UFC Fight Night: Moraes vs. Sandhagen Betting Preview

Lighter fighters will be on display at this weekend’s UFC promotion. The main event will feature No. 1 bantamweight Marlon Moraes face off against No. 4 bantamweight Cory Sandhagen, while the co-main event showcases fan favorite Edson Barboza and fellow featherweight Makwan Amirkhani. Don’t expect these fighters to look for decisions though, as they all have the talent to win a fight early.

UFC Fight Night: Moraes vs. Sandhagen will air on Saturday, October 10, in the United States with the prelims starting at 5 p.m. ET and the main card kicking off at 8 p.m. ET. The entirety of the promotion will be broadcast on ESPN Plus.

UFC Fight Night: Moraes vs. Sandhagen Betting Odds

Marlon Moraes -115

Cory Sandhagen -105

A victory for Moraes would likely lead to a future title fight with Petr Yan. He is currently the No. 1 contender for the bantamweight belt according to the UFC rankings, and he has won five of his last six fights. Moraes set this division ablaze with first-round defeats of Aljamain Sterling, Jimmie Rivera, and Raphael Assuncao, winning Performance of the Night bonuses in three straight events. That led to a title fight with Henry Cejudo, but the former champion dealt Moraes his first defeat in two years at UFC 238.

Sandhagen is looking for his first title shot. He won his first five UFC bouts after joining the promotion in January 2018, and he seemed set to earn a chance at the strap headed into UFC 250. However, his stunning first-round submission loss to Sterling led to Sandhagen needing to prove himself once more. Sandhagen is only a slight underdog by the MMA betting odds coming into this bout, as he has a five-inch height advantage and a three-inch reach advantage over Moraes.

Edson Barboza -265

Makwan Amirkhani +225

It was somewhat difficult to find an opponent for Barboza. He was originally slated to fight Jeremy Stephens, but Stephens pulled out of negotiations, and Sodiq Yusuff was scheduled to be Barboza’s opponent until three weeks ago when he removed himself for undisclosed reasons. That led to Amirkhani taking this fight on short notice, and he will be out to take advantage.

Amirkhani is not being given much of a shot by the oddsmakers, but he can win if he takes the fight to the mat. Since turning pro, 11 of his 16 victories have come by submission, and Barboza is not as talented of a wrestler. Barboza wants to stay on his feet where he can use his power to finish opponents, as 12 of his 20 wins are by knockout. The underdog might be worth a shot here considering Barboza has lost five of his last six fights.

Ben Rothwell -156

Marcin Tybura +136

Rothwell is one of the most seasoned heavyweights in the game. He took part in his 50^th fight back in May, and he brings a ton of experience into the Octagon. The veteran fighter lost three straight bouts, but he has since bounced back with victories over Stefan Struve and Ovince Saint Preux in his last two fights. Look for him to try to secure a knockout win as 28 of his 38 wins have come through KO.

This will be Tybura’s second trip to Fight Island. He beat Maxim Grishin by unanimous decision at UFC 251 in July, and he is hoping to secure his third win of 2020 this weekend. Rothwell is a moderate favorite by the UFC betting odds, although Tybura is currently ranked ahead of him.

Dricus Du Plessis -155

Markus Perez +135

UFC newcomer Dricus Du Plessis will make his debut at this event. Du Plessis has yet to fight this year, but he was considered an up and comer after winning titles with two smaller promotions.

Meanwhile, Perez has alternated wins and losses over his last six bouts, and he is due for a win here if the trend holds. Half of his victories have come by submission, so Du Plessis will need to be on the lookout.

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