The UFC promises a spectacle for first sporting event held at The Sphere
“Suga” Sean O’Malley defends his bantamweight title
Women’s flyweights Grasso & Shavchenko complete their championship trilogy
The odds for this match are provided by the FanDuel Sportsbook. Click the link to place your bets: Bet $5, Get $200 in Bonus Bets.
Fighter | Odds |
---|---|
(C) Sean O’Malley | -142 BET HERE |
Merab Dvalishvili | +112 BET HERE |
Fighter | Odds |
(C) Alexa Grasso | -140 BET HERE |
Valentina Shevchenko | +110 BET HERE |
Fighter | Odds |
Brian Ortega | +146 BET HERE |
Diego Lopes | -188 BET HERE |
Fighter | Odds |
Daniel Zellhuber | -235 BET HERE |
Esteban Ribovics | +182 BET HERE |
Fighter | Odds |
Ronaldo Rodriguez | -142 BET HERE |
Ode’ Osbourne | +116 BET HERE |
(C) Sean O’Malley vs. Merab Dvalishvili - Bantamweight championship
Our pick: Sean O’Malley (-142) at FanDuel
(C) Alexa Grasso vs. Valentina Shevchenko - Women’s flyweight championship
Our pick: Alexa Grasso (-140) at FanDuel
Brian Ortega vs. Diego Lopes - Featherweight division
Our pick: Diego Lopes (-188) at FanDuel
Daniel Zellhuber vs. Esteban Ribovics - Lightweight division
Our pick: Daniel Zellhuber (-235) at FanDuel
Ronaldo Rodriguez vs. Ode’ Osbourne - Flyweight division
Our pick: Ronaldo Rodriguez (-142) at FanDuel
Sean O’Malley | TALE OF THE TAPE | Merab Dvalishvili |
---|---|---|
29 | Age | 33 |
5 ft 11 in | Height | 5 ft 6 in |
72 in | Reach | 68 in |
18-1, 1 no-contest | Record | 17-4 |
It’s strange to see four losses on title challenger and number-one ranked Merab Dvalishvili’s record. Having won ten fights in a row since 2018, it’s hard to imagine him ever losing.
But in this Saturday’s main event, a Dvalishvili loss is a very real possibility as he takes on the -142 bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley, who is on a six-fight unbeaten streak of his own (and who still claims to be undefeated).
O’Malley most recently avenged his only professional loss, when he defeated Marlon Vera by unanimous decision in the main event of UFC 299. The win marked his first successful title defense.
Dvalishvili has defeated former champions Jose Aldo and Petr Yan on his way to this title shot and earned his tenth win in a row at UFC 298 when he defeated the former double champion Henry Cejudo.
Dvalishvili’s superior wrestling should be a big concern for O’Malley fans, but with a five-inch height advantage and four extra inches in reach, the champion’s striking should be on a full display and may be able to neutralize the challenger’s takedown attempts.
The champion Sean O’Malley is the favorite in this main event and we don’t disagree.
To find out how to place your bets for this top-ten welterweight main event, check out our ultimate UFC betting guide to get started.
Bet $5, Get $200 in Bonus Bets at FanDuel
Alexa Grasso | TALE OF THE TAPE | Valentina Shevchenko |
---|---|---|
31 | Age | 36 |
5 ft 5 in | Height | 5 ft 5 in |
66 in | Reach | 66.5 in |
16-3-1 | Record | 23-4-1 |
On March 4, 2023, Alexa Grasso pulled off the upset win over long-time flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko. It was Shevchenko’s first loss since 2018.
An immediate rematch was set for last September and the two women fought their way to a five-round draw.
Now, in what will be their trilogy bout, both women look to leave everything in the octagon and not leave things in the hands of the judges.
Prior to her title win over Shevchenko, Grasso had won four fights in a row. The champion will enter Saturday’s co-main event as the -140 favorite at FanDuel Sportsbook.
But at +110, the former champ, as well as judo and taekwondo black belt, is always a threat and possesses serious knockout power in both her hands and feet.
