It’s another big Saturday night of mixed martial arts action as UFC fight night 176 betting sees 6 bouts during the prelims of Alistair Overeem vs. Walt Harris. It’s a versatile arsenal of fights for these preliminary matches that includes a heavyweight, welterweight, middleweight, two flyweight, and a woman’s flyweight match. Overall there 11 fights on this card so it’s going to be a big night.
Don’Tale Mayes (-115) vs. Rodrigo Nascimento (-115)
Heavyweight
UFC fight night 176 betting gets underway at 6:00 PM EST with the undefeated Rodrigo Nascimento (7-0) making his UFC debut vs. Don’Tale Mayes (6-3). Mayes was :14 away from going to a decision in his inaugural UFC fight in October before falling to Ciryl Gaine heel hook. The fight would have likely went Gaine’s way in a decision anyways however.
Nascimento’s undefeated record is impressive, but the talent he’s faced not so much. Mayes (Lord Kong) has a UFC fight under his belt as well as a 3″ height advantage and 14 pound weight advantage.
Pick: Don’Tale Mayes -115
Cortney Casey (-160) vs. Mara Romero Borella (+130)
Women’s Flyweight
Cortney ‘Cast Iron’ Casey is a pretty significant favorite on Saturday night despite her rather mediocre 8-7 lifetime mma record. Are oddsmakers impressed with Casey, or just underwhelmed by Mara Borella?
Both women are trending downwards coming into this bout. Casey has lost 3 of her last 4 fights all by decision as has Borella (2 dec, 1 KO). Both women are 33 years old and separated by just an inch in height and a slight 2″ reach advantage for Borella. Six straight Casey fights have gone to a decision and the fight to go the distance is a -400 bet (NO +250).
Pick: Casey on points -115
Nate Landwehr (+105) vs. Darren Elkins (-135)
Featherweight
There’s not bad value on the 13-3 Nate Landwehr in the 3rd bout of the UFC fight night 176 prelims betting. His opponent Darren Elkins has compiled a 24-8 record so Elkins does have a significant experience advantage.
Elkins had put together momentum with a 6-fight winning streak (4 DEC, 1 KO, 1 SUB) but has now dropped three in a row (2 DEC, 1 KO). If Elkins is facing confidence issues, so is Landwehr though after being dropped in the 1st round by Herbert Burns in his UFC debut in January. UFC experience wins out here.
Pick: Darren Elkins -135
Giga Chikadze (-350) vs. Irwin Rivera (+265)
Featherweight
Oddsmakers aren’t giving FC Titan bantamweight champion Irwin Rivera much of a chance Saturday vs. Giga Chikadze. That because the 9-4 River only found out he was taking the fight on Thursday after scheduled opponent Mike Davis dropped out with an injury.
Rivera makes his UFC debut vs. Chikadze (9-2) who has won his first two bouts with the company each by a split decision. Overall Chikadzee has won four straight fights and Rivera three. The late addition not only effects Rivera, but Chikadze has been training for Davis even before their scheduled bout in February was scrapped by another injury. Not touching the -350 but a great ROI on the unknown of Rivera.
Pick: Irwin Rivera +265
Kevin Holland (-115) vs. Anthony Hernandez (-115)
Middleweight
Oddsmakers are calling the fight between 7-1-0 Anthony Hernandez and 15-5-0 Kevin Holland a toss up with both combatants listed at -115. There are a few reasons why Holland seems like he should be a favorite here though perhaps the biggest of which is an 81″ to 75″ reach advantage.
Holland had also won three straight UFC fights before falling to a 14-3-0 Brendan Allen rear naked choke. Hernandez has a submission win and a submission loss over his first two UFC bouts. Holland’s only other UFC loss is to Thiago Santos, a quality fighter who worked his way up to a light heavyweight title loss to Jon Jones last July.
Pick: Kevin Holland -115
Miguel Baeza (-150) vs. Matt Brown (+120)
Welterweight
Miguel Baeza puts his undefeated 8-0-0 record on the line Saturday when he squares off with 22-16-0 Matt Brown. Baeza’s unblemished stat line is impressive, but only one of those have come in the UFC, a 2nd round KO of Hector Aldana in October.
The 39-year-old Brown obviously has a huge experience advantage over the 27-year-old Baeza. Brown is by no means winding down though as he has won two straight fights by KO. He also either submitted or was knocked out in three fights prior.
Pick: Baeza by TKO, KO, or DQ +130
