UFC 292 Betting | Main Event Picks: Sterling vs. O'Malley

Betting on UFC 292? Read this first then. We’ve analyzed the fight card’s very top bouts and come away with three betting picks to make. If you keep on reading, you’ll get ‘em for free from us!

What: UFC 292
When: August 19, 2023
Where: TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts
How to watch: ESPN+

Aljamain Sterling vs. Sean O’Malley Betting Picks

The main event features two fighters that many fans don’t believe should be even in here. Sterling is still one of the most disrespected champions — even after three successful defenses. O’Malley, meanwhile, most don’t think he beat Petr Yan to set this up in the first place. But hey, it’s happening, and here are the Sterling-O’Malley moneyline odds:

Fighter
Aljo Sterling	-260	-260	-260
Sean O'Malley	+210	+210	+210

Across the board at UFC’s most-used online betting sites, Sterling is the comfortable favorite to win. That comes despite a short turnaround from his last fight against Henry Cejudo, which was only in May. Sterling wanted time off to recover and heal injuries, but Dana White wasn’t having it and set this up. Could that fatigue play a factor?

It’s certainly possible given O’Malley possesses some of the best hands in the whole promotion. Yes, he has length. Yes, he has cracking power. But what really makes O’Malley a dangerous striker is his precision. He’s pinpointing his bombs, not just letting them fly. If he’s going to best Sterling, then it almost has to be a finish.

We don’t see a scenario where O’Malley can win via a decision. Sterling is the better all-around fighter. In particular, Sterling has an impressive takedown ability. Last time out, he took down Cejudo— a former Olympian in wrestling — on four occasions. Putting O’Malley on his back is certainly one way to neutralize his dangerous hands.

But here’s one more thing that can turn this right: who has the gas tank to last five rounds? Sterling has proven he does as that’s his M.O. — not stoppages. But O’Malley? We’re not convinced he can hang long. O’Mallet was quite gassed after two rounds vs. Yan last time. For these reasons, the pick to make is Sterling. The champion just has more path to victory compared to the challenger that NEEDS a finish.

Aljo Sterling to beat Sean O'Malley at UFC 292

-260

Bet Now!

Weili Zhang vs. Amanda Lemos Betting Pick

A second championship will be on the line at UFC 292 when women’s strawweight title-holder Zhang defends against Lemos. Here again, the moneyline odds aren’t particularly close with the champ being -310. We’re not in love with that, hence why we’re jumping on the Zhang-Lemos over/under instead. The odds for that are as follows:

Outcome
Over 3.5 rounds	+165	-260	-260
Under 3.5 rounds	+210	+210	+210

This fight has some parallels to the main event. With this one, Lemos’ best (and maybe only) chance at seizing the belt is to finish Zhang. She is fully capable of doing so too. Lemos is an excellent striker. She’s trained in Muy Thai and with her speed, a devasting strike is always milliseconds away. Zhang was famously caught with a massive leg kick by Rose Namajunas before so it’s within reason of happening.

Nonetheless, we’re still confident Zhang will win. She’s actually the more prolific striker, landing 5.76 significant strikes per minute compared to Lemos’ 4.51. Plus, she has a wrestling game to fall back in a way that the challenger really doesn’t. That wrestling might be handy in wearing down Lemos. Our prediction is this fight goes late, if not an outright decision, so take the over.

Over 3.5 rounds in Weili Zhang vs. Amanda Lemos at UFC 292

+165

Bet Now!

Marlon Vera vs. Pedro Munhoz Betting Pick

Originally, Henry Cejudo was supposed to fight Vera. But when he pulled out last month, Munhoz became the fill-in. Perhaps that’s one reason why Vera is a comfortable betting favorite to win over Munhoz:

Fighter
Marlon Vera	-195	-195	-195
Pedro Munhoz	+165	+165	+165

What’s interesting enough is that both men have a common opponent in the title challenger of the night, O’Malley. Vera handed O’Malley his only career loss, while Munhoz could’ve added a second if not for getting his eye poked, and resulting in a no-contest. That tells you how close each fighter is to the title picture.

In this fight, we’re leaning with Vera to win. Both men prefer to fight on their feet, but we suspect Vera will have the advantage. He struggles against creative fighters that can surprise him while striking. We’re not convinced Munhoz fits that bill. Munhoz’s strikes are rarely unpredictable, which we believe will help Vera pick him apart, hence our pick.

Marlon Vera to beat Pedro Munhoz at UFC 292

-195

Bet Now!

How To Bet On UFC 292

If you need a trusty sportsbook to place all your UFC 292 bets at, then look no further than one of the sites listed below. Every type of bet — from moneylines to props — will be available at any one of these bookmakers. UFC 292 is more than 10 fights deep so that adds up to a whole lot of betting opportunities.

Better yet, many of these betting opportunities can even be had for free! You see, there are lucrative promotional bonuses available at each site. Some deals, when maxed out, can reach as much as $2500 in free play. That’s money that could bankroll your UFC betting for free. Our favorite bonuses are listed below so start here to get your gambling fix on!