UFC 259 is one of the most stacked cards of all time. Period. Headlined by a championship tripleheader, nearly every single fight makes for quality viewing. Fights fans across the globe have been eagerly anticipating Saturday’s event so here are some UFC 259 betting tips to help you win big this weekend.
UFC 259 Betting Tips
Petr Yan to win outright (-120)
Petr Yan (15-1) takes on Aljamain Sterling (19-3) in the first of three title fights at UFC 259. Oddsmakers and pundits alike have had trouble picking between the two men, but there are some factors that make Yan an attractive pick as a narrow favorite.
Sterling has developed into a very well rounded fighter. Although his strengths undoubtedly lie in his ground game, he has improved his stand-up to the point that he was able to beat two elite strikers, Pedro Munhoz and Jimmie Rivera, without landing a single takedown. Sterling could have success at range by utilizing his reach and will be able to throw a lot of kicks considering Yan will not offer much of a takedown threat. However, his advantage clearly lies on the ground. “Funkmaster” combines great top-pressure with some slick submissions, meaning Yan will be best served to avoid any sort of grappling exchanges.
In the sole loss of his professional career, Yan was out grappled by the excellent Magomed Magomedov. **Cue Sterling fans salivating**. However, as demonstrated in the rematch, he has grown into a fantastic counter-wrestler. Yan has been taken down during his UFC tenure, however, most of these opportunities come from Yan overcommitting to spectacular strikes. “No Mercy” will not give Sterling any chances to capitalize on sloppy technique and shall likely be more conservative during the early rounds of the fight.
Sterling’s greatest striking weapon is his kicks. Yan has a tremendous background in Muay Thai and should be able to counter any misplaced kicks with a series of combinations or a kick of his own. Sterling is most uncomfortable shooting on the backfoot and considering Yan’s heavy pressure style, this once again plays into the hands of the champion.
Sterling has become a puzzle in the bantamweight division, and if anyone can solve it, Petr Yan can. Yan is one of the greatest minds in the sport today and has made significant adjustments in his most impressive octagon appearances to date. Sterling does not have the power to put Yan away early, and the Russian’s takedown defense should allow Yan to drag his opponent into the later rounds. Yan showed his five-round cardio capability against Jose Aldo, and over time his powerful striking should be able to dismantle Sterling, allowing him to take control as the fight goes on. Therefore, Yan is the first inclusion of these UFC 259 betting tips.
Dominick Cruz to win via decision (+155)
Ex-bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz (22-3) makes his latest comeback against Casey Kenney (16-2-1). In a true veteran versus prospect matchup, Cruz will be keen to show that he still has the skills which allowed him to become one of the greatest pound-for-pound fighters the sport has ever seen.
Casey Kenney is a very well rounded fighter and has made a habit of beating high profile opposition during his UFC career. Kenney will usually seek to wrestle and utilise top position, but against a grappler the caliber of Cruz, he shall probably have to find another path to victory against the old dog. Kenney will learn from Henry Cejudo and kick out the legs of Cruz, in order to impact his reliance on lateral movement.
However, Dominick Cruz will not simply let himself be a big name on Kenney’s record. Although he was finished with relative ease by Cejudo, Cruz certainly showed some spritely resilience in his first fight in four years. Although it may sound silly, the fact that Cruz’s knees were able to continue his style of unorthodox offense was not a certainty and will have been of relief to “The Dominator”.
If Cruz has anything left in the tank, this should be a fairly simple victory for the well-versed Californian. Kenney has never faced anyone with anywhere near the nuance in striking that Cruz possesses. In his most challenging stand-up contest to date, Kenney narrowly beat Nathaniel Wood in a contest that probably should have gone the Briton’s way. The loss to Merab Dvalishvili demonstrated that Kenney is also not an elite wrestler, meaning that Cruz also has the potential to utilize his opportunistic wrestling against the youngster. Although there is a chance that Cruz looks shot, as a narrow underdog there is very good value in backing him on any UFC 259 betting tips.
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