how many things can go wrong, he says the company is preparing for any and all scenarios.

“I’m always thinking about the worst, what’s the worst thing that can … when you hear (fighters) talking about when they train, they put themselves in the worst positions they can possibly be in, that’s how I look at this business too. What’s the worst position we can possibly be in? And my number one goal is always I don’t want to lay off any of my employees, and I don’t want fighters sitting inactive and not being able to compete.

“When you’re a professional athlete, you have a very small window of opportunity, a very limited amount of time. You know, we get into all the money shit and stuff that’s going on right now. Everybody acts like this is a career. This isn’t a career. This is not a career. This is an opportunity. Anything can happen at any given moment. Your knee could pull out. Your back. Your this, your that. COVID-19, who the hell knows what is coming down the pipeline?”

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UFC on ESPN 11 weigh-ins video highlights, photos from Las Vegas

Check out our exclusive official weigh-in highlights video and photo gallery for UFC on ESPN 11 in Las Vegas.

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LAS VEGAS – The weigh-ins for UFC on ESPN 11 are in the books in Las Vegas.

Top heavyweight contenders Curtis Blaydes (13-2 MMA, 8-2 UFC) and Alexander Volkov (31-7 MMA, 5-1 UFC) meet in the main event. In the co-feature, featherweight contenders Shane Burgos (13-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) and Josh Emmett (15-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) look to take another step up the 145-pound ladder.

Friday, the fighters on the card stepped on the scale to make weight in Las Vegas. The UFC Apex hosts Saturday’s event without fans in attendance.

Check out the video highlights from all the fighters on the scale above. And don’t miss our exclusive photo gallery below.

UFC on ESPN 11 takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The card airs on ESPN and streams on ESPN+.

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UFC on ESPN 11’s Shane Burgos plans big statement against Josh Emmett: ‘I gotta finish him’

Shane Burgos is looking to catapult himself toward the UFC’s featherweight elite with a decisive victory over Josh Emmett.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Shane Burgos[/autotag] knows what he needs to do as he looks to catapult himself to the upper echelon of the UFC’s featherweight division.

Burgos (13-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) faces [autotag]Josh Emmett[/autotag] in the co-main event of UFC on ESPN 11 this Saturday looking to make it four wins in a row.

Speaking to reporters Thursday in a virtual media day session, Burgos admitted a decisive victory over Emmett (15-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) should earn him a shot against Top 5 opposition for his next fight. It means “Hurricane” is targeting not just a win, but a finish, at the UFC Apex.

“Yeah it definitely could (earn me a Top 5 fight),” Burgos admitted. “I gotta go out there and not just win though, like I’ve been saying all week. … I gotta go out there and put a stamp on this one. I gotta make a statement. As corny and cliché as it sounds, I gotta go out there not just beat Josh Emmett. … I gotta finish him.”

Since dropping down to featherweight, Emmett has scored eight knockdowns in his past five fights. Combine that with Burgos’ 7.09 significant strikes per minute  – the highest rate in divisional history – and the signs are good for an action-packed matchup between two 145-pounders looking to break their way into title contention.

To hear more from Burgos, check out the video above.

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UFC on ESPN 11’s Jim Miller confident he’ll get to 40 UFC fights; tentatively targets UFC 300

UFC veteran Jim Miller says he’s looking to continue breaking records and retire as the athlete with the most bouts in UFC history.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Jim Miller[/autotag] still has a lot of fight left in him and revealed an ambitious target – to compete in three centennial UFC events.

Miller (31-14 MMA, 20-13 UFC) faces Roosevelt Roberts this Saturday at UFC on ESPN 11, where he will equal Donald Cerrone’s record for the most appearances in company history at 35.

The lightweight veteran – who also holds the record for most wins, most submission wins and the most total fight time in divisional history – says he’s still looking to break records as he targets a landmark number of bouts as a UFC athlete.

“It’ll be 40 (fights),” Miller told reporters Thursday in a virtual media day session. “I’m pretty confident with the way that I’m feeling that I’ll get to 40. Fifty? I don’t know. We’ll see where it goes.”

Miller’s ambitions don’t necessarily end at 40, or even 50, fights, however, as he revealed a tentative thought that he might still be active in the octagon by the time UFC 300 rolls around. Then, he said, he could make history with a remarkable achievement as the only fighter to compete on UFC 100, 200 and 300.

“I’m playing it fight by fight and I look ahead and I see UFC 300 in like four years and I’m like I don’t know if I can make it that far, but it would be pretty cool to fight on 100, 200 and 300.

“I’m not hung up on that idea, I’m not focused on that idea but where I’m at, another five fights after this, if I get to fight at the pace that I want to, that’s less than two years so I can easily handle that.”

On Saturday night Miller takes on one of the lightweight division’s newest prospects in Roberts. Ever respectful of his opponents, Miller admitted he understands Roberts’ mindset ahead of the matchup, and said he certainly won’t be taking him lightly.

“I imagine myself in his position and I’d be super fired up, on cloud nine coming into a fight like that, so I’m expecting a dangerous guy that’s got nothing to lose,” Miller said. “He’s got a little momentum behind him and he’s fighting a guy who’s been around for a while so he’s gonna be a dangerous man inside the octagon.”

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