This week was a bit of an offshore sportsbook rollercoaster for MMA fans. The reason being that the highly anticipated match between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson has suffered a withdrawal on behalf of el Cucuy. While we were all thrilled to see how that 10th planet Jiu-Jitsu would hold up against the Russian’s Sambo, we will now see what Hawaii can do against one of the most feared men in the UFC. Let’s mulch over some pertinent information before breaking down this weekend’s event.
UFC 223: Khabib vs. Holloway
- Date: Saturday, April 7th
- Starting Times: Main Card: 10 pm ET || Prelims: 8 pm ET || Early Prelims: 6:15 pm
- Venue: Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York
- TV Broadcast: Main Card: PPV || Prelims: FS1 || Early Prelims: UFC Fight Pass
- Online Stream: UFC TV
Long story short, Ferguson, while fulfilling his media obligations for the UFC, tripped over a large cable and ended up suffering a knee injury. While the Mexican was still hoping to fight, the UFC doctors prohibited from entering the cage. In his place, the UFC contracted featherweight champion Max Holloway to fill his slot. Interestingly enough, back when the UFC announced this year’s spring matchups, Holloway alluded that he would be more than happy to fill in for either fighter in case one dropped out. Needless to say, the Hawaiian is a man of his word.
Now we’ll get to see Holloway attempt to do the impossible as he’s stepping into the cage against one of the best wrestlers in the world on just six days notice. Nurmagomedov is a monster who is undefeated and has practically been unchallenged within the cage. The offshore sportsbook odds don’t paint a pretty picture for Holloway and neither does common sense.
The co-headlining fight of the night is extremely intriguing as well. We’ll be witnessing a Women’s Strawweight championship between Namajunas and former champion Joanna. Last time these two met Joanna made some strong promises and adopted the persona of bogeywoman. But to no avail since the Polish fighter was KO’d in the 1st round in devastating fashion. Although the former champ blamed it on the weight cut, that isn’t stopping sportsbooks from favoring Namajunas this time around. This is one fight you don’t want to miss.
Fight Card & Best Offshore Sportsbook Odds
Main Card
- Khabib Nurmagomedov 3 ½ (-130) -475 vs. Max Holloway 3 ½ (+110) +380
- Rose Namajunas 3 ½ (-125) +105 vs. Joanna Jedrzejczyk 3 ½ (+105) -125
- Renato Moicano 2 ½ (-235) EV vs. Calvin Kattar 2 ½ (+195) -120
- Michael Chiesa 2 ½ (-135) -145 vs. Anthony Pettis 2 ½ (+115) +125
- Al Laquinta 2 ½ (+115) -125 vs. Paul Felder 2 ½ (-135) +105
The above listed odds hail from MyBookie sportsbook. MyBookie has plenty of perks and bonuses to help you make the most out of this weekend’s action. Feel free to check out our online sports betting review onMyBookie to get a closer look at what they offer. Likewise, you can hop to their site and sign up right away.
Best Online Sportsbook Picks: Nurmagomedov, Namajunas, Moicano, Chiesa, Felder.
Under Card
- Karolina Kowalkiewicz 2 ½ (+320) -200 vs. Felice Herrig 2 ½ (-390) +170
- Ray Borg 2 ½ (-275) -290 vs. Brandon Moreno 2 ½ (+235) +245
- Joe Lauzon 1 ½ (+160) -185 vs. Chris Gruetzemacher 1 ½ (-185) +160
- Evan Dunham 2 ½ (-300) -140 vs. Olivier Aubin-Mercier 2 ½ (+250) +120
Early Prelims
- Alex Caceres 2 ½ (-240) -145 vs. Artem Lobov 2 ½ (+200) +125
- Bec Rawlings 2 ½ (+305) +170 vs. Ashlee Evans-Smith 2 ½ (-365) -200
- Devin Clark 1 ½ (+130) -110 vs. Mike Rodriguez 1 ½ (-150) -110
- Zabit Magomedsharipov 1 ½ (+145) -820 vs. Kyle Bochniak 1 ½ (-165) +560
