UFC 276: Top How Will the Fight End Odds & Picks (2022)
UFC 276 is now just days away, as two championship belts will be on the line in the co-main and main event, as Alexander Volkanovski vs. Max Holloway and Israel Adesanya vs. Jared Cannonier cap off the evening. Before we get there, however, there’s an entire prelim and main card that offers bettors a ton of value for those willing to dig deep enough.
Let’s take a closer look at two fights at UFC 276 that I’m keyed in on how they might end, regardless of the winner.
Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook
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Sean Strickland (25-3-0) vs. Alex Pereira (5-1-0)
One word came to mind when I started to break down this fight between a UFC veteran (Strickland) and a relative newcomer (Pereira); violence.
Standing at 6-foot-4, Pereira came over to the UFC in November of last year, since picking up two victories, his most recent decision win over Bruno Silva in March. Before that, he was a professional kickboxer who amassed a record of 33-7, with 23 bouts going by way of KO. Famously, he knocked out current middleweight champ and UFC 276 headliner Adesanua during his kickboxing stint. Since turning professional in MMA (2015), Pereira has knocked four of his past five opponents inside the second round.
Strickland has more vetted experience inside the UFC, but he’s knocked out just one opponent since 2019, as his power has largely faded. With both fighters having a propensity to strike, I like this one to finish by way of KO/TKO.
Bet: KO/TKO/DQ (-150)
Alexander Volkanovski (24-1-0) vs. Max Holloway (23-6-0)
Having fought twice already for the same belt they’ll be fighting for on Saturday night, Volkanovski and Holloway have 10 rounds vs. each other in the bank to draw on when the going gets tough. While the first fight was a clear decision win for Volkanovski, the second was a split decision, and while Holloway no doubt lost the fight, he was much improved against the relentless Volkanovski.
For Holloway’s case, before those two battles in late 2019 and early 2020, Holloway had KO/TKO’d four straight opponents in 2016-2018 and comes into this fight as rested as he’s been in potentially his entire career. Regarding the fight metrics, Holloway beats Volkanovski in significant striking volume, landing 7.38 per 15 minutes in the octagon (vs. 6.63).
While both have the grappling pedigree to compete with the best in the division, I expect this fight to turn into a striking clinic early, with neither fighter interested in this being yet another decision. I have this one closer to even than the oddsmakers as far as head to head, but either way, I like this fight to go by way of the fists.
Bet: KO/TKO/DQ (+225)
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