The UFC heads to Australia on Saturday for a pay-per-view card that should add clarity to the future of the middleweight division. The main event features the now undisputed champion, Robert Whittaker, against new challenger Kelvin Gastelum in a bout which looks fascinating on paper.
The co-main event brings back long-time GOAT candidate Anderson Silva in a strange new role as middleweight gatekeeper against rising phenom Israel Adesanya. While Silva is the biggest underdog on the card (a first for the former champion), the statistical matchup suggests two of the sharpest strikers in the division's history fueling what could be a fan-friendly, nearly super-hero like duel of fisticuffs and matrix-like dodges.
Currently Whittaker and Adesanya are the clear betting favorites. Is there upset potential in either matchup? Could Gastelum shake up the division, or could Silva add a miracle ending to his storied career? Otherwise, Whittaker could solidify his reign and open up the challenger queue, while Adesanya could win his way to the top of that contender list.
Gastelum is no stranger to a size disparity, yet having settled into his role at middleweight, some physical matchups will be more challenging than this one. Whittaker is not a big middleweight, making the uphill battle to which Gastelum is accustomed more fair here. Factor in Gastelum's unorthodox stance, and the slight reach differential becomes a wash on paper. We're left with two fighters in peak form of their late 20's, meaning they should be able to engage in a high-paced firefight longer than other fighters.
UFC 234 Betting Odds and Prediction. February 7, 2019 Earl C MMA. The UFC heads to Melbourne, Victoria, Australia this week for UFC 234. The card will get started at 5:00 PM ET over on UFC Fight Pass for the Early Prelims, then head over to ESPN for the UFC 234. UFC 234 offers superb underdog opportunities across sports betting sites prior to the run-up to the event, with Gastelum, Alvey and Kassem providing the best value on the main card. A total of five fight will be on the main card, with seven prelim matches on the UFC. UFC 234 Matchup Odds according to Bovada Sportsbook Schedule for February 9th, 2019 From Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne, Australia. November 12, 2018. Robert Whittaker vs Kelvin Gastelum Fight Winner Robert Whittaker -225 Kelvin Gastelum +175.
And it could be just that. Whittaker hardly attempts any takedowns at all, while Gastelum attempts less than half the UFC average, despite having capably utilized his wrestling base in earlier fights. If the two stand and trade, you'll see two very accurate strikers who prefer to press the pace and outwork opponents. So the question will be who wins the 'arms' race early on. While Whittaker has slightly better strike avoidance and uses a higher pace of strikes, Gastelum has twice the knockdown rate when connecting. The standup duel will be an interesting one, and might boil down to which fighter has better film preparation and is quicker to time his opponent.
Should Gastelum decide to change levels and attempt to stifle Whittaker's standup game, Gastelum will need to set it up with his hands, as Whittaker's takedown defense is very high at 84 percent. That's a wild card, but if Gastelum is smart, he takes his time luring Whittaker into slinging leather before setting it up.
E+ recommends: It's a rare and dangerous away-game champion upset pick. We'll suggest keeping the unit size small, but at a payout of more than 2-to-1 odds for Gastelum, he's worth it given the coin-flip matchup stats. Gastelum's speedy hands could offer the more violent individual strikes, and he has the superior grappling game as a backup plan. If his odds rise further, also consider a Gastelum inside the distance prop if it gets anywhere near +300.
Given the youth and resiliency of both men, the fight could take some time to develop, so we don't expect an early finish despite this being a five-round middleweight bout. Round totals haven't been released yet, but we'd agree with 4.5 rounds as the appropriate limit and don't expect much value on the table there. Both have knockout potential, Gastelum a bit more, but it could come late after damage has accumulated.
In the co-main event, Anderson Silva is currently a huge underdog to up-and-coming star Israel Adesanya, who was rapidly rebooked after knocking out top-10 ranked opponent Derek Brunson in November. Silva, known for his elusiveness and dangerously accurate power striking, might be handing down his mantle to Adesanya, who has already become the most accurate power striker in the division to date. While Adesanya might regress toward the mean in that metric, the combination of his speed, accuracy and power against Silva's 43-year-old brain is not a combination that will work out for the older legend. The odds are so steep as to diminish the value of betting Adesanya straight up, but his T/KO or 'Inside the Distance' prop bets are much more affordable at below -200 odds.
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UFC 234 Matchup Odds according to Bovada Sportsbook
Schedule for February 9th, 2019
From Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne, Australia
February 9, 2019
Jonathan Martinez vs Wuliji Buren
Fight Winner
Jonathan Martinez -150
Wuliji Buren +120
Jalin Turner vs Callan Potter
Fight Winner
Jalin Turner -230
Callan Potter +180
Lando Vannata vs Marcos Rosa
Fight Winner
Lando Vannata -450
Marcos Rosa +325
Kyung Ho Kang vs Teruto Ishihara
Fight Winner
Kyung Ho Kang -375
Teruto Ishihara +285
Kai Kara France vs Raulian Paiva
Fight Winner
Kai Kara France -250
Raulian Paiva +195
Shane Young vs Austin Arnett
Fight Winner
Shane Young -315
Austin Arnett +245
Devonte Smith vs Dong Hyun Ma
Fight Winner
Devonte Smith -260
Dong Hyun Ma +200
Jim Crute vs Sam Alvey
Fight Winner
Jim Crute -145
Sam Alvey +115
Montana De La Rosa vs Nadia Kassem
Fight Winner
Montana De La Rosa -260
Nadia Kassem +200
Ricky Simon vs Rani Yahya
Fight Winner
Ricky Simon -115
Rani Yahya -115
Israel Adesanya vs Anderson Silva
Fight Winner
Israel Adesanya -550
Anderson Silva +375
Bet on UFC 234 MMA Fight Las Vegas Odds at Bovada Sportsbook.
