UFC 259 - How to Bet on UFC Fights and Who to Wager on in UFC 259

UFC 259 will be the biggest pay per view fight card of 2021 thus far! There will be not one, not two, but three world title fights on the main card.

In the co-co-main event, Petr Yan will be making his long awaited first UFC Bantamweight World Title defense against #1 contender, Aljamain Sterling. Yan defeated Jose Aldo back in July of last year. I suppose 7 months isn’t that long but it sure feels like it.
After the Bantamweight champion is decided, we move up a weight class and cross a gender for the Women’s Featherweight title fight when, of course, the GOAT Amanda Nunes defends her 45-pound strap against Australia’s Megan Anderson.
It isn’t often that Amanda Nunes defends her Featherweight World Title but when she does, it’s usually a lopsided affair. It is evident from her performances inside of the Octagon that Megan, while being a natural 145er or maybe even more standing over 6 feet tall, has never displayed the ability to defend the takedown.

Almost too many stellar fights to talk about!

In this guide, we’ve got a ton of resources to help get you ready for this triple championship showdown. We’ll tell you how to watch UFC 259 (including start times), a full fight card breakdown, the UFC 259 betting odds, and where to best on UFC 259 no matter where you live in the world.

Where to Bet on UFC 259

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How To Watch UFC 259

Date: Saturday March 6th, 2021
Location: UFC APEX, Las Vegas
Main Card Start Time: 10:00 PM EST, 7:00 PM PDT
Preliminary Card Start Time: 8:00 PM EST, 5:00 PM PDT
UFC 259 Channel: Prelims on ESPN and ESPN+, Main Card available for PPV purchase on ESPN+
Price: Prelims are free, Main Card is $64.99 for ESPN+ subscribers or $84.98 for UFC 259 and an annual pass to ESPN+

The Full UFC 259 Fight Card

Israel Adesanya vs. Jan Blachowicz
Amanda Nunes vs. Megan Anderson
Petr Yan vs. Aljamain Sterling
Islam Makhachev vs. Drew Dober
Thiago Santos vs. Alexander Rakic
Dominick Cruz vs. Casey Kenney
Song Yadong vs. Kyler Phillips
Joe Benavidez vs. Askar Askarov
Amanda Lemos vs. Livinha Souza
Sean Brady vs. Jake Matthews
Tim Elliott vs. Jordan Espinosa
Kai Kara France vs. Rogerio Bontorin
Carlos Ulberg vs. Kennedy Nzechukwu
Uros Medic vs. Aalon Cruz

Top UFC 259 Storylines

3 World Titles will be on the line!

Israel Adesanya attempts to capture his second world title, this time up at Light Heavyweight
Bantamweight World Champion Petr Yan defends his belt for the first time ever against the deserving challenger, Aljamain Sterling
Amanda Nunes is rumored to likely be retiring from the sport of MMA after she likely (-1200) defeats Megan Anderson
13-0 Sean Brady gets the biggest test of his career against longtime UFC veteran, Aussie Jake Matthews
Forever Flyweight contender Joe Benavidez checks to see what he has left in the tank against undefeated Askar Askarov
Bantamweight prospects Kyler Phillips and Sang Yadong face off in a clash of styles
Islam Makhachev makes his long-awaited return to the Octagon against KO artist and athletic freak, Drew Dober
Dominick Cruz is fighting on the PRELIMS! That’s how good this card is!

