Paige VanZant huge underdog vs. Amanda Ribas at Fight Island’s UFC 251

Can Paige VanZant pull the upset over Amanda Ribas on Fight Island at UFC 251? She enters as a huge underdog in the matchup.

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Paige VanZant (8-4) is a huge underdog Saturday night at +550 odds, according to BetMGM oddsmakers, against Amanda Ribas (9-1), who enters at -834 odds, in their UFC 251 women’s flyweight matchup at Fight Island.

Are you new to sports betting? At -834 odds, Ribas returns just a $1.20 profit on a $10 wager with a victory.

On the flip side, VanZant’s underdog status would payout large, returning a $55.00 profit on a $10 wager. The oddsmakers don’t see it happening, though. At +550, that gives her implied winning odds of just 15.38% or 11/2 fractional odds to beat Ribas, who has an 89.29% implied odds of winning this matchup.

See: Amanda Ribas vs. Paige VanZant odds, picks and best bets

Despite the large odds against VanZant, the oddsmakers favor this fight going the distance with -125 odds. On a simple yes/no against going the distance, the bookmakers have it even at -112 for yes/no on the bout.

Both women are coming off a win in their last fight, with no height advantage with both standing 5-foot-4. Ribas weighs in at 125 lbs, while VanZant comes in at 155 lbs. Only an inch separates their reach, with Ribas having the advantage 66″:65″.

Ribas vs. VanZant odds and betting lines

Photo Credit: Kyle Terada – USA TODAY Sports

Odds via BetMGM.com sportsbook; last updated Friday at 9 p.m. ET.

  • Fight Result (2-way): VanZant +550 / Ribas -834
  • Total number of rounds: Over 1.5 -233 / Under +180
  • Will the fight go the distance? Yes -112 / No -112
  • Gone in 60 seconds: VanZant to win +2200 / Ribas to win +700
  • How will the fight finish? KO/TKO/DQ +240 / Submission +240 / Decision -125

UFC 251 Special Offer in CO, IN, NJ and WV: Bet $1 at BetMGM.com, WIN $100 in free bets if Kamaru Usman wins at UFC 251. Place your bets now! Visit BetMGM.com for terms and conditions.

Also see:

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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 251: Amanda Ribas vs. Paige VanZant odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Saturday’s UFC 251 fight between Amanda Ribas and Paige VanZant, with MMA betting odds, picks, tips and bets.

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Amanda Ribas and Paige VanZant do battle in a women’s flyweight bout on the main card at UFC 251 Saturday at the UFC’s Fight Island facility on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The prelims kick off at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN/ESPN+, followed by the main card set for 10 p.m. ET on Pay-Per-View.

Ribas (9-1) makes her fourth appearance at the UFC level, and she looks to remain unbeaten at the top level, too. Her last fight was March 14 on the Lee-Oliveira card in Jacksonville, Fla., sneaking past Randa Markos by unanimous decision. That’s the same way Ribas won against Mackenzie Dern Oct. 12, 2019. Only three of Ribas’ 10 career fights have gone the distance, however, and she is 3-1 via KO/TKO and 3-0 by way of submission in her professional career.

VanZant (8-4) is a heavy underdog (+500) in this one despite the fact she owns a 52.0-42.33 significant strike-accuracy percentage advantage. She’ll be wise to keep the fight toe-to-toe if she wants a chance. Ribas owns a 2.02-1.31 takedown average and 50.0-33.33 takedown-accuracy percentage advantage, while also leading 1.61-0.98 in submission average. VanZant is just 2-3 over her past five outings, and that includes two losses by submission. This will be her first fight in nearly 16 months due to a rash of arm injuries. The last time we saw her was a submission win over Rachael Ostovich Jan. 19, 2019.

UFC 251 Special Offer in CO, IN, NJ and WV: Bet $1 at BetMGM.com, WIN $100 in free bets if Kamaru Usman wins at UFC 251. Place your bets now! Visit BetMGM.com for terms and conditions.

Ribas vs. VanZant odds and betting lines

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Friday at 5:00 p.m. ET.

Ribas (-715) is a heavy favorite, so you’ll have to be a bit more creative than just betting the 2-way line. There is no way you can risk more than seven times your potential return.

Also see:

Look to RIBAS BY KO/TKO, DQ or SUBMISSION (+115) in this one, as it’s a much better value than the 2-way line. In addition, load up on round betting, as RIBAS IN ROUND 1 (+333), RIBAS IN ROUND 2 (+500) and RIBAS IN ROUND 3 (+900) all pay well. If you want to roll the dice, bet Rounds 2 and 3 and hope it doesn’t go to the judges. That would make for quite a nice payday.

NO (-112): WILL THE FIGHT GO THE DISTANCE? is a sound play, too. Five of the past six fights for VanZant have finished inside the distance, and her takedown defense and vulnerability on the canvas makes this one likely to end before the judges get to determine a winner.

New to sports betting? A $10 bet on Ribas to win by KO/TKO, DQ or Submission (+115) returns a profit of $11.50. A $10 wager on Ribas to win in Round 2 (+500) returns a profit of $50, while a $10 pick on Ribas to win in Round 3 (+900) fetches a return of $90.

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.

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