UFC on ESPN 14: Fight Island 3 main card betting tips

UFC on ESPN 14: Whittaker vs Till Latest Odds & Fight Info
Main Event betting	Whittaker -125 at Bovada | Till +105 at Bovada
When	Sunday, July 26 – main card from 4am GST / 8pm EDT Saturday
Where	Flash Forum – Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Watch Live	ESPN+, UFC Fight Pass, UFC.com

It should come as no surprise that Dana White and the Ultimate Fighting Championship wanted to end their stay on UFC Fight Island in Abu Dhabi with a bang this weekend. They are doing just that with a staggering 15-fight card, matching the all-time record for fights on one card set at UFC 2 back in 1994. Bettors will have plenty of options to choose from in this one, which culminates with a tantalizing main event between middleweight contenders Robert Whittaker and Darren Till.

Light Heavyweight: Maurício Rua (-185) vs Antônio Rogério Nogueira (+160)

Mauricio Rua (26-11-1) and Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (23-9) have clashed twice before in their professional MMA careers with Rua coming out on top by decision both times. This one may not make it to the cards; each of Nogueira’s last four fights have ended by way of knockout (two for him and two against him), while three of Rua’s last four fights have also ended in knockouts. Nogueira is now 44 years old and has lost four of his last six fights. It’s hard to see him turning things around in this one.

Heavyweight: Fabrício Werdum (+270) vs Alexander Gustafsson (-330)

Alexander Gustafsson (18-6) makes his UFC heavyweight debut on Saturday as a big favorite over Fabricio Werdum (23-9-1). Gustafsson has lost five of of his last eight fights since starting his professional career with a 15-1 record, but all five of those losses came against respectable opponents in Jon Jones (twice), Anthony Johnson, Daniel Cormier, and Anthony Smith. The 6’5” Swede has failed to crack through into the UFC’s elite, but Werdum is an opponent he shouldn’t have trouble taking care of.

Women’s Strawweight: Marina Rodriguez (-175) vs Carla Esparza (+155)

Marina Rodriguez (12-0-2) puts her undefeated record on the line against Carla Esparza (16-6), who has won each of her last three fights. This is a classic striker versus wrestler bout, as Rodriguez will look to keep the fight on her feet where she can control the tempo with her excellent striking and Esparza will try to neutralize that threat by taking the fight to the mat. In what should be a competitive fight, the price on Esparza is too tempting to pass on.

Light Heavyweight: Paul Craig (-130) vs Gadzhimurad Antigulov (+110)

Paul Craig (12-4-1) is just 4-4-1 in the UFC since starting his professional career with an 8-0 record. Gadzhimurad Antigulov (20-6) had won 14 straight fights, including his first two bouts in the UFC, before being knocked out in each of his last two. These submission specialists should put on a great show, and in fights that can easily go either way, we take the underdog.

Welterweight: Alex Oliveira (-175) vs Peter Sobotta (+155)

Alex Oliveira (20-8-1) snapped a three-fight losing streak with his victory over Max Griffin at UFC 248. Peter Sobotta (17-6-1) will be fighting for the first time in over two years since losing to Leon Edwards back in March of 2018. Oliveira’s superior striking ability and more active fight schedule should lead him to a win over Sobotta.

Welterweight: Khamzat Chimaev (-1250) vs Rhys McKee (+800)

Khamzat Chimaev (7-0-0) has stopped every opponent he has ever faced with four knockout wins and three submission wins. Rhys McKee (10-2-0) draws a brutal matchup in his UFC debut and isn’t likely to be the one to slow down the red-hot start to Chimaev’s career.

UFC on ESPN 14 preliminary card

Lightweight: Francisco Trinaldo (-145) vs Jai Herbert (+125)

Welterweight: Nicolas Dalby (-260) vs Jesse Ronson (+220)

Heavyweight: Tom Aspinall (-235) vs Jake Collier (+195)

Featherweight: Movsar Evloev (-200) vs Mike Grundy (+170)

Heavyweight: Tanner Boser (-265) vs Raphael Pessoa (+225)

Women’s Bantamweight: Pannie Kianzad (-155) vs Bethe Correia (+135)

Welterweight: Ramazan Emeev (-425) vs Niklas Stolze (+340)

Bantamweight: Nathaniel Wood (-525) vs John Castañeda (+415)