The Latest UFC 259 Betting Odds

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP

Matchup Odds
Israel Adesanya -270
Jan Blachowicz +230

WOMEN’S FEATHERWEIGHT

Matchup Odds
Amanda Nunes -1200
Megan Anderson +800

BANTAMWEIGHT

Matchup Odds
Petr Yan -140
Aljamain Sterling +120

Lightweight

Matchup Odds
Islam Makhachev -325
Drew Dober +275

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT

Matchup Odds
Alexander Rakic -160
Thiago Santos +140

BANTAMWEIGHT

Matchup Odds
Dominick Cruz -125
Casey Kenney +105

BANTAMWEIGHT

Matchup Odds
Song Yadong -161
Kyler Phillips +141

FLYWEIGHT

Matchup Odds
Joe Benavidez -105
Askar Askarov -115

WOMEN’S STRAWWEIGHT

Matchup Odds
Amanda Lemos -150
Livinha Souza +120

WELTERWEIGHT

Matchup Odds
Sean Brady -250
Jake Matthews +210

FLYWEIGHT

Matchup Odds
Tim Elliott -105
Jordan Espinosa -115

FLYWEIGHT

Matchup Odds
Kai Kara France -150
Rogerio Bontorin +120

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT

Matchup Odds
Carlos Ulberg -170
Kennedy Nzechukwu +140

Lightweight

Matchup Odds
Uros Medic -160
Aalon Cruz +140

Odds Pulled From Our Top UFC 259 Betting Sites of 2021

UFC 259 Prop Bets

Currently, there are only prop bets available for the title fights but luckily for us, we have three of them at UFC 259!
Some of the more enticing and potentially valuable prop bets for UFC 259 are listed here.

Adesanya Wins Inside the Distance: +105

Yes, Izzy is going up in weight and the Pole, Jan Blachowicz is very tough but he is also very hittable and I believe Adesanya, a 6’4” man, will enjoy the power boost up 20 pounds at Light Heavy.

The speed advantage will also be quite evident and remember, this fight is scheduled for 25 minutes, so The Last Style Bender will have ample time to properly punish and put away the Polish powerhouse.

Israel Adesanya -5.5: -160

A lot of you may be wondering what in the spam heck am I talking about here but yes, mixed martial arts fights now have point spreads and I still don’t know how I feel about it.

From an interest, curiosity, and intrigue standpoint, I just want to dive into all of the possibilities but point spreads are how the books beat us. Moneylines are much safer but we are still in the infancy of MMA point spreads so let’s take advantage of some beginner mistakes albeit making a few of our own (and learning) along the way.

Izzy being -5.5 means that if he gets the finish, we win the bet no matter what the judges would have said. Conversely, if the Polish power prevails and puts Izzy out, then we lose our bet automatically.

That’s fair. The point spread would normally be 3.5 but since we are in a title fight, it is 5.5. These points come from all three judges’ scorecards COMBINED.

This means that Israel Adesanya -5.5 would need +6 points after the scorecards are tallied. An example of that would be all three judges’ in agreement at 49-46 for Izzy.

This gives him more than enough at +9. That is 4 rounds to 1. If it is 3-2, then we only have a 3 point edge at 48-47 across the board. It gets interesting when the judges disagree so every fight is different and just like moneylines and round totals, sometimes the value simply isn’t there.

I like Izzy a lot in this fight. He will have the range and most importantly, the speed. Jan isn’t a massive takedown threat either so I don’t see him winning more than one round.

I also think Adesanya will get the finish as you know we likely won’t need the scorecards in this spot. A scenario that would screw us is (48-47), (48-47), and (49-46) for Adesanya. He could dominate 80% of the fight and still end up like this.

Speed kills, though, and I think Adesanya sleeps the champ. And new…

Aljamain Sterling vs. Petr Yan Round Total/Over 4.5: +130

Picking a winner in this fight is going to be incredibly tough. You can make arguments for both men because they are each so incredibly skilled, dangerous, and durable.

The former and the latter lead to me looking at betting one of the round totals. Aljamain Sterling has only been stopped by a knee to the head and we haven’t yet seen anyone finish the champ.

The payout is decent and I think these 35ers go the distance.

Key Details UFC 259 Bettors Want to Know

The key to successfully betting on UFC 259 is educating yourself on the need to know details. Our experts have done the heavy lifting for you and put together a breakdown of the critical facts for these fights. If you’re planning on betting on UFC 259 and you want to win, take some time here.

Jan Blachowicz (c) vs. Israel Adesanya

Israel Adesanya (-270)

Professional Record: 20-0
Nickname: The Last Style Bender
From: Lagos, Nigeria
Fight Camp: City Kickboxing in Auckland, New Zealand
Last Fight: Win – 2nd Round TKO over Paulo Costa-9/27/2020
Notable Victories: Robert Whittaker, Marvin Vettori, Yoel Romero, Kelvin Gastelum, Anderson Silva

Jan Blachowicz (+200)

Professional Record: 27-8
Nickname: John
From: Cieszyn, Poland
Fight Camp: WCA Fight Team
Last Fight: Win-2nd Round TKO over Dominick Reyes-9/26/2020
Notable Victories: Jared Cannonier, Corey Anderson, Dominick Reyes

Amanda Nunes (c) vs. Megan Anderson

Amanda Nunes (-1200)

