Former NFL Pro-Bowler Greg Hardy (3-0, 3 KOs) will meet Allen Crowder (9-3, 5 KOs, 3 SUBs) at UFC Fight Night 143 on Saturday, January 19, 2019 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. The main card streams live on ESPN+ starting 10pm ET.
Greg Hardy is in the UFC. The former Carolina Panther, Dallas Cowboy, 2013 Pro Bowler and 2nd Team All-Pro is taking his talents to the octagon, and his past athletic accomplishments make him one of the most intriguing heavyweight talents in the sport. Driven out of the NFL due to serious domestic violence charges, Hardy’s second career begins this Saturday in New York - like it or not.
We’ve got to mention that the UFC is taking a lot of heat for the fact that Hardy is on the same card as Rachael Ostovich - a recent victim of serious domestic violence. The placement has gotten a lot of hate in MMA media, but Dana White has remained defiant in that Hardy was staying on this card. It’s a questionable booking for sure, but it’s going down regardless of any other opinion.
Allen Crowder is the sacrificial lamb for Hardy’s debut. Maybe that’s putting it a bit harshly, but the UFC odds at BookMaker.eu opened with Crowder as a massive underdog. Even if it’s because people hate him, Hardy has the appeal to be a star, and WME is going to want to make sure that he’s got a real opportunity to make a big statement on its first ESPN card.
Let’s take a look at the online betting odds and get to some value picks. Remember, live UFC betting at BookMaker.eu is available between rounds to hedge your bets.
UFC Fight Night 143 Betting at BookMaker.eu
Greg Hardy: -525
Allen Crowder: +355
Fight goes/doesn’t go to decision: +315 / -445
Significant Striking Stats
Landed per minute: Crowder 5.88 / Hardy NA
Accuracy: Crowder 39% / Hardy NA
Absorbed per minute: 15.29 / Hardy NA
Defense: Crowder 60% / Hardy NA
Grappling Stats
Takedown average: Crowder 0 / Hardy NA
Takedown accuracy: Crowder NA / Hardy NA
Takedown defense: Crowder 100% / Hardy NA
Submission average: Crowder 0 / Hardy NA
Bet on this fight at BookMaker.eu
Sorry, the stats really don’t tell much here. FightMetric has nothing for Hardy since he hasn’t fought inside the UFC yet. Crowder has numbers for a single UFC fight - one where he took a ton of punishment. Peep his strikes absorbed: 15.29 per minute. Even if you didn’t see that scrap, it’s not hard to determine that at some point he was rocked and getting wailed on for a good while before succumbing to a TKO. That loss came against Justin Willis in Crowder’s UFC debut, another hard hitter who finished the fight in less than 3 minutes.
Crowder is 9-3 with 1 NC, and he has 5 knockouts and 3 submissions. He earned his way to the UFC with a knockout win on DWTNCS, but before that fought once in Bellator and numerous times in Next Level Fight Club. At 6’3”, 237 pounds, Crowder is a pretty big dude with knockout power - but doesn’t seem special beyond that.
On the other hand, Hardy has looked every bit the monster that was promised. At 6’5”, he tips the heavyweight scales at 265 pounds, and all of his three pro fights have ended in less than a minute. Like most heavyweight prospects coasting on talent, Hardy simply bullrushes dudes and slings until they go down. Expect that to happen here.
UFC Odds Pick: Parlay Hardy to win at -527
While we generally like picking underdogs against massively hyped prospects, there really aren’t many redeeming qualities for Crowder. Everybody has a puncher’s chance, especially at heavyweight, but that’s not something you want to bet on - especially when his opponent is going to come with the force of a mack truck.
Bet Online: Fight doesn’t go to decision at -900
This bet moved down nearly 500 points, which makes it nothing more than a parlay booster. It covers your chances that Crowder lands a miracle shot though.
Bet on UFC Fight Night 143 odds at BookMaker.eu
Access live betting lines from your mobile device at BookMaker Sportsbook! Real-time spreads, totals, props and money line are all available so start betting with BookMaker today. UFC Fight Night 143 takes place on Saturday, January 19, 2019 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. The main card streams live on ESPN+ starting 10pm ET.
