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UFC on ESPN 56: Alonzo Menifield vs. Carlos Ulberg odds, picks and predictions

Analyzing Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 56 odds between Alonzo Menifield vs. Carlos Ulberg, with MMA picks and predictions.

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In a 3-round light heavyweight bout on the main card, Alonzo Menifield and Carlos Ulberg meet Saturday at UFC on ESPN 56 at Enterprise Center in St. Louis. Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s lines around the UFC on ESPN 56: Menifield vs. Ulberg odds, and make our expert picks and predictions.

The prelims begin at 4 p.m. ET and can be viewed on ESPN/ESPN+, while the main card starts at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN/ESPN+.

Records: Menifield (15-3-1) | Ulberg (10-1-0)

Menifield has posted a 4-0-1 record across his past 5 bouts, including a unanimous-decision win against Dustin Jacoby last time out at UFC 296. He also has 2 KO/TKO wins against Misha Cirkunov and Askar Mozharov since June 4, 2022. His last loss came Dec. 4, 2021, in a unanimous-decision setback to William Knight.

Ulberg, representing Team City Kickboxing, enters on a 5-bout win streak since losing his company debut at UFC 259 against Kennedy Nzechukwu. He picked up a 3rd-round submission win over Da Woon Jung at UFC 293 last time out in early September. Each of his past 4 fights have finished inside the distance, too, including three 1st-round KO/TKO victories.

Ulberg stands 4 inches taller than the veteran Menifield, and he has holds a slight 1-inch reach advantage. Ulberg has a big 7.29-to-3.92 significant strikes landed per minute advantage, while Menifield is slightly more accurate at 64.26% on those strikes to just 60.61% for Kiwi.

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UFC on ESPN 56: Menifield vs. Ulberg odds

Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 10:30 a.m. ET.

  • Fight result (2-way line): Menifield +220 (bet $100 to win $220) | Ulberg -275 (bet $275 to win $100)
  • Over/Under: 1.5 rounds (Over -150 | Under +115)
  • Will the fight go the distance? (Yes +200 | No -300)

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UFC on ESPN 56: Menifield vs. Ulberg picks and predictions

Fight result (2-way line or moneyline)

The 33-year-old Ulberg (-275) will cost you nearly 3 times your potential return if you bet him straight up on the 2-way line. That’s too much risk for not nearly enough reward.

While Ulberg is a punching machine, and a good play, you need to get more specific and choose the method of victory, too. Menifield (+220) is a veteran, so this won’t be easy. Menifield hasn’t been knocked out since Ovince Saint Preux dropped him in the 2nd round in Sept. 2020.

However, ULBERG BY KO/TKO, DQ OR SUBMISSION (-115) on the 7-way line is the way to go. It gives you a little wiggle room if you aren’t sold on just the knockout alone.

Over/Under (O/U)

No: Will the fight go the distance? (-300) will cost you 3 times your potential return, and that’s way too much risk for not enough reward.

OVER 1.5 ROUNDS (-150) is a strong play, however, as Menifield has been through the wars. He won’t be a pushover and will make Ulberg work before ultimately bowing out.

Visit MMA Junkie for more fight news and analysis.

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For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW.

Follow Kevin J. Erickson on Twitter/X. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter/X and us on Facebook.

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UFC on ESPN 56: Joaquin Buckley vs. Nursulton Ruziboev odds, picks and predictions

Analyzing Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 56 odds between Joaquin Buckley vs. Nursulton Ruziboev, with MMA picks and predictions.

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In a 3-round welterweight bout on the main card, Joaquin Buckley and Nursulton Ruziboev meet Saturday at UFC on ESPN 56 at Enterprise Center in St. Louis. Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s lines around the UFC on ESPN 56: Buckley vs. Ruziboev odds, and make our expert picks and predictions.

The prelims begin at 4 p.m. ET and can be viewed on ESPN/ESPN+, while the main card starts at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN/ESPN+.

Records: Buckley (18-6-0) | Ruziboev (34-8-2)

Buckley heads into this bout with 3 consecutive victories, including 2 KO/TKO wins over Andre Fialho and Vicente Luque. He also has a unanimous-decision win over Alex Morono in the 3-bout win streak since a 2nd-round KO/TKO loss to Chris Curtis at UFC 282.

The southpaw Buckley has finished inside the distance in 3 of his past 4 fights, although he hasn’t had a fight end in Round 1 since Jan. 16, 2021, a KO/TKO loss to Alessio Di Chirico.

The 30-year-old Uzbekistani fighter has recorded a pair of Round 1 KO/TKO wins over Brunno Ferreira and Sedriques Dumas since making his UFC debut July 1, 2023.

Ruziboev has won 10 consecutive pro bouts since a unanimous-decision loss to Boris Miroshnichenko at ProFC 66 Dec. 22, 2019. In addition, all 10 of those fights, including the 2 at the UFC level, have finishes inside the distance. He has 5 submission victories and 5 KO/TKO wins during the span, and the kimura has been his specialty.

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UFC on ESPN 56: Buckley vs. Ruziboev odds

Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 10:10 a.m. ET.

