Women’s bantam- and featherweight champion Amanda Nunes (17-4, 12 KOs, 3 SUBs) will meet veteran Holly Holm (12-4, 8 KOs) at UFC 239 on Saturday, July 6, 2019 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The main card airs live on pay-per-view starting 10pm ET.
The first women’s double champ in UFC history is back in action. Amanda Nunes, fresh off a career-defining win over Cris Cyborg, will make the fourth defense of her bantamweight title this Saturday when she meets longtime contender Holly Holm in Las Vegas.
Not only did Nunes take Cyborg’s featherweight belt, she established her place as the most explosive striker in women’s MMA. Seriously, she went toe-to-toe with the most destructive force in WMMA history and needed less than a minute to flatline Cyborg. This is the same fighter that forced Miesha Tate and Ronda Rousey to retire after a hellstorm of furious punches.
Ever since dethroning Ronda Rousey in 2015 (arguably the sport’s biggest upset), Holm has become one of WMMA’s biggest stars. That hasn’t translated into consistent succes though, as she’s only managed a 2-3 record since. Of course, losing to fighters like Shevchenko and Cyborg are nothing to be ashamed about, and to her credit she hung tough against them.
The online sportsbook have Nunes as a heavy favorite, with her most expensive price coming from Bet365 at -357. The best odds on the double champ can be found at BetOnline, which currently lists her as a -300 favorite. Obviously, if you were betting Nunes than you’d want to go with BetOnline.
In Holm’s case, her best odds come at SportBet, which has her listed at +294. Her lowest line comes at Sportsint, which put her at +220. That’s more than a $70 difference per every $100 you bet, so make sure you’re rolling with SportBet if you’re picking Holm.
UFC Odds at BookMaker.eu
Amanda Nunes -350
Holly Holm +261
Fight goes/doesn’t go to decision: +135 / -165
Significant Striking Stats
Landed per minute: Nunes 4.65 / Holm 2.82
Accuracy: Nunes 51% / Holm 34%
Absorbed per minute: Nunes 3.21 / Holm 2.8
Defense: Nunes 57% / Holm 57%
Grappling Stats
Takedown average: Nunes 1.85 / Holm 0.56
Takedown accuracy: Nunes 42% / Holm 31%
Takedown defense: Nunes 80% / Holm 78%
Submission average: Nunes 0.67 / Holm 0.09
Bet Nunes vs. Holm at the online sportsbook
Holm might benefit from her starpower more than anyone else in the UFC. Because the lack of draws at bantamweight and above - combined with the fact that they’re generally thin divisions - Holm tends to get big fights and vaulted into title shots more than any other woman. Case in point: she gets a shot at Nunes’ bantamweight belt despite being 1-3 in her last four at 135 pounds - on the strength of a featherweight win over UFC newcomer Megan Anderson.
But despite the lack of merit, Holm does present an intriguing fight. Nunes’ toughest fight came against Shevchenko, and there are some similarities in how the two fight. Both Holm and Shevchenko are defensive fighters with excellent cardio, and both cannot be bullied physically due to their size and strength. Holm’s boxing background makes her especially tough to corral on the feet.
While we agree that Nunes should be a sizeable favorite, we wouldn’t overlook Holm here. Her coaches, Greg Jackson and Mike Winkeljohn, are some of the best in the business, and they will make sure to put Holm in every position to win. She’s also never been knocked out, despite having gone five rounds with Cyborg - Holm was even able to clinch the massive Brazilian into the fence at points.
UFC Odds Pick: Holm to win at +305
This is strictly a value pick. While we do think that Nunes has the physical advantages here, Holm as a nearly 3-1 underdog is too good to pass up. Over five rounds, her footwork and cardio should start making a bigger difference in the later rounds, and she could very well steal enough to win a close decision.
Bet UFC odds at the online sportsbook now!