Claim $200 in Bonus Bets at FanDuel
Brian Ortega | TALE OF THE TAPE | Diego Lopes |
---|---|---|
33 | Age | 29 |
5 ft 8 in | Height | 5 ft 11 in |
69 in | Reach | 72 in |
16-3, 1 no-contest | Record | 25-6 |
Originally slated to face off against one another at UFC 303, Brian Ortega pulled out on the day of the fight and Dan Ige stepped in to take on Diego Lopes - a fight Lopes went on to win (his fourth in a row).
In his post-fight interview, he asked to be rewarded with a fight at The Sphere and the UFC met his demand - rescheduling the fight with Ortega.
Ortega, a former featherweight title challenger, has suffered several setbacks recently due to injury and illness. He is just 2-3 in his last three fights. He most recently won his rematch against Yair Rodriguez by submission back in February.
Lopes, a training partner and coach of women’s flyweight champion Alexa Grasso, will have a three-inch advantage in both height and reach. Both fighters hold black belts in BJJ but it is Lopes who comes in as a -188 favorite at FanDuel Sportsbook.
Wager $5 at FanDuel for $200 in Bonus Bets
Daniel Zellhuber | TALE OF THE TAPE | Esteban Ribovics |
---|---|---|
25 | Age | 28 |
6 ft 1 in | Height | 5 ft 10 in |
77 in | Reach | 69 in |
15-1 | Record | 13-1 |
After suffering his first career loss in 2023, Esteban Ribovics has bounced back in a big way - earning back-to-back victories over Kamuela Kirk and Terrence McKinney. However, at +182, he is the biggest betting underdog on the main card. Why?
Because he is set to take on Daniel Zellhuber - another fighter with only one professional loss but who will stand two-inches taller and have an eight-inch reach advantage.
Zellhuber has also won his last three fights in a row, most recently defeating Francisco Prada in February in what was deemed the fight of the night.
Zellhuber is listed as the -235 favorite at FanDuel Sportsbook.
Register at FanDuel and Get $200 in Bonus Bets
Ronaldo Rodriguez | TALE OF THE TAPE | Ode’ Osbourne |
---|---|---|
25 | Age | 32 |
5 ft 6 in | Height | 5 ft 7 in |
65 in | Reach | 73 in |
16-2 | Record | 12-7 |
Riding a five-fight winning streak into his UFC debut in February, Ronaldo Rodriguez came out on top over Denys Bondar - winning by second-round submission in his first fight for the promotion.
He takes on Ode’ Osbourne; a fighter with a 4-5 UFC record and who has recently suffered back-to-back losses - both losses coming in the form of a rear-naked choke submission.
Osbourne will have the advantages in reach and height but the younger Rodriguez is favored at -142 at FanDuel Sportsbook.
Bet $5, Get $200 in Bonus Bets at FanDuel
Location: The Sphere, Las Vegas, Nevada
When: Saturday, September 14
Time: 10PM EST
How: PPV, UFC Fight Pass, ESPN+
Responsible Gambling
If you or someone you know needs support or wants to speak with a professional about responsible gambling, seek out the correct resources. Call or text 1-800-GAMBLER to get help or visit 1800gambler.net for more information. WSN is an advocate for safe gambling practices. Visit our Responsible Gambling Center for more details.
We support responsible gambling. Gambling can be addictive, please play responsibly. If you need help, call 1-800-Gambler.
WSN.com is managed by Gentoo Media. Unless declared otherwise, all of the visible content on this site, such as texts and images, including the brand name and logo, belongs to Innovation Labs Limited (a Gentoo Media company) - Company Registration Number C44130, VAT ID: MT18874732, @GIG Beach Triq id-Dragunara, St. Julians, STJ3148, Malta.
Advertising Disclosure: WSN.com contains links to partner websites. When a visitor to our website clicks on one of these links and makes a purchase at a partner site, World Sports Network is paid a commission.
Copyright © 2024