It’s a chock-a-block month of UFC action with the promotion heading down to San Antonio for a Fight Night this weekend. While there are no title fights on the card, plenty of excellent match ups still exist with the event headlined by Marlon Vera vs. Cory Sandhagen.
These two bantamweights will by vying for position in a congested division with the winner more than likely getting a title fight later in the year. This should be an entertaining fight with the No. 3 contender taking on the No. 5 contender; two men who love to throw strikes and knock opponents out. Throw in a co-main event that sees Holly Holm take on Yana Santos and the UFC on ESPN 43 is sure to deliver.
We break down all the best bets to place on this UFC Fight Night with the latest odds from bookmaker William Hill.
※ Current Odds Date & Time: March 24th, 3:30 A.M. (GMT)
Looking at the odds ahead of this main event fight between Marlon Vera and Cory Sandhagen, we can see that despite Sandhagen being the underdog in ranking, he’s the bookies’ favourite. The American is paying 1.61 for a win, while Vera is behind at 2.30. Still, such close odds indicate that even though Vera may be favoured, this is expected to be a hard fought match.
A further analysis of William Hill’s odds on this fight reveals that the bookmaker anticipates this fight to go the distance and end with a Sandhagen decision. This method of victory is paying 2.37, while the next most likely result is Vera winning by knockout at 4.33. Sandhagen’s odds of landing a knockout are less strong at 6.00, while Vera is also less likely to win by decision with odds of 7.00.
※ Current Odds Date & Time: March 24th, 3:30 A.M. (GMT)
This will be a fascinating fight because despite both men being excellent strikers, they take very different approaches. Sandhagen has a background in kickboxing and is a very tactical fighter. He will likely sit back and throw strikes from a distance, relying on precision to score points and stay out of harms way. This fight style explains why Sandhagen is so often favoured to win by decision.
Vera, on the other hand, is all about charging forward and putting his opponent under a tirade of pressure. The Ecuadorian will look to drive Sandhagen across the Octagon, peppering him with blows to prevent this match from becoming a tactical, ranged battle. Typically, this approach ends in Vera scoring knockouts.
We say that while Vera will definitely put Sandhagen under pressure at times, the American has what it takes to control this fight and will come away with a decision victory.
