UFC 276 Picks: Will Israel Adesanya Defend Middleweight Championship vs. Jared Cannonier?

Dan Favale
By , Updated on: Apr 9, 2024 08:00 PM
UFC 276 Picks: Will Israel Adesanya Defend Middleweight Championship vs. Jared Cannonier?

Two title bouts are currently on the UFC 276 fight card, and they both promise to be incredibly entertaining. Jared Cannonier will be challenging Israel Adesanya for the middleweight championship, while Alexander Volkanovski puts his featherweight belt on the line against Max Holloway. 

Does it get any better than this?

Actually, yes. UFC 276 will also feature showdowns between Miesha Tate and Lauren Murphy, Alex Pereira and Sean Strickland and Sean O'Malley and Pedro Munhoz. With such a star-studded fight card, we have no choice other than to drop UFC 276 predictions in advance of all these matches taking place on Saturday, July 2.

Here are the latest betting odds on UFC, courtesy of BetOnline:

FavoriteBetOnlineBetOnlineUnderdog
Israel Adesanya-375+275Jared Cannonier
Alexander Volkanovski-190+155Max Holloway
Alex Pereira-120-110Sean Strickland
Miesha Tate-165+135Lauren Murphy
Sean O'Malley-260+200Pedro Munhoz

Our UFC 276 betting odds are accurate as of Wednesday, June 22, which gives all MMA betting lines plenty of time to move before the opening bell. Make sure you're double-checking all of these UFC odds prior to settling on any picks.

You should likewise consider browsing through our reviews of the top online sportsbooks and our list of the best betting apps for UFC. All the information we provide is designed to alert you to the latest and greatest online betting bonuses and promotions that are being rolled out ahead of major sporting events like UFC 276.

Israel Adesanya will Remain the Middleweight Champ at UFC 276

After sparring in three consecutive ultra-difficult matches, Israel Adesanya is getting the chance to enter as the heavy favorite at UFC 276. And he should not disappoint.

Jared Cannonier poses a real threat as the superior wrestler and an equally capable defender when moving laterally. But he hasn't needed to face the level of competition that Adesanya routinely squares off against. His biggest victories, to date, have come during UFC Fight Nights rather than red carpet events.

To be sure, we don't expect Adesanya to walk all over Cannonier. But this is certainly a match that Adesanya's experience and slightly better striking form should win.

OSB Prediction: Israel Adesanya (-375)

Israel Adesanya To beat Jared Cannonier
-375
BetOnline

Alexander Volkanovski Should be Too Much for Max Holloway in Featherweight Title Fight

Max Holloway has a decent chance of wearing down Alexander Volkanovski in their showdown. Holloway can be erratic, if not outright haphazard, but he's still landing more than 6.65 significant strikes per minute—absurd volume even at this level.

Of course, Volkanovski isn't far behind. He is connecting on 6.63 significant strikes per minute—and doing so at a 57 percent clip, all while ranking as the better strike and takedown defender.

Don't be surprised if this one ends up being more of a no-brainer than the odds suggest.

OSB Prediction: Alexander Volkanovski (-190)

Alexander Volkanovski To beat Max Holloway
-190
BetOnline

Sean Strickland Enters UFC 276 with Slight Edge Over Alex Pereira

In perhaps the most evenly matched fight of the night, we're inclined to roll with the slight underdog in Sean Strickland.

Alex Pereira has more explosion to his punches and vertical offense, but he's vulnerable to get lit up whenever he misses. His body tends to swing too far off balance, and he doesn't make up for it with quick defensive reflexes.

Strickland is the more even-keeled fighter—and, therefore, our bet to win.

OSB Prediction: Sean Strickland (-110)

Sean Strickland To beat Alex Pereira
-190
BetOnline

Lauren Murphy Delivers Miesha Tate Another Loss

Once among the most dominant UFC powerhouses, Miesha Tate has seemed more mortal in recent fights. She has now lost three of her past four matches, a stretch in which she's looked much slower and less likely to win by decision. It's almost knockout-or-bust at this point.

That won't fly against Lauren Murphy. While she is working off a loss in her last fight at UFC 266, Murphy won all five of her previous bouts. Her offense can be a little lackadaisical; she will go from landing relentlessly difficult combinations to essentially swinging at air in the blink of an eye. But her defense and ability to withstand blows is built to extend matches.

And given what we've seen from Tate most recently, the longer a match lasts, the less likely she is to win it. If it wasn't for her household name recognition, we actually think she'd enter this meeting against Murphy as the underdog. So, naturally, we're all over the latter at +135.

OSB Prediction: Lauren Murphy (+135)

Lauren Murphy To beat Max Holloway
+135
BetOnline

Expect Sean O'Malley to Knockout Pedro Munhoz

Nine of Sean O'Malley's last 10 fights have ended in victory. What's more, the vast majority of those wins have come by knockout. We believe the same fate is in store from Pedro Munhoz at UFC 276.

O'Malley is currently landing a ridiculous 8.26 significant strikes per minute at a 62 percent clip. Like, seriously. How is that not a typo? He doesn't pair this incessant punching with much of a grappling or wrestling technique, but he doesn't need to. The power he generates on his combos always leaves him one punch away from a victory by TKO.

Equally important, Munhoz isn't much of a grappler or wrestler, either. He also currently absorbs more significant strikes per minute than he lands.

If we're being honest, this pick is the easiest decision on the entire UFC 276 fight card.

OSB Prediction: Sean O'Malley (-260)

Sean O'Malley To beat Pedro Munhoz
-260
BetOnline

Take a look a this list of the top online sportsbooks so you can decide which one to use for all of your UFC betting: 

Meet the author

Dan Favale

Dan Favale leverages over 12 years of sports journalism expertise in his role as New York staff writer. He provides in-depth analysis across the NBA, NFL, MLB, NHL, tennis, NASCAR, college basketball, and sports betting. Dan co-hosts the popular Hardwood Knocks NBA podc...

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