The next UFC Fight Night card is being overlooked because it’s not loaded with star power. However, upon a closer look, we’ve selected undercard Fight Night bets worth taking. We call them “diamonds in the rough” and we’re giving them to you in this article!
- What: UFC Fight Night
- Where: UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada
- When: Saturday, March 16
Gerald Meerschaert vs. Bryan Barberena Betting Pick
These middleweights are featured early on the main card. As it stands, Meerschaert is a big -250 favorite to win. We’re not in love with those odds so we’re instead betting on the over/under between Meerschaert and Barberena. Here’s how the best UFC betting sites have that line pegged:
| Outcome |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Over 2.5 Rounds | +125 | +125 | +125 |
| Under 2.5 Rounds | -155 | -155 | -155 |
Both these fighters are the same, yet different. For one both are experienced as hell. Meerschaert amazingly has 52 fights under his belt at only the age of 30. Barberena is older at 33, not as many fights at 29, but definitely grizzled at the fight game. Each guy is on a losing streak too. Barberena has lost three fights in a row, while Meerschaert has dropped three of his last four.
The differences lie in how they’re losing though. Meerschaert’s chin appears to be fading — perhaps because of all of the miles on his fight odometer. Then there’s Barberena, who just can’t defend the takedown to save his life. He’s been taken down a whopping 18 times in his last three fights. Right now, his takedown defense is 49 percent, which get this, is better than Meerschaert’s 34 percent.
If you haven’t figured it out, both these fighters are not very good. We don’t know who’s winning, but still, Meerschaert's moneyline might be overvalued cause this bout is close. But we prefer just betting on the under. We could see either Meerschaert being KO’d again or Barberena being submitted. Under is the play to make here.
Isaac Dulgarian vs. Christian Diaz Betting Pick
This is a fight to pay attention to on the card. It’s a prove-it fight for both sides and a bout we expect to be exciting to watch. The Dulgarian-Diaz moneyline odds are pretty close. Here’s how the odds shake out:
| Fighter | | | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Isaac Dulgarian | -190 | -190 | -190 |
| Christian Rodriguez | +160 | +160 | +160 |
Here you have two solid prospects at featherweight. The 27-year-old Dulgarian is a perfect 6-0, whereas Rodriguez is 26 years old and 10-1. A win for either will go a long way in UFC bettors and fans saying “hey, this guy might be for real.”
Both fighters are on opposite ends of the spectrum fight-wise. Dulgarian, the slight favorite, is a wrestling technician. Go search his name on YouTube to be bombarded with videos of his grappling background. So far in the UFC, he’s lived up to that hype by averaging just a hair over three takedowns a fight.
Rodriguez though, he’s much more of a striker. But the thing he has going for him in this fight is very respectable takedown defense, which he’ll need against a wrestler like Dulgarian. He has an average takedown defense of 70 percent so far in his short UFC career.
Our gut tells us Rodriguez is the pick to make. We can’t help but remember when he bested Raul Rosas Jr. — another hyped prospect with excellent grappling. Rodriguez has a tad more experience in the octagon and we think that gives me the upper hand here. Bet on the underdog to win!
Josiane Nunes vs. Chelsea Chandler Betting Pick
Let’s give some love to the ladies now. Here we have a solid bantamweight fight that’s pretty close odds-wise. Take a look at how oddsmakers have set the Nunes-Chandler moneyline at:
| Fighter | | | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Josiane Nunes | -145 | -145 | -145 |
| Chelsea Chandler | +115 | +115 | +115 |
Nunes is the slight betting favorite. She’s Brazilian and shares a last name with the women’s GOAT, though, they’re not related. Still, like that other Nunes, this Nunes can flat-out strike. Josiane has a very much “bombs away” fight style and isn’t much of a grappler despite being Brazilian.
Then we have Chandler. We would say she can hang in there and strike back with Nunes, but after her last performance, we don’t know. In one of the more embarrassing moments in UFC history, Chandler was literally running away from her opponent, Norma Dumont. We’re not exaggerating, she was sprinting inside the cage. It was embarrassing, but more than that, shocking because Chandler is a pretty damn good striker when she's not running.
With that embarrassing showing fresh on people’s minds, we expect most bettors to fade Chandler. But here’s where you dive when they dodge because our money is going on Chandler. We really think that last fight was an outlier. She’ll have a six-inch height advantage in this one, which we believe will help her keep Nunes at bay. Bet on a rebound performance from Chandler!
How To Bet On UFC Fight Night?
There are all types of bets for this show. While we love the three undercard wagers above, you’re certainly not limited to these. To get the full scope of UFC bets for this Fight Night card, hit one of the bookmakers listed below. Per our newest sportsbook reviews, these sites are highly recommended for fight betting. Any one of these bookmakers has you covered not only for this upcoming show, but other future UFC events too.
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