UFC Fight Island kicks off in just 5 days. Soon, mixed-martial-arts fans get to witness a unique Ultimate Fighting Championships event. 3 promotions over the span of 7 days. Check out the top 3 dark horse and longshot plays from each UFC Fight Island promotion along with their UFC Fight Island Odds.
UFC Fight Island Dark Horses & Longshots
UFC Fight Island
- When: July 11 – July 18
- Where: Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
UFC 251: Usman vs. Burns
- When: Saturday, July 11
UFC 251 Dark Horses & Longshots
Max Holloway +205 over Alexander Volkanovski
Last December 14, Volkanovski beat Max Holloway via unanimous decision. Volkanovski beat Holloway by striking him in the legs. Max knows this. If he adjusts, he could prevent Alexander from controlling the fight with his leg strikes.
Jessica Andrade +160 over Rose Namajunas
Zhang Weili beat Jessica Andrade the last time Jessica stepped into the Octagon. The fight on Saturday night is much different. Rose may not be mentally prepared to take on a pit bull like Andrade. Also, the last time these two fought, Jessica knocked out Namajunas.
Roman Bogatov +155 over Leonardo Santos
Bogatov is much shorter than Leonardo. However, Roman is undefeated at 10-0 and has 5 submission wins to his credit. He also has a knockout victory. The odds imply he has no shot when he’s got a great shot if the fight ends up on the ground, which it should.
UFC Fight Night: Kattar vs. Ige
- When: Wednesday, July 15
Kattar vs. Ige Dark Horses & Longshots
Dan Ige +230 over Calvin Kattar
Calvin’s got 4 inches on Ige. Kattar should win, but we’re willing to give Dan a shot because he hasn’t lost since January 2018. That’s 6 straight wins, including beating Edson Barboza on May 16 on the UFC Fight Night: Overeem vs. Harris undercard.
Frankie Edgar +170 over Pedro Munhoz
Frankie lost both his 2019 fights. Let’s be honest, though. Pedro Munhoz, although a good fighter, isn’t as dominating as Max Holloway and the Korean Zombie. Edgar has a shot to get back on the winning track on July 15.
Chris Fishgold +100 over Jared Gordon
Fishgold could end up the chalk when it’s all said and done. Right now, Chris is the dog. Gordon has lost 3-of-4. Fishgold lost his last bout. But if he’s sharp off the layoff, he can bet Gordon.
UFC Fight Night: Figueiredo vs. Benavidez 2
- When: Saturday, July 18
Figueiredo vs. Benavidez 2 Dark Horses & Longshots
Askar Askarov +155 over Alexandre Pantoja
This should be a much closer bout than the odds indicate. Askar Askarov beat Tim Elliott in his last. He drew with Brandon Moreno in the fight before. Askar is undefeated with an 11-0-1 record. He’s got 3 knockout wins and 7 submission wins. We must take the odds, right?
Jack Hermansson -105 over Kelvin Gastelum
Hermansson isn’t a massive underdog. He’s still a dog. This fight could go either way. But striker Gastelum must punch up because he’s 5’ 9” while Jack is 6’ 1”. That could be the difference in the fight.
Davi Ramos +160 over Arman Tsarukyan
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu artist Davi Ramos has 7 submission wins. He lost his last bout. But Tsarukyan hasn’t fought since July 27, 2019. Davi has a shot that’s better than the odds indicate. That makes him an overlay.
