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UFC 234: Whittaker vs. Gastelum
UFC 234 takes place on Saturday, February 9, 2019 at the Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne, Australia. The main card airs live on pay-per-view starting 10pm ET.
Robert Whittaker might not be a mainstream star, but the middleweight champion is a big frickin’ deal in his home country of Australia. The respectful Aussie should get a hero’s welcome in Melbourne when he defends his title against American Kelvin Gastelum in early February.
The two served as opposing coaches on The Ultimate Fighter 28 and were as respectful as could be. Neither guy is much of a trash talker, and Whittaker has emerged as an anti-McGregor in the GSP mold: equal parts respectful and humble towards his opponents. It’s honestly refreshing to see, with so many guys puking garbage into microphones these days.
Also on the card is Israel Adesanya, whose swag and skills could catapult him into a title shot sooner than later. Drawing comparisons to a young Anderson Silva, The Last Stylebender will meet the now-old Anderson Silva in an intriguing middleweight bout. Silva came out and said that he was promised a title shot with the win, which is surprising considering that the Brazilian hasn’t had a relevant victory in years.
The rest of the cards is still being filled out, but take a look at the scheduled UFC 234 fights below, and make sure to check in during fight week for in-depth betting previews on how to bet online. UFC odds from BookMaker.eu are typically released on Monday before each event - though big fight bookings are usually available much earlier. Live UFC betting is also available to hedge any of your bets as well.
UFC 234 Lineup (Subject to change and additions)
Main Event, Middleweight Championship - Robert Whittaker vs. Kelvin Gastelum
Preview: UFC 234 takes place on Saturday, February 9, 2019 at the Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne, Australia. The main card airs live on pay-per-view starting 10pm ET. In the first UFC pay-per-view of 2019, Robert Whittaker will defend the middleweight title against Kelvin Gastelum. The matchup will be the 28-year old’s second title defense, as “Bobby Knuckles” is coming off a thrilling split decision win over Yoel Romero. The victory marked Whittaker’s ninth straight, quietly setting up the Aussie as one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the sport. More
Middleweight - Israel Adesanya vs. Anderson Silva
Bantamweight - Rani Yahya vs. Ricky Simon
Lightweight - Devonte Smith vs. Dong Hyun Kim
Flyweight - Kai-Kara France vs. Rualian Paiva
Light Heavyweight - Jim Crute vs. Ryan Spann
Featherweight Bout - Shane Young vs. Austin Arnett
Women’s Flyweight - Nadia Kassem vs. Montana De La Rosa
Bantamweight - Teruto Ishihara vs. Kyung Ho Kang
Bantamweight - Wuliji Buren vs. Jonathan Martinez
Bet on UFC 234 Odds at BookMaker.eu
Whittaker opened as a -240 favorite, with Gastelum at +180 on the comeback. Online oddsmakers are giving the Aussie serious respect, as he showed just how good he was beating two monsters back-to-back in Yoel Romero and Jacare Souza. The second fight against Romero was a ridiculously tough fight, as the explosive Cuban had Whittaker in serious trouble at one point.
Kelvin Gastelum enters the bout on the strength of two straight wins, beating Michael Bisping and squeaking by Souza. It’s arguable whether he really deserves a title shot since he recently loss to Chris Weidman, but the volatility at the top of 185 pound division has given the former welterweight an awesome opportunity to become an unlikely champion. The fact that he’s a quick young boxer like Whittaker already makes this a compelling matchup - Whittaker’s last three fights came against contenders in their late 30s.
If Israel Adesanya is scrapping, you need to hit record: it’s not often we see a striker so electric make a meteoric rise through the ranks. Much like Anderson Silva, Jon Jones and Conor McGregor, it’s obvious that the kid is special when it comes to piecing dudes up with his fists and knees. And in his last matchup against Derek Brunson, Adesanya proved he could hold up against a relentless wrestler.
Silva makes for an interesting opponent. For a long time, Silva was head and shoulders above anyone else in the striking department, but age has slowed down a fighter who is arguably the best ever. Still, in every Silva fight, we see flashes of the killer that terrorized the middleweight division, and it’s these moments that make him worth watching. Somebody’s gonna style on somebody here.
Stay Tuned for Fight Odds and Updates
Make sure to check the fight odds at BookMaker.eu for all your available betting options. For pay-per-view cards, odds usually release early for the bigger fights. In fact, you can bet on some fight odds right now. Odds for the entire card are generally available on Monday of fight week.
And during fight week, keep an eye out for our in-depth betting guides that we post during that time as well! You’ll find detailed analyses for fights, common sense betting picks and underdog specials to help you win some cash before the night’s over.
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