Professional Record: 20-4
Nickname: The Lioness
From: Pojuca, Bahia, Brazil
Fight Camp: American Top Team
Last Fight: Win-Unanimous Decision over Felicia Spencer-6/6/2020
Notable Victories: Valentina Shevchenko(x2), Cris Cyborg, Germaine de Randamie (x2), Holly Holm, Meisha Tate

Megan Anderson (+800)

Professional Record: 10-4
Nickname: N/A
From: Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
Fight Camp: Glory MMA and Fitness
Last Fight: Win-1st Round TKO over Norma Dumont on 2/29/2020
Notable Victories: None. Just kidding-Cat Zingano

Petr Yan (c) vs. Aljamain Sterling

Petr Yan (-140)

Professional Record: 15-1
Nickname: No Mercy
From: Mother Russia
Fight Camp: Tiger Muay Thai
Last Fight: Win-5th Round TKO over Jose Aldo on 7/11/2020
Notable Victories: Jose Aldo, Jimmie Rivera, Magomed Magomedov

Aljamain Sterling (+120)

Professional Record: 19-3
Nickname: The Funk Master
From: Strong Island, New York
Fight Camp: Serra/Longo MMA
Last Fight: Win-First Round Rear Naked Choke over Cory Sandhagen on 6/6/2020
Notable Victories: Cory Sandhagen, Jimmie Rivera, Pedro Munhoz

Islam Makhachev vs. Drew Dober

Islam Makhachev (-325)

Professional Record: 18-1
Nickname: N/A
From: Dagestan, Russia
Fight Camp: American Kickboxing Academy
Last Fight: Win-Unanimous Decision over Davi Ramos on 9/7/2019
Notable Victories: Arman Tsarukyen

Drew Dober (-275)

Professional Record: 23-9
Nickname: N/A
From: Omaha, Nebraska
Fight Camp: Elevation Fight Team
Last Fight: Win-2nd Round TKO over Alexander Hernandez on 5/13/2020
Notable Wins: Nasrat Haqparast

Alexander Rakic vs. Thiago Santos

Junior dos Santos (-160)

Professional Record: 13-2
Nickname: N/A
From: Austria
Fight Camp: Team 23
Last Fight: Win-Unanimous Decision over Anthony Smith on 8/29/2020
Notable Victories: Anthony Smith

Thiago Santos (+140)

Professional Record: 21-8
Nickname: Marreta
From: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Fight Camp: American Top Team
Last Fight: Loss- 3rd Round Rear Naked Choke to Glover Teixiera
Notable Victories: Jan Blachowicz, Kevin Holland, Anthony Smith, Jack Hermansson

Dominick Cruz vs. Casey Kenney

Casey Kenney (-125)

Professional Record: 16-2-1
Nickname: N/A
From: Portland, Indiana
Fight Camp: The MMA Lab in Phoenix, AZ
Last Fight: Win-Unanimous Decision over Nathaniel Wood on 10/24/2020
Notable Victories: Nathaniel Wood, Ray Borg, Brandon Royval

Dominick Cruz (-105)

Professional Record: 22-3
Nickname: The Dominator
From: San Diego, California
Fight Camp: Alliance MMA
Last Fight: Loss-2nd Round TKO to Henry Cejudo
Notable Victories: TJ Dillashaw, Urijah Faber, Joe Benavidez (x2), Demetrious Johnson

Kyler Phillips vs. Song Yadong

Song Yadong (-161)

Professional Record: 16-4-1
Nickname: Kung Fu Monkey
From: Harbin, China
Fight Camp: Team Alpha Male
Last Fight: Win-Unanimous Decision over Chito Vera on 5/16/2020
Notable Victories: Chito Vera

Kyler Phillips (+121)

Professional Record: 8-1
Nickname: The Matrix
From: Torrance, California
Fight Camp: The MMA Lab in Phoenix, AZ
Last Fight: Win-2nd Round TKO over Cameron Else on 10/3/2020
Notable Victories: N/A

Joe Benavidez vs Askar Askrov

Askar Askarov (-115)

Professional Record: 13-0-1
Nickname: Ask
From: Mother Russia
Fight Camp: Berkut FC
Last Fight: Win-Unanimous Decision over Alexandre Pantoja on 7/18/2020
Notable Victories: Alexandre Pantoja, Tim Elliott

Joe Benavidez (-105)

