SO IT’S RAFAEL dos Anjos out and Nate Diaz in as Conor McGregor makes the jump from 145lbs to 170lbs at UFC 196 in Las Vegas this weekend.
As expected, featherweight champion McGregor, who is on a 15-fight winning run going back to 2010, is the bookies’ favourite, but in Diaz he comes up against a seasoned brawler who will hold both a height and reach advantage over the Dubliner.
Whatever happens, it’s bound to be entertaining and we’ve picked out five bets worth considering.
1. McGregor to win within 60 seconds – 9/2
“Timing beats speed, precision beats power,” he famously said after taking just 13 seconds to floor Jose Aldo on his last outing back in December – making it the shortest title fight in UFC history.
Mystic Mac has predicted another first round knockout, so Diaz could very well suffer a similar fate…
2. McGregor to win by first round KO/TKO – 6/4
Of his 19 professional bouts, The Notorious has ended 13 within the first round with those lightening fast fists.
If his opponent does survive the opening exchanges, there’s a very high probability that he won’t make it to the bell at the end of Round 1.
3. McGregor to win by second round KO/TKO – 10/3
Chad Mendes and Dennis Siver both did enough to reach the second round and Diaz may show enough durability to equal their achievements before eventually crumbling.
I fell his body will be ripped to shreds, it’s a soft frame,” McGregor said this week. ”I feel the left uppercut will be a nice one. The long range is an illusion. I feel my left uppercut will ping him clean.”
4. Diaz to win by submission – 9/1
For those looking to back against Ireland’s number one MMA fighter, Diaz is a decent price at 9/1 to win by submission.
The Californian has claimed victories this way eight times in the UFC through a variety of armbars, guillotines and triangles.
Here’s how he finished off Jim Miller back in 2012.
And one (really) long shot…
5. Fight to end in a draw – 66/1
Okay, so neither fighter has ever drawn a bout in their professional careers… hence the odds.
But stranger things have happened and you would be kicking yourself if it did come in and you hadn’t stuck a couple of euro down.
What bets will you be doing for UFC 196?
Use the promo code F50 when you sign up to Ladbrokes.com to redeem your first free bet to a value of up to €50. If you fancy your chances with the above odds, it could be time to make things interesting. Prices subject to fluctuation. Ladbrokes rules apply. 18+
