It has been a good month of action for the UFC and they have one more event before the calendar flips to July. A main event between heavyweights Ciryl Gane and Alexander Volkov is the headline bout for the 13-fight UFC Fight Night 190 card.
You could also call of UFC on ESPN+ 48 or UFC Vegas 30, but whatever you call it, just know that it is a good time to head to FanDuel Sportsbook and claim your welcome bonus offer of a Risk-Free Bet up to $1000.
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Let’s take a look at some of the highlight fights and best bets for UFC on ESPN+ 48 on Saturday June 26:
UFC Betting Odds – Gane (-172) vs. Volkov (+140)
The main event is the third and final heavyweight fight of the night on a card with a lot of knockout potential. This is a fascinating bout between Ciryl Gane and Alexander Volkov. Gane brings a perfect 8-0 record into this fight and Volkov has a stellar 33-8 record in his career, though two of his eight losses have come in UFC bouts.
There are a lot of compelling angles to this fight. Volkov was very much beating Derrick Lewis when he got caught in the third round and was knocked out with just 11 seconds to spare before the fight went to the judges. He would have won via decision, and likely a unanimous one at that.
So, we could be talking about a 34-7 Volkov with an 8-1 UFC record. However, his other loss, the one to Curtis Blaydes, is a big part of the handicap here. Blaydes put on a phenomenal wrestling display to beat Volkov. Gane does have six finishes to his name, but he is a tremendous wrestler himself.
Volkov stands 6-foot-7, so he can strike from distance and also do his best to keep opponents from the outside, but with those long limbs, things can get awkward in the clench. Gane can take advantage in that respect.
The line is a little bit high at -172, especially when you consider that Gane has not fought guys like Lewis or Blaydes. He needed 25 minutes with Jairzinho Rozenstruik, though he did win the fight very comfortably. He also had to go 25 minutes with Tanner Boser.
It just seems like Gane is less worried about the finish and more worried about staying out of danger. He should win this fight because he is the better wrestler and has great patience as a fighter.
Pick: Ciryl Gane
UFC Picks & Predictions: Boser (-184) vs. Saint Preux (+148)
We’re citing FanDuel Sportsbook with the odds, but keep in mind that you can shop around for the best prices on any of these fights. The reason we mention that is because you may be able to find a better price on Ovince Saint Preux, who should be a live underdog here.
OSP is back at heavyweight after missing weight for his fight with Jamahal Hill last time out. He did not look great against Ben Rothwell, but Tanner Boser has recently had issues with Ilir Latifi and Andrei Arlovski. Those are two experienced fighters with solid wrestling backgrounds. OSP is both of those things as well.
Boser is more of a banger. He wants to stand and throw. Saint Preux’s best bet is to stay away from the power of most heavyweights and to try and control the fight. His strength is the question here to hold down a bigger, stronger fighter in Boser, but he has a good chance here and that’s enough to look at the plus-money dog.
Pick: Ovince Saint Preux
UFC on ESPN+ 48 Best Bets
Let’s hop around the card a bit to find some good betting spots:
Jai Herbert (+184) vs. Renato Moicano (-230)
This is a big favorite number for Renato Moicano, who has lost three of his last four fights. Jai Herbert lost his UFC debut against Francisco Trinaldo, but he never really looked comfortable at Fight Island in July. Moicano has been knocked out three times in his last four fights and pretty early in two of them. His chin isn’t there and Herbert is a big striker for the division at 6-foot-1.
Maybe even go for the bigger price with Herbert by KO at +380.
Warlley Alves (-250) + Julia Avila (-355) Parlay
Warlley Alves takes on a UFC newcomer in Jeremiah Wells and Julia Avila fights Julija Stoliarenko on Saturday night. A -250 and -355 parlay comes back with a modest return in the -125 range, but it looks like a good bet here.
Stoliarenko has had major problems with cutting weight in the past, including when she was supposed to fight Avila back in March. It’s hard to see her in the right shape for this fight and Avila is a strong 8-2 in the UFC.
Alves has really improved his striking of late and has three of his four career knockouts over his last five fights. Not only is Wells getting his UFC shot, but he’s also fighting for the first time since September 2019. Alves has the size and experience advantages and also takes on a fighter off a long layoff.