Don’t bet on UFC 289 until you read this. We’ve analyzed the fight card’s biggest bouts and come away with three must-make bets on the night. Stick with us to get our expert UFC betting advice for the 289 pay-per-view!
- What: UFC 289
- When: Saturday, June 10
- Where: Rogers Arena in Vancouver, Canada
Amanda Nunes vs. Irene Aldana Betting Pick
The women’s bantamweight championship headlines the UFC 289 card as Nunes puts it up against Aldana. You probably know the deal by now: here’s another matchup where the moneyline odds aren’t exactly worth taking as Nunes is a staggering -300 to retain against Aldana. In our search to find better betting value, we’ve honed in on the Nunes-Aldana over/under. It’s set dead center of the five-round fight at top betting sites for UFC:
Nunes is 35 years old so it’s fair to not just question whether she still has the skills, but the motivation to stay on top. Those questions escalated after a shocking loss to Juliana Pena, but Nunes quickly avenged it after in a runaway win leaving little doubt she’s still the G.O.A.T. If anything, that defeat might’ve re-lit the fire under her.
Though, Aldana doesn’t have the advantage in age. The Mexican fighter is also 35 and has been a regular in the UFC for years now. But here’s where we worry about Aldana: she doesn’t have a signature victory in the UFC. If anything, she’s dropped every big fight she’s had — losses to Holly Holm and Raquel Pennington come to mind. We don’t see how she beats Nunes since the title holder has all the stylistic advantages.
The question then becomes does Nunes stop her early or does Aldana make this a competitor fight? Our money says the former. If we had to pick, we’d even say Nunes stops her in round one — that’s how big the talent gap is between the two. This should be an easy win for Nunes and an easy under for bettors.
Beneil Dariush vs. Charles Oliveira Betting Pick
The semi-main event is way more competitive on the moneyline, where our betting attention is on Dariush vs. Oliveira. This is Oliveira’s first fight since losing the lightweight title to Islam Makhachev but is still ranked right behind him. Dariush is fourth in the same rankings. Here’s how the Dariush-Oliveira betting odds are pegged right now:
We could see this fight play out in many different ways. Both fighters are capable strikers, however, we do give Oliveira a slight advantage here. His strikes are a lot more varied than Dariush's are. Then again, it’s not like Oliveira has an iron jaw to take hits either. We’ve repeatedly seen opponents drop him in recent memory.
But the mistake many of those opponents made was not to follow him to the ground after the knockdown punches. They did so out of fear of Oliveira’s finishing ability — an astounding 21 out of 33 career wins have been via submission. However, Dariush should have nothing to be fearful of. His wrestling game is even better than Oliveira's.
In so many ways, we sense Dariush has some of same characteristics that made Makhachev successful over Oliveira, and that’s superior ground game. Our prediction is Dariush wrestles his way to victory here over three rounds. A decision win is imminent for Dariush.
Mike Malott vs. Adam Fugitt Betting Pick
We stay with moneyline for our final UFC 289 bet between Malott and Fugitt. This will be at welterweight between a pair of fighters both past 30 years old. If any of ‘em are going to make some noise, now is the time to do so. Currently, Malott is a comfortable betting favorite to get the win:
Malott has flashed potential, which warrants his favoritism. He came into the UFC via Dana White’s Contender Series and pulled off three straight first-round finishes. But before that, Malott had a six-year stretch where he had just three pro fights. So even for being 31 years old, Malott isn’t exactly dripping with experience.
We got Malott winning this one. He’s the much more dangerous fighter with only one of his 11 bouts lasting more than one round. Fugitt might steal the advantage if he can test Malott’s endurance and get into the second round, but we don’t see it happening. Malott should get the stoppage win here.
How To Bet On UFC 289 Card
There are 11 fights on the UFC 289 card, which means a whole lot more betting opportunities than what we covered above. For all the UFC 289 betting options, hit one of the bookmakers listed underneath. You'll find every type of bet at these sites — moneylines, over/under on rounds, and a plethora of props. That goes not only for this forthcoming card, but every single one UFC puts on for years to come.
While there are many betting sites for UFC, we'd suggest one of the bookies listed below. We have unbiased sportsbook reviews on major bookies, but the five in the table received the highest marks industry-wide. Any one of 'em has you covered for all things UFC betting.
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