The UFC fight night 176 betting main card will get underway at about 8:00 PM EST on Saturday May 16 on ESPN+. After a 6-fight preliminary card, 5 bouts are showcased on the main card. This is topped off with a heavyweight match between Alistair Overeem (+120) vs. Walt Harris (-150).
Two featherweight fights as well as a middleweight and a women’s strawweight co-main event are also on the card.
Song Yadong (-200) vs. Marlon Vera (+160)
Featherweight
Oddsmakers are liking the 22-year-old Song Yadong in this one, opening up the main event card with a -200 favorite. Yadong (15-4-1) will be trying to avenge his first career UFC ‘non win’ last time out, a majority draw to Cody Stamann. Yadong was docked a point for an illegal knee in the first round of that fight or else was very close to a 5-0 start in the UFC, three by finish – Stamann was equally upset about the draw though.
What can Marlon Vera (15-5-1) bring to the octagon on Saturday? He’s a bit older, but still just 27 and has a nearly 4″ reach advantage. Vera has great value at +160 considering he is riding a 5 fight win streak – all by finish. October’s 3:17 KO of Andre Ewell was Vera’s first fight to make it into the 3rd round since losing a decision to Douglas Silva de Andre in February of 2018 (5 fights).
Pick: Vera +160
Pick: Fight does not go the distance -110
Krzysztof Jotko (-155) vs. Eryk Anders (+125)
Middleweight
3 of Krzysztof Jotko’s 4 career losses (21-4) have come in his last 5 fights overall. That being said, the polish brown belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu has bounced back from a three bout losing streak to win his last two. Those were both decisions, but Jotko will take them after KO’d by Uriah Hall and Brad Tavares in his two fights prior.
Eryk Anders (13-4) is in a similar spot, losing three fights in a row before stringing together consecutive wins. Anders had a very impressive 1:18 KO of Vinicius Moreira in June and was able to win a split decision vs. Gerald Meerschaert in October. Both fighters are battling through a long layoff as Jotko’s last fight was in July of 2019. This one looks like it’s going the distance for sure, worth a higher wager:
Pick: Fight to complete 2 full rounds -230
Edson Barboza (-145) vs. Dan Ige (+115)
Featherweight
Not bad value on Dan Ige in this fight if not for his 13-2 career record alone. That includes a five fight win streak after dropping his UFC debut at UFC 220 back in January of 2018. Ige has won three decisions over that span, but can also end things early with both a 1st round KO of Mike Santiago and a 1st round rear naked choke submission of Danny Henry.
Edson Barboza is hoping coming down to featherweight can help prepare him for perhaps one last lightweight title push. The 34-year-old Barboza has lost 4 of his last 5 fights including both of his last two in 2019. That being said, Barboza does have a 3″ height and a 4″ reach advantage over the 28 year old Ige. He has also been tested over such quality competition as Khabib Nurmagomedov (L, DEC), Justin Gaethje (L, 1st round KO), and Paul Felder (L, DEC) the last 5 fights. Ige just has a lot of confidence right now and knows how big of a fight this can be for his career.
Pick: Dan Ige +115
Claudia Gadelha (-225) vs. Angela Hill (+175)
Women Strawweight
Claudia Gadelha is a pretty significant favorite at -225 in UFC fight night 176 betting but the big question is should she be? It wouldn’t be a surprise to see Gadelha (17-4) come out rusty here after fighting just once in the 2019 calendar year and that being way back in July. Gadelha has had her last three fights cancelled either by her injury, an opponent missing weight, or a global pandemic.
Angela Hill on the other hand has been busy – and successful. Hill (12-7) already has two wins in 2020 and has three victories since Gadelha’s last fight. Hill wants to strike (5.7 landed p/min) and Gadelha wants to get this one to the ground (3.3 takedown avg.). Hill has a 72% takedown defense though. A brawler vs. a rusty fighter isn’t a good combo.
Pick: Angela Hill +175
Walt Harris (-150) vs. Alistair Overeem (+120)
Heavyweight
Only 3 years separate the 39-year-old Alistair Overeem and the 36-year-old Walt Harris but there’s a lot more tread left on Harris’ tires after a 13-7 record thus far. Overeem on the other hand has compiled a 45-18 heading into what will be his 18th year in the UFC.
The 6’3″, 265 pound Overeem and the 6’4, 250 pound Harris are both a couple oak trees heading into the main event of UFC fight night 176 betting. Harris comes into this bout confident after fighting a combined 1:02 his last 2 fights that included 1st round KOs of Serghei Spivac and Aleksei Oleinik. Harris’ UFC 232 win over Andrei Arlovski was overturned after a positive drug test otherwise ‘the Big Ticket’ would be on a 4-fight win streak.
Overeem’s time as a professional fighter is winding down, especially if he suffers another KO like last time out vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruick. That being said Overeem was :04 away from going to the judges in that fight and did have two first round KOs his previous two bouts. There’s still something left in the tank, but how much?
Pick: Walt Harris wins inside distance -120
