Undefeated lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov (28-0, 8 KOs, 10 SUBs) will defend his title against No. 1 contender Tony Ferguson (25-3, 12 KOs, 8 SUBs) at UFC 249 on Saturday April, 18 at a location to be determined. The main card will air live on pay-per-view.
MMA’s most cursed matchup is all systems go - despite a world shutting down around it. Dana White has walked through fire to make sure UFC 249 is going through with its originally scheduled date, which means that the MMA world might finally, just finally, see what happens when a certain Dagestani champion steps into the cage with the UFC’s own version of Wolverine.
Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Tony Ferguson, take five. The irony cannot be overstated: this is the fifth attempt to book this fight, and everything from injuries to tiramisu to camera cables have cruelly intervened. But somehow, amidst the worst pandemic of our generation, we’ll get the fight that we’ve waited years for.
If MMA fans could only pick one fight to watch in 2020, it would be Khabib vs. Cucuy. And right now, it’s the only major sporting event that’s happening in the US. Dana White knows exactly what he’s doing: he’s entertaining an entire country that’s stuck indoors and itching for an event. ESPN has been stuck playing reruns, overanalyzing NFL free agency and guessing if the NBA will be back this season. The coverage that they’ll give this fight must have execs salivating.
That attention extends to the online sportsbooks, where UFC 249 is one of the only things you can bet on. The fight is still a few weeks away, let’s take a look at the UFC odds at BookMaker.eu and break down the fight - it’s not like you’ve got other sports bets to check on.
Khabib Nurmagomedov -315
Tony Ferguson +238
Fight goes/doesn’t go to decision: +120 / -160
Significant Striking Stats
Strikes landed per minute: Nurmagomedov 4.29 / Ferguson 5.51
Striking accuracy: Nurmagomedov 49% / Ferguson 44%
Strikes absorbed per minute: Nurmagomedov 1.7 / Ferguson 3.55
Striking defense: Nurmagomedov 66% / Ferguson 63%
Grappling Stats
Takedowns per 15 minutes: Nurmagomedov 5.09 / Ferguson 0.6
Takedowns per 15 minutes: Nurmagomedov 5.09 / Ferguson 0.6
Takedown accuracy: Nurmagomedov 44% / Ferguson 42%
Takedown defense: Nurmagomedov 84% / Ferguson 76%
Submissions per 15 minutes: Nurmagomedov 0.59 / Ferguson 1.49
Bet this UFC fight at the online sportsbook
Khabib first opened at -220 back in December, and in a few months his odds have gone down almost a hundred points to -315. This indicates that most of the action has been on the Russian, as Ferguson has gone from +172 to +238 in the same time frame.
We get it: nobody has stopped Khabib’s wrestling, and Tony has struggled against power wrestlers in the past. The beauty of the Russian’s game is that it only takes one takedown for him to win the fight. Because even if he doesn’t finish, that first takedown is the beginning of the end: every subsequent attempt comes with less resistance. Even the most spirited fighters become quickly disheartened when they realize they can’t get back up and eat long minutes of GNP.
But Tony is anything but a normal fighter (or person for that matter). For starters, the 10th Planet product might be one of the handful of guys that’ll willingly go to the mat with the Russian. He is lethal off his back, from slicing elbows to slick submissions. On the feet, Ferguson is creative and unpredictable. Most importantly, the 36-year old is Relentless, italicized with a capital R. Because even with his incredible arsenal, the most dangerous thing about El Cucuy is that he never gets tired. How do you fight a guy like that?
UFC Odds Pick: Fight doesn’t go to decision at -160
We’d lean on Khabib to win but can’t recommend his current price. Right now, the prop that this fight ends early looks like a solid value: Khabib has finished his last two opponents, and Tony has stopped nine opponents on his current 12-fight winning streak. Ferguson’s tendency to dial things up to 11 should lead to a finish from either guy.
Bet on UFC odds at BookMaker.eu now!
