When we get excited about sports betting events in Louisville, we’re usually talking about the Kentucky Derby – or maybe ACC basketball. This weekend, though, the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville will host UFC on ESPN 57, as MMA’s premier promotion returns to Derby City for the first time since March 2011. The headliner is a middleweight tilt between former UFC Middleweight Championship challenger Cannonier vs Imavov. The co-main event pits Dominick Reyes against Dustin Jacoby in light heavyweight action. Read on to see the whole fight card and some of our top UFC Fight Night Betting predictions.
UFC Fight Night Betting Jared Cannonier vs Nassourdine Imavov Preview | MMA Odds
Jared Cannonier +105 vs Nassourdine Imavov -125
Jared Cannonier (17-6, 10-6) vs Nassourdine Imavov (13-4, 5-2) represents an opportunity for Cannonier to move into middleweight contender status with a win. When Cannonier entered UFC, he was a mediocre heavyweight who then cut down to light heavyweight. However, we really didn’t see his potential until 2018, when he cut to middleweight. Suddenly, he was a shredded combatant and showed the power and stamina to demolish David Branch in his debut at that weight. Cannonier used his physicality to work his way to a shot at the title, but the patience that Cannonier had learned backfired, as Israel Adesanya also sat back and waited and eventually won on the cards. Cannonier has upped his output since then as he showed in victories against Sean Strickland and Marvin Vettori. A knee injury put Cannonier on the shelf for a year after the Vettori fight, and now that he has passed the age of 40, his physically taxing technique could set his clock ticking.
Imavov is an intriguing fighter who is difficult to peg. He entered UFC in 2020 with a mixed resume and has shown, at times, a high ceiling – but also a low floor. He likes to keep his range and deliver measured damage; when the fight goes against him, he likes to take things to the floor. That worked in regional fighting but has brought mixed results in UFC, although his physicality is impressive. His first UFC loss came against the punishing style of Phil Hawes, but he learned quickly, delivering big wins over Ian Heinisch, Edmen Shahbazyan and Joaquin Buckley. That run gave him some credibility in the UFC Middleweight division, but since then, things have been uneven. He lost to Strickland at the start of 2023 in a listless performance, but then he controlled things against Chris Curtis and beat Roman Dolidze on the cards in February. The most impressive part of his win over Dolidze was his ability to bully a fighter who had a reputation for bullying his own opponents, but his striking and stamina still looked less than impressive. If he can physically overwhelm his opponent, Ivanov tends to do well. If he can’t, then things go awry. Cannonier is the top middleweight in terms of power and athleticism.
Fight Night Pick: Cannonier to win via decision
Dustin Jacoby -238 vs Dominick Reyes +195
Dustin Jacoby (19-8-1, 7-5-1) vs Dominick Reyes (12-4, 6-4) is the latest fight in Reyes’ quest to end a malaise that is now running on four years. There was a time when he seemed like the true UFC Light Heavyweight champion, as his title fight against Jon Jones looked to go his way, even if the judges awarded Jones a disputed split decision. Observers thought that Reyes would control the division once Jones vacated the belt, but Reyes has not won a single fight since then. He relies heavily on counters, and Jan Blachowicz and Jiri Prochazka both found ways around that. Since then, he has fought exactly once in three years, taking a violent knockout from Ryan Spann, followed by a life-threatening injury. Now he takes on Jacoby, a somewhat tough test to see if he’s ready for UFC competition.
Jacoby entered UFC in 2012 but only lasted two fights. He then went to kickboxing, where he had a nice career. In 2020, he came back to UFC and won seven fights in a row. Once the competition level increased, though, he dropped three of four. One of those losses was a controversial split decision loss against Khalil Rountree, but all three setbacks showed that he doesn’t have what it takes, at least yet, to take down elite fighters. Jacoby is the least likely fighter among the top 20 light heavyweights in UFC to knock Reyes out, but that doesn’t mean things will be easy for Reyes.
Fight Night Pick: Jacoby wins via knockout
UFC Fight Night Betting Main Card at ESPN/ESPN+
- Jared Cannonier vs Nassourdine Imavov (Middleweight)
- Dominick Reyes vs Dustin Jacoby (Light Heavyweight)
- Raul Rosas Jr vs Ricky Turcios (Bantamweight)
- Bruno Ferreira vs Dustin Stoltzfus (Middleweight)
- Julian Marquez vs Zachary Reece (Middleweight)
- Miguel Baeza vs Punahele Soriano (Welterweight)
UFC Fight Night Betting Preliminary Card at ESPN/ESPN+
- Thiago Moises vs L’udovit Klein (Lightweight)
- Charles Radtke vs Carlos Prates (Welterweight)
- Brad Katona vs Jesse Butler (Bantamweight)
- Andrea Lee vs Montana De La Rosa (Women’s Flyweight)
- John Castaneda vs Daniel Marcos (Bantamweight)
- Eduarda Moura vs Denise Gomes (Women’s Strawweight)
- Cody Stamann vs Taylor Lapilus (Bantamweight)
- Rayanne dos Santos vs Puja Tomar (Women’s Strawweight)
This main event is one you don't want to miss 💥
— UFC (@ufc) June 7, 2024
Jared Cannonier vs @Imavov1#UFCLouisville | Tomorrow | Live on @ESPNPlus 📺 pic.twitter.com/2nsifKyjbX
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UFC Fight Night Betting Jared Cannonier vs Nassourdine Imavov
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