March 6 is the date once Israel Adesanya meets Jan Blachowicz in one of the most exciting UFC matches in the last couple of years. The Last Stylebender is on its way to reach history, as just one of few fighters with simultaneous titles in multiple divisions.
This is the headliner of the event that features three title matches, one of them involving the above-mentioned two fighters.
Adesanya comes in as a big favorite, with the odds on his victory sitting at 2/5. Meanwhile, Blachowicz to win is 9/4, and a draw is 50/1. When it comes to round betting, the invisible line is 3. That is where the odds tend to meet. For the fight to finish before the end of that sequence, they are at 13/10, while the opposite is 4/7. If you have some doubts and second thoughts, it’s worth checking out MBet’s UFC blogger Jeff Fox with some comprehensive analysis and previews for all the major events.
Now to get back to our fight. Izzy is a strong favorite, as said before, but against Blachowicz, who was an underdog throughout his entire career, that doesn’t have to mean anything. The Pole has eight wins in the last nine battles. Against Dominic Reyes, he was an underdog as well, and just remember how that fight ended.
Previously, Blachowicz beat Corey Anderson, Ronaldo Souza, Luke Rockhold, etc, the majority of them due to fantastic punching power.
But when talking about punching and striking, Adesanya possesses some unreal abilities in that area as well. This guy didn’t lose in his pro career, having 20 wins 15 of them via KO. The latest one against Paulo Costa pretty much explained everything. The Brazilian experienced what it is like to challenge Izzy.
Due to having two ferocious strikers, the experts and a vast majority of the fans expect to see this match finishing with a KO. The odds on Adesanya to end the bout like that are 6/5, while on the other side, Blachowicz’s are 5/1. When it comes to submitting the opponent, the Pole’s chances are better, 15/1, compared to Adesanya’s 20/1, and for the decision, Izzy is better, 5/2, Blachowicz 9/1.
As seen here, even though the lightweight champion might have the physical advantage, the bookmakers still believe in Adesanya’s quickness and movement. though, we never saw him fighting on the ground, it would be interesting to see Izzy wrestling. No doubt, Blachowicz’s size would be a massive problem, but still, the lightning speed of the middleweight champ could be decisive here as well.
If Adesanya wins here, the next step would most probably be Jon Jones, who was stripped of his title once more, due to problems created in his personal life. These two already engaged in some trash talk over the past few months, but everything stayed on that. However, if Adesanya takes over the lightweight division, Jones would have to face him to regain his belt.
A few words on other title fights at the UFC 259. Amanda “Lioness” Nunes will meet Megan Anderson in the women’s featherweight title match. The Brazilian champion is the undisputed ruler in this category, and it’s no wonder why the odds on her win are 1/12. Anderson’s, on the other side, are 7/1. Also, the men’s bantamweight title is at stake, and the reigning champ Petr Yan takes on the challenger, Aljamain Sterling. The Russian is the favorite with 8/11, while Sterling’s triumph is priced at 11/10. Many expect this to be a Fight of the Night, with the two guys having a merciless approach during the battle.
Other fights at the UFC 259 worthy of attention are Aleksandar Rakic vs. Thiago Santos, Dominick Cruz vs. Casey Kenney, and Rogerio Bontorin vs. Kai Kara-France.