The UFC 263 is the next big thing in the MMA world. Now even though we have several UFC events before this one, the spectacle at Gila River Arena is special because of three big fights, two of them with the division belt on the table.
Israel Adesanya faces Marvin Vettori, the one guy that pushed him to the brink in the middleweight division. Deiveson Figueiredo defends his flyweight title in the rematch against Brandon Moreno, while Leon Edwards faces Nate Diaz in a contest that promises fireworks. All those eager to see a good fight and practice some UFC betting are very hyped due to this event.
Adesanya and Vettori already met once, back in 2018, and the Last Stylebender won that fight, but via split decision. Many suggest that, in fact, Vettori was the one who came out victorious but that the judges made a controversial call awarding a win to his rival.
After that, we saw Adesanya sweeping pretty much his entire competition and winning the middleweight belt, while on the other side, Vettori posted five wins in a row. The fighter from New Zealand is the favorite 4/11, while Vettori’s odds for posting a victory are 2/1. The Italian is a tough nut to crack, which is why the bookies believe that this fight might go to distance. Odds on that are 8/13, while the opposite to happen is at 6/5. Izzy to win via TKO, KO or DSQ are 7/12, and Vettori to do the same is 7/2.
In the co-main event, Figueiredo meets Moreno. The two clashed on December 13 last year, also in the title bout, posting arguably the best fight of the year. Figueiredo preserved his belt but following a majority draw, which was only the fourth time in the UFC history to see a draw in one title match.
The champ is the absolute favorite coming into this event, 2/5. Moreno sits a 2/1, while a draw, in this case, multiplies your stake 25 times. The odds for the fight to see all 25 minutes are the same as for Adesanya vs. Vettori – 8/13 YES and 6/5 NO. In case you think this won’t happen, here is one excellent offer. For the fight to conclude before the end of the third round, odds are set at 7/4, and you have to admit that it is tempting.
Each time Nate Diaz steps into the octagon, the crowd goes wild because this guy is one of a kind showman. His trash talk and appearance are unique, and this time, he has an equally fierce competitor across the canvas – Leon Edwards. The Brith is constantly in the mix for a title match, but various jinxes have prevented him from confirming that. Several of his battles have been canceled, and in the last one, he accidentally poked Belal Muhammad in the eye, and the bout was called a no contest, even though “Rocky” had a lead on the scorecards.
According to the bookies, Edwards’ win here is a sure thing, as they set the odds for his success at 1/5. On the other side, if Diaz wins, that would be a big sensation, 19/5. Odds to see the fight going to distance are very long 3/1, and on the other side, to end before the final horn is 4/14. Edwards to KO or TKO, his rival is 2/7, and Diaz’s win by the same method is 26/5.
Even though the American stands as a massive underdog, he often showed that being in that position doesn’t present any trouble for him. Furthermore, it gives Diaz additional motive to prove the bookmakers and the analysts wrong. Regardless of the fact that this isn’t a title match, it sure does attract attention like one.
Before this event, we have one more coming up – UFC Fight Night: Rozenstruik vs. Sakai. Apart from the headliner between two heavyweights, the co-main bout of the night is also in the same division, between Walt Harris and Marcin Tybura.