  • Fight result (2-way line): Buckley -125 (bet $125 to win $100) | Ruziboev +105 (bet $100 to win $105)
  • Over/Under: 1.5 rounds (Over -145 | Under +110)
  • Will the fight go the distance? (Yes +210 | No -300)

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UFC on ESPN 56: Buckley vs. Ruziboev picks and predictions

Fight result (2-way line or moneyline)

This should be a banger, as both fighters are evenly matched. Both BUCKLEY (-135) and Ruziboev (+110) are 30 years old and each have a 76-inch reach. The Uzbekistani fighter stands 7 inches taller while also being a little more accurate on significant strikes at 43.90% to 36.41%.

This fight is likely to come down to experience and location. Buckley’s hometown just happens to be St. Louis.

While Ruziboev has plenty of experience inside the octagon, he has had limited exposure at the UFC level. Buckley is a veteran at the highest level, not only in the UFC, but also Bellator. He’ll tap into that experience in the North American octagon to get the job done, and it helps he is fighting in his hometown, so he’ll have a raucous crowd spurring him on.

Over/Under (O/U)

Looking to the method of victory, Ruziboev hasn’t lost via KO/TKO or submission since a loss via kimura Oct. 22, 2016, against Daniyar Abdibaev at WEF: Grand Prix 2016.

Ruziboev’s past 5 losses have each come via unanimous decision. We’re taking the more experienced favorite in his hometown, therefore BUCKLEY ON POINTS (+400) for the chance to multiply up by 4 times is a tempting play.

YES: WILL THE FIGHT GO THE DISTANCE? (+210) for a chance to multiply up by more than 2 times is also a recommended play. OVER 1.5 ROUNDS (-145) isn’t a bad bet, either, especially if you’re a little more on the conservative side.

Visit MMA Junkie for more fight news and analysis.

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For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW.

Follow Kevin J. Erickson on Twitter/X. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter/X and us on Facebook.

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UFC on ESPN 56: Derrick Lewis vs. Rodrigo Nascimento odds, picks and predictions

Analyzing Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 56 odds between Derrick Lewis vs. Rodrigo Nascimento, with MMA picks and predictions.

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In a 5-round heavyweight bout in the main event, Derrick Lewis and Rodrigo Nascimento meet Saturday at UFC on ESPN 56 at Enterprise Center in St. Louis. Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s lines around the UFC on ESPN 56: Lewis vs. Nascimento odds, and make our expert picks and predictions.

The prelims begin at 4 p.m. ET and can be viewed on ESPN/ESPN+, while the main card starts at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN/ESPN+.

Records: Lewis (27-12-0) | Nascimento (11-1-0)

Lewis, a.k.a. “The Black Beast”, makes his 2nd consecutive main event appearance, 5th main event in the past 9 bouts since Aug. 8, 2020, and 11th main event in his UFC career.

Lewis has managed just 2 victories in the past 7 fights since UFC 265, a 3rd-round KO/TKO loss to Ciryl Gane in a championship bout. His only 2 wins in the 7-bout span are Round 1 knockouts of Chris Daukaus and Marcos Rogerio de Lima.

Nascimento has been a quick riser in the UFC ranks, winning 3 straight fights despite the fact the quality of opponent has been increasing. He had a split-decision win over Tanner Boser in Sept. 2022, and a split-decision win over Ilir Latifi in May 2023. He also pushed past Don’Tale Myers via unanimous-decision last time out. Nascimento has topped Myers twice already in his UFC career.

The 39-year-old Lewis is 8 years older than the Brazilian fighter, and Nascimento has a slight 1-inch reach advantage. Experience is on the side of Lewis, and it’s not even close. Nascimento has managed 4.31 significant strikes landed per minute, to just 2.43 for Lewis over his career. And Nascimento is slightly more accurate at 55.26%.

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UFC on ESPN 56: Lewis vs. Nascimento odds

Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 9:50 a.m. ET.

  • Fight result (2-way line): Lewis -165 (bet $165 to win $100) | Nascimento +135 (bet $100 to win $135)
  • Over/Under: 1.5 rounds (Over +115 | Under -150)
  • Will the fight go the distance? (Yes +600 | No -1400)

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UFC on ESPN 56: Lewis vs. Nascimento picks and predictions

Fight result (2-way line or moneyline)

This fight is all about experience. LEWIS (-165) has been through a ton of the wars, fighting in 11 previous main events. Nascimento (+135) is, well, nascent. He has a bright future, but the time is not now for the Brazilian fighter.

While Lewis has been struggling to get the job done, he has been fighting a ton of top-notch talent during the span. He is coming off of a unanimous-decision loss to Jailton Almeida last time out in early November.

While Nascimento lands more punches, the experience of Lewis should be leaned into. He is a solid play on the 2-way line.

Over/Under (O/U)

Nascimento has ended up going the distance in 3 straight fights, but he won’t be able to go toe-to-toe with Lewis.

Lewis is a knockout artist, and that’s the best method of victory and play. Roll with LEWIS BY KO/TKO, DQ OR SUBMISSION (-140) on the 5-way line for method. You can drop the submission part on the 7-way line, and just go with Lewis by KO/TKO or DQ (-135), but you don’t save much, and you take away another potential avenue to victory. It makes no sense.

OVER 1.5 ROUNDS (+115) is a solid play at plus-money, as we should be able to at least get past the midway portion of Round 2. He has gone Over 1.5 rounds in 3 of his past 7, while Nascimento has had 3 straight decisions. Go Over.

Visit MMA Junkie for more fight news and analysis.

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For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW.

Follow Kevin J. Erickson on Twitter/X. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter/X and us on Facebook.

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