Cheer up lads, it’s still the UFC.
Fight fans are heartbroken at the re-jigged and reshuffled UFC Dublin card but there’s still an octagon in the 3Arena. There are still four Dubliners and a Belfast fighter ready to put on a show. And pints. Don’t forget the pints.
We’ve taken a look at the odds offered by Ladbrokes.com on the 10-fight event and reckon that these are the five best bets for anyone who fancies a flutter on fight night.
Garreth McLellan v Bubba Bush – Fight not to go to decision @ 10/11
The stats don’t lie and these lads have only gone the distance three times over their combined 26 fights so they come looking for a finish.
The fact that the Irish fans are known to fill the arena early and loudly means that there will be waves of noise pouring into the octagon for the first bout. There’s stoppage written all over this bad boy.
Darren Elkins v Robert Whiteford – Darren Elkins via decision @ 6/4
This probably won’t win fight of the night and Whiteford has made it clear that he wants Elkins to stand and bang, which could happen for the first round.
But as soon as Elkins feels Whiteford’s power, he should revert to his collegiate wrestling and ride out the remaining two rounds for a unanimous decision. Should, mind.
Aisling Daly v Ericka Almeida – Aisling Daly to win @ 5/7
5/7 may not seem like great odds but Daly is almost certain to come out on top here so they are actually quite generous.
Ericka Almeida was touted as a dangerous Jiu Jitsu fighter ahead of her UFC debut in May but she could only continue to pull guard against Juliana de Lima and she never truly threatened off her back.
For my money, Daly is better on the mat than both Almeida and de Lima so she should be able to get the submission victory but, to be safe, avail of the 5/7 money line.
Neil Seery v Jon Delos Reyes – Neil Seery via decision @ 20/31
Neil Seery has to be one of the most underrated fighters in the sport and is the holder of some of the most technical boxing at flyweight.
He may not possess the knockout power to trouble the elite in the UFC but he’ll definitely outstrike a fighter like Jon Delos Reyes.
If you don’t fancy taking an odds-on bet then a Seery/Daly double would make sense.
Stevie Ray v Mickael Lebout – Stevie Ray to win inside distance @ 6/4
Stevie Ray should be a class above Lebout here and has a 78% finishing rate, simple as.
I remain unconvinced by Mickael Lebout and the 2/11 favouritism for the Scot shows just how dominant he’s expected to be. Those odds aren’t great but we actually see Ray getting this done inside the fifteen minutes and 6/4 is a bit of a pleasant surprise.
A €10 accumulator on those results placed with Ladbrokes would earn you a tasty €337. Not too shabby.
