The Daniel Cormier versus Stipe Miocic rematch highlights UFC 241. Can Stipe Miocic gain revenge over legendary MMA fighter Cormier? Or, will the former Olympic wrestler send Miocic to the mat dazed and confused again? Check out UFC 241 main card odds, analysis, and free picks!
UFC 241 Odds, Cormier vs Miocic 2 Betting Preview and Picks
- When: Saturday, August 17 at 7:00pm PDT
- Where: Honda Center, Anaheim, CA
- TV: Pay-Per-View
- Live Stream: UFC Fight Pass
Early Preliminary Card (UFC Fight Pass)
- Hannah Cifers vs Jodie Esquibel (Women’s Strawweight)
- Kyung Ho Kang vs Brandon Davis (Bantamweight)
- Sabina Mazo vs Shana Dobson (Women’s Flyweight)
Preliminary Card (ESPN)
- Khama Worthy vs Devonte Smith (Lightweight)
- Raphael Assuncao vs Cory Sandhagen (Bantamweight)
- Manny Bermudez vs Casey Kenney (Bantamweight)
- Drakkar Klose vs Christos Giagos (Lightweight)
UFC 241 Main Card
Derek Brunson vs Ian Heinisch
- UFC 241 Odds: Derek Brunson +120 / Ian Heinisch -150
Brunson is ranked higher than Heinisch, but because Ian is 12-1, he’s favored. Derek is 19-7. He’s got some physical advantages. He’s taller than Heinisch, has a longer reach, and a longer leg reach.
The key in this battle is whether Brunson can use his advantages. The guess here is that he won’t be able to. While Brunson has physical advantages, Heinisch has incredible speed. He’s quick with his leg grabs and follows up with fast punches once he gets his opponent to the ground. Heinisch wins.
UFC Betting Pick: Ian Heinisch
Gabriel Benitez vs Sodiq Yusuff
- UFC 241 Odds: Gabriel Benitez +225 / Sodiq Yusuff -290
The oddsmakers don’t give Gabriel Benitez much chance of beating Sodiq Yusuff. Benitez brings an experienced 21-7 record. Yusuff has a 9-1 record.
Benitez’s only chance is to get the fight to the ground and keep it there. The problem with trying to takedown Yusuff is that he’s got excellent takedown defense. Sodiq is a monster in the stand up. He figures to dominate unless Benitez can assert his style.
UFC Betting Pick: Sodiq Yusuff
Yoel Romero vs Paulo Costa
- UFC 241 Odds: Yoel Romero -150 / Paulo Costa +120
Because Paulo Costa is 12-0, he deserves some respect versus Yoel Romero. Costa is more of a stand up fighter than the 13-3 Romero. The key in this battle is how well Costa can prevent Yoel’s takedown attempts.
There’s also the fact that Costa hasn’t come close to battling the quality MMA fighters that Yoel Romero has. With that being written, Costa is undefeated for a reason. If he calmly stalks Romero and is wary of Yoel’s counter punching and counter kicking ability, he could pull off the upset.
UFC Betting Pick: Paulo Costa
Anthony Pettis vs Nate Diaz
- UFC 241 Odds: Anthony Pettis -135 / Nate Diaz +105
Two veterans lock horns in the UFC 241 co-main event when Anthony Pettis throws down against Nate Diaz. Pettis, 22-8, heads into this off a win against Stephen Thompson. Diaz is a 20-11 veteran and one of the best well-known MMA fighters at UFC.
Diaz has an excellent ground game while Pettis will try to keep this one off the mat. Although Pettis looks strong here, Nate is crafty. If he puts Pettis into a couple of bad positions, he could work for either a submission or decision victory.
UFC Betting Pick: Nate Diaz
Daniel Cormier vs Stipe Miocic
- UFC 241 Odds: Daniel Cormier -145 / Stipe Miocic +115
The rematch between Daniel Cormier and Stipe Miocic should be fantastic! Who cares about records when two of the best MMA fighters on the planet throw down? Miocic controlled the early part of the first fight.
Eventually, Cormier wore him down. The problem for Miocic is that Cormier not only has a rock solid chin, but he’s good at rolling with punches. In the first fight, Cormier rolled with Miocic’s punches early and then began to time the punches and kicks. The champ got to Stipe with a blistering right that put Miocic onto the mat.
The same could happen in this fight. The real key for Miocic is to approach Cormier at an angle. It’s hard to teach an MMA fighter to think like a boxer, which means Cormier will again figure out Stipe and send him to the mat.
UFC Betting Pick: Daniel Cormier
