Lightweight contenders “Ragin’” Al Iaquinta (14-4, 7 KOs, 1 SUBs) and Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone (35-11, 18 KOs, 17 SUBs) will meet at UFC on ESPN+ 8 on Saturday, May 4, 2019 at the Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, Canada.
This Saturday’s main event between Al Iaquinta and Donald Cerrone pits the UFC’s premier anti-hero against one of it’s most famous company men. For years, Iaquinta has been a thorn in Dana White’s side, quick to publicly stick it to his promotional bosses for a countless number of reasons. In contrast, Cerrone has stepped up every time the UFC has asked him to, taking short notice bouts, headlining cards in remote locations and doing whatever’s needed with little complaint.
They could not be more different in and out of the cage. Despite the “Ragin’” moniker, Iaquinta is a patient, effective boxer - happy to jab an opponent from distance for an entire matchup. Cerrone is much more flashy, throwing out his best offense in waves. Put them together and you have a compelling clash of striking styles.
What’s more Iaquinta is coming off a hard-fought decision loss to Khabib Nurmagomedov where he was congratulated simply for lasting until the final bell. In the encore, he scored a huge upset over Kevin Lee, who was well on his way to a title shot. While Cerrone doesn’t get him another shot at the strap so soon, it does a lot for Iaquinta’s starpower.
As for Cerrone, this is just another big fight in a career that’s filled with them. But at 36, with nearly 50 pro fights on his resume, a loss hurts his standing just a bit more - especially given that he just recently bust out of a 1-4 slide.
Let’s break down the UFC odds at BookMaker.eu and go over your best betting picks. As always, live UFC betting at BookMaker is available to hedge your bets on fight night.
UFC Odds at BookMaker.eu
Donald Cerrone -140
Al Iaquinta +110
Fight goes/doesn’t go to decision: +160 / -210
Significant Striking Stats
Landed per minute: Iaquinta 4.3 / Cerrone 4.2
Accuracy: Iaquinta 41% / Cerrone 48%
Absorbed per minute: Iaquinta 4.05 / Cerrone 4.06
Defense: Iaquinta 62% / Cerrone 54$
Grappling Stats
Takedown average: Iaquinta 0.81 / Cerrone 1.29
Takedown accuracy: Iaquinta 22% / Cerrone 35%
Takedown defense: Iaquinta 73% / Cerrone 72%
Submission average: Iaquinta 0.3 / Cerrone 1.41
Bet this fight at BookMaker.eu
We know who Cerrone is at this point in his career. He’s a dangerous, dynamic kickboxer, a solid wrestler and a slick submission artist. There’s a reason he’s been around for so long and has faced some of the biggest names in the sport. This is a future Hall of Famer. But as good as he’s been, Cowboy has been always seen as just not good enough to be a consistent No. 1 contender - much like Michael Bisping was before his shocking win over Michael Bisping.
That’s because there are established ways to beat Cowboy. He can be overwhelmed physically, as we saw against Darren Till and Rafael dos Anjos. He can start falling apart if things don’t start well, like Masvidal and Lawler proved. And for some reason, body shots seem to hurt him more than they do other guys.
The loss to Masvidal is the one that we should really look at here. Because like the Floridian, Iaquinta is a guy that can really stay the course under fire and pick apart strikers with a slick jab. On top of that, Iaquinta’s takedown defense is top-notch, which takes away another one of Cowboy’s best weapons. Ragin’ Al is a guy whose confidence grows as the fight goes on, so he’s perfectly built for five rounders.
UFC Odds Pick: Iaquinta to win at -140
Cowboy’s last two wins came against fighters with gaping holes in their games, but Iaquinta is a much more complete fighter who does not break. The New Yorker isn’t ever going to overwhelm his opponent, but he should take control of this fight and walk away the clear winner.
Bet on UFC Fight Night 150 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 takes place on ESPN+ 8 on Saturday, May 4, 2019 at the Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, Canada.
