Two bitter rivals are set to collide in the main event of UFC 272 this Saturday.
Former teammates Colby Covington and Jorge Masvidal will meet in a five-round, welterweight clash to headline Saturday’s card.
Here’s what sports bettors in Michigan need to know about the latest UFC PPV event.
How to watch: UFC 272
- What: UFC 272
- Where: T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, Nev.
- When: Saturday, March 5
- Early Prelims: Start at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN+ and UFC Fight Pass
- Prelims: Start at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN/ESPN+
- Main Card: Starts at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+
The Main Card Odds
UFC 272 doesn’t include any championship bouts, but features some top contenders in the lighter weight classes
Here’s a rundown of the card and the odds as of this writing, according to DraftKings Sportsbook MI.
- Welterweight Division: No. 1 Colby Covington (-320) vs. No. 6 Jorge Masvidal (+250)
- Catchweight Bout (160 lbs): Rafael dos Anjos (-165) vs. Renato Moicano (+145)
- Featherweight Division: No. 10 Edson Barboza (+145) vs. No. 11 Bryce Mitchell (-165)
- Welterweight Division: No. 14 Kevin Holland (-320) vs. Alex Oliveira (+250)
- Heavyweight Division: Serghei Spivac (-190) vs. Greg Hardy (+160)
Ex-teammates ready to settle the score
Saturday’s main event features a heated battle of former American Top Team teammates.
Once close friends, the two have turned into bitter rivals.
Covington (16-3) has left ATT to join MMA Masters after ruffling the feathers of a number of teammates, including Masvidal (35-15).
Both men are coming off losses in their last bout and are in need of a victory.
Covington lost a close decision to welterweight champ Kamaru Usman in November. Masvidal suffered a highlight-reel KO loss to Usman in his last fight this past April.
This matchup will be a clash of styles. Masvidal relies on his diverse striking to win, while Covington is more of a grappler that likes to push a hard cardio pace.
Oddsmakers clearly see Covington as the favorite, but Masvidal does have 1-punch KO power.
Dos Anjos gets late opponent change
Rafael dos Anjos (29-13), a former lightweight champion, was originally scheduled to face Rafael Fiziev in the co-main event on Saturday. However, Fiziev came down with COVID-19 and had to pull out.
The UFC was able to quickly find a replacement of Renato Moicano (16-4-1) and made it a catchweight bout of 160 pounds.
Moicano has won his last two fights by submission after suffering a first-round KO loss to Fiziev in December of 2020.
Dos Anjos is coming off a split decision win over Paul Felder in November of 2020. Injuries have kept him out of the cage since. He is just 2-4 in his last six bouts.
FanDuel offering 30-1 odds on main event
FanDuel Sportsbook MI has a promo offer for new users looking to wager on the UFC 272 main event.
Bettors can get 30-1 odds on either fighter to win the main event. All you have to do is register for an account and then make a first-time deposit.
Then, place a first real-money wager on either Covington or Masvidal to win. You will get 30-1 odds on that wager with a max bet of $5 to win $150. The winnings will be in cash, not site credit.
How to bet on the UFC
Betting on the UFC, or MMA in general, isn’t just as basic as picking a fighter to win. There are a lot of options available to sports bettors.
The moneyline is certainly the most common. That is where you pick your fighter to win at the odds available. In the case of Saturday’s main event, a moneyline wager on Covington at -320 means you’d need to wager $320 to win back $100. For Masvidal at +250, that means you’d win $250 for every $100 wagered.
Other MMA betting options include:
Total Rounds: Bet on whether the fight will go the full distance, or wager on which round the fight will end. There are also over/under props on how many rounds for each fight.
Winning Method: Bet on how the fighter will win, by KO/TKO, submission or decision. You can also add in round or specific times of the finish if you’re looking for a big payout.
Parlays: Like most sports, MMA is open to parlay options as well. Perhaps you like some favorites, but don’t find value in betting on them in a single wager. Combine them for better odds and a higher payout.
Live-Betting: A lot of momentum can change within a MMA fight. Odds can jump drastically from round-to-round and can be a great way to capitalize.
Also, be sure to find your best options. While DraftKings is a partner with the UFC, FanDuel, Caesars Sportsbook MI and Fox Bet Sportsbook all have a wide variety of MMA betting options.