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UFC 234 Matchup Odds according to Bovada Sportsbook
Schedule for February 9th, 2019
From Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne, Australia
February 5, 2019
Devonte Smith vs Dong Hyun Ma
Fight Winner
Devonte Smith -240
Dong Hyun Ma +190
Jalin Turner vs Callan Potter
Fight Winner
Jalin Turner -275
Callan Potter +215
Jim Crute vs Sam Alvey
Fight Winner
Jim Crute -140
Sam Alvey +110
Jonathan Martinez vs Wuliji Buren
Fight Winner
Jonathan Martinez -200
Wuliji Buren +160
Kai Kara France vs Raulian Paiva
Fight Winner
Kai Kara France -300
Raulian Paiva +230
Kyung Ho Kang vs Teruto Ishihara
Fight Winner
Kyung Ho Kang -450
Teruto Ishihara +325
Lando Vannata vs Marcos Rosa
Fight Winner
Lando Vannata -350
Marcos Rosa +265
Montana De La Rosa vs Nadia Kassem
Fight Winner
Montana De La Rosa -265
Nadia Kassem +205
Ricky Simon vs Rani Yahya
Fight Winner
Ricky Simon -125
Rani Yahya -105
Shane Young vs Austin Arnett
Fight Winner
Shane Young -300
Austin Arnett +230
Israel Adesanya vs Anderson Silva
Fight Winner
Israel Adesanya -650
Anderson Silva +425
Robert Whittaker vs Kelvin Gastelum
Fight Winner
Robert Whittaker -250
Kelvin Gastelum +195
UFC 234 Matchup Odds according to Bovada Sportsbook
Schedule for February 9th, 2019
From Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne, Australia
January 28, 2019
Devonte Smith vs Dong Hyun Kim
Fight Winner
Devonte Smith -235
Dong Hyun Kim +185
Israel Adesanya vs Anderson Silva
Fight Winner
Israel Adesanya -700
Anderson Silva +450
Jalin Turner vs Alex Gorgees
Fight Winner
Jalin Turner -325
Alex Gorgees +250
Jonathan Martinez vs Wuliji Buren
Fight Winner
Jonathan Martinez -200
Wuliji Buren +160
Kai Kara France vs Raulian Paiva
Fight Winner
Kai Kara France -260
Raulian Paiva +200
Kyung Ho Kang vs Teruto Ishihara
Fight Winner
Kyung Ho Kang -400
Teruto Ishihara +300
Lando Vannata vs Marcos Rosa
Fight Winner
Lando Vannata -300
Marcos Rosa +230
Montana De La Rosa vs Nadia Kassem
Fight Winner
Montana De La Rosa -250
Nadia Kassem +195
Ricky Simon vs Rani Yahya
Fight Winner
Ricky Simon -145
Rani Yahya +115
Ryan Spann vs Jim Crute
Fight Winner
Ryan Spann -135
Jim Crute +105
Shane Young vs Austin Arnett
Fight Winner
Shane Young -305
Austin Arnett +235
Robert Whittaker vs Kelvin Gastelum
Fight Winner
Robert Whittaker -270
Kelvin Gastelum +210
UFC 234 Matchup Odds according to Bovada Sportsbook
Schedule for February 9th, 2019
From Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne, Australia
January 14, 2019
Israel Adesanya vs Anderson Silva
Fight Winner
Israel Adesanya -650
Anderson Silva +425
Robert Whittaker vs Kelvin Gastelum
Fight Winner
Robert Whittaker -250
Kelvin Gastelum +195
UFC 234 Matchup Odds according to Bovada Sportsbook
Schedule for February 9th, 2019
From Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne, Australia
January 2, 2019
Israel Adesanya vs Anderson Silva
Israel Adesanya -500
Anderson Silva +350
Robert Whittaker vs Kelvin Gastelum
Robert Whittaker -235
Kelvin Gastelum +185
UFC 234 Matchup Odds according to Bovada Sportsbook
Schedule for February 9th, 2019
From Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne, Australia
December 17, 2018
Robert Whittaker vs Kelvin Gastelum
Fight Winner
Robert Whittaker -235
Kelvin Gastelum +185
UFC 234 Matchup Odds according to Bovada Sportsbook
Schedule for February 9th, 2019
From Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne, Australia
November 29, 2018
Robert Whittaker vs Kelvin Gastelum
Fight Winner
Robert Whittaker -205
Kelvin Gastelum +165
UFC 234 Matchup Odds according to Bovada Sportsbook
Schedule for February 9th, 2019
From Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne, Australia
November 12, 2018
Robert Whittaker vs Kelvin Gastelum
Fight Winner
Robert Whittaker -225
Kelvin Gastelum +175
Bet on UFC 234 MMA Fight Las Vegas Odds at Bovada Sportsbook.
2021 March Madness Free $10,000 MyBracket Contest. MyBookie.ag | NASCAR Racing Odds Receive a 50% Welcome Bonus up to $250. bovada.lv |