Professional Record: 28-7
Nickname: Beefcake
From: San Antonio, Texas
Fight Camp: Team Alpha Male
Last Fight: Loss-1st Round Rear Naked Choke to Deiveson Figueredo on 7/18/2020
Notable Victories: Jussier Formiga(x2), Alex Perez, Henry Cejudo

Amanda Lemos vs. Livinha Souza

Amanda Lemos (-150)

Professional Record: 8-1-1
Nickname: Amandinha
From: Brazil
Fight Camp: Marajo Brothers MMA
Last Fight: Win-Unanimous Decision over Mizuki Inoue on 8/22/2020
Notable Victories: Mizuki Inoue, Miranda Granger

Livinha Souza (+120)

Professional Record: 14-2
Nickname: The Brazilian Gangster
From: Sao Paulo, Brazil
Fight Camp: Team Maximo
Last Fight: Win-Unanimous Decision Win over Ashley Yoder on 8/15/2020
Notable Victories: Ashley Yoder

Sean Brady vs Jake Matthews

Sean Brady (-250)

Professional Record: 13-0
Nickname: N/A
From: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Fight Camp: Renzo Gracie Philly
Last Fight: Win-Round 2 Guillotine Choke over Christian Aguilera on 8/29/2020
Notable Victories: Ismail Naurdiev

Jake Matthews (+200)

Professional Record: 17-4
Nickname: The Celtic Kid
From: Melbin, Straya
Fight Camp: Nexus
Last Fight: Win-Unanimous Decision over Diego Sanchez on 9/26/2020
Notable Victories: Jingliang Li

Jordan Espinosa vs Tim Elliott

Jordan Espinosa (-115)

Professional Record: 15-8
Nickname: N/A
From: Meridian, Connecticut
Fight Camp: Luttrell’s MMA
Last Fight: Loss-Unanimous Decision to David Dvorak on 9/19/2020
Notable Victories: Absolutely Nobody

Tim Elliott (-115)

Professional Record: 16-11-1
Nickname: N/A
From: Kansas City, Missouri
Fight Camp: Glory MMA and Fitness
Last Fight: Win-Unanimous Decision over Ryan Benoit on 7/15/2020
Notable Victories: Louis Smolka, Matt Schnell

Kai Kara France vs Rogerio Bontorin

Kai Kara France (-150)

Professional Record: 21-9
Nickname: Don’t Blink
From: Auckland, New Zealand
Fight Camp: City Kickboxing
Last Fight: Loss-2nd Round Guillotine choke to Brandon Royval
Notable Victories: Raulian Paiva

Rogerio Bontorin (+120)

Professional Record:
Nickname: N/A
From: Adrianopolis, Parana, Brazil
Fight Camp: Gile Ribeiro Team
Last Fight: Loss-Unanimous Decision to Ray Borg on 2/15/2020
Notable Victories: Raulian Paiva, Magomed Bibulatov

Kennedy Nzechukwu vs Carlos Ulberg

Carlos Ulberg (-172)

Professional Record: 3-0

Nickname: Mr. Marvelous

From: Auckland, New Zealand

Fight Camp: City Kickboxing

Last Fight: Loss-Unanimous Decision to David Dvorak on 9/19/2020

Notable Victories: Absolutely Nobody

Kennedy Nzechukwu (+144)

Professional Record: 7-1

Nickname: African Savage

From: Ima State, Nigeria

Fight Camp: Fortis MMA

Last Fight: Win-Unanimous Decision over Darko Stosic on 7/8/2019

Notable Victories: Absolutely Nobody

Uros Medic vs Aalon Cruz

Uros Medic (-160)

Professional Record: 6-0
Nickname: The Doctor
From: Novi Sad, Serbia
Fight Camp: Kings MMA
Last Fight: win-1st Round TKO over Mikey Gonzalez on 8/4/2020
Notable Victories: Absolutely Nobody

Aalon Cruz (+140)

Professional Record: 8-3
Nickname: N/A
From: Tampa, Florida
Fight Camp: Xtreme Couture
Last Fight: Loss-1st Round TKO to Spike Carlyle on 2/29/2020
Notable Victories: Absolutely Nobody

Latest UFC 259 News, Betting Tips, and More

If you’re planning to bet real money on UFC 259 a little more insight could never hurt. That’s why we’ve added this section!
Below you’ll find a variety of online UFC betting strategy articles, UFC event predictions, the best real money UFC 259 betting sites, and plenty of other resources to give you the best odds of winning your UFC 259 bets.