UFC 321 bets: Will Aspinall finish Gane?
The UFC returns to Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, on Saturday for a heavyweight title fight, as Etihad Arena plays host to UFC 321. In the main event, Tom Aspinall will defend his belt for the first time against former interim champion Ciryl Gane. In the co-main event, Virna Jandiroba and Mackenzie Dern will throw down for the vacant strawweight championship.
Here are some of the best bets for UFC 321.
π Check out all of the markets available for UFC 321 on ESPN BET and theScore Bet here
π Favorite bet: Tom Aspinall wins inside the distance (-300)
Don't count on this fight reaching the judges' scorecards. Aspinall's previous three wins ended in 60, 69, and 73 seconds, respectively, and he's only made it past the first round once in the last nine and a half years. Although Gane's extensive Muay Thai background could make him a tougher matchup and potentially drag the Englishman into deeper waters, Aspinall's significant edge in the grappling department makes me believe he'll have no problem finding a finish - whether in the first or fifth round.
π Best underdog bet: Virna Jandiroba (+130) def. Mackenzie Dern
I was a bit surprised to see Jandiroba listed as the underdog here. Sure, Dern is the more popular fighter of the two, but Jandiroba has proven to be the second-best strawweight on paper (after the soon-to-be former champ Zhang Weili) with wins over the likes of Yan Xiaonan and Amanda Lemos. She also has better striking than Dern and, in my opinion, enough of a ground game to prevent the Brazilian jiu-jitsu ace from tapping her out. I like Jandiroba to win a competitive fight.
π Best prop bet: Valter Walker wins by submission (+135)
Death, taxes, and ... Valter Walker winning by heel hook? At least that's what the heavyweight prospect's recent record shows. Walker, the brother of UFC light heavyweight contender Johnny Walker, is 3-1 in the UFC, with all three wins coming via heel hook. This guy is a wizard on the ground, and until he wins a fight in a different fashion, I'll back him to keep the submission train rolling.
π Check out all of the markets available for UFC 321 on ESPN BET and theScore Bet here
Main card
- Tom Aspinall (-400) vs. Ciryl Gane (+300)
- Mackenzie Dern (-155) vs. Virna Jandiroba (+130)
- Umar Nurmagomedov (-750) vs. Mario Bautista (+475)
- Jailton Almeida (-195) vs. Alexander Volkov (+165)
- Aleksandar Rakic (-110) vs. Azamat Murzakanov (-110)
Preliminary card
- Quillan Salkillo (-115) vs. Nasrat Haqparast (-105)
- Ikram Aliskerov (-240) vs. JunYong Park (+195)
- Ludovit Klein (-140) vs. Mateusz Rebecki (+120)
- Valter Walker (-450) vs. Louie Sutherland (+325)
- Jose Miguel Delgado (-150) vs. Nathaniel Wood (+125)
- Hamdy Abdelwahab (-575) vs. Chris Barnett (+390)
- Azat Maksum (-550) vs. Mitch Raposo (+375)
- Jaqueline Amorim (-500) vs. Mizuki Inoue (+350)