Esparza vs. Waterson results: Carla Esparza wins by split decision.
In the biggest women’s bout on the card at UFC 249, strawweights Carla Esparza and Michelle Waterson will fight in a battle of Top 10 contenders for Zhang Weili’s division championship at the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville tonight.
Esparza is ranked No. 7 in the division, with a career record of 16-6. She has a 6-4 record in the UFC, but is without a knockout or submission in her UFC career. “The Karate Hottie” Waterson is seeking to become the first “Mom Champ” in UFC history, and enters with a 17-7 record.
The bettors don’t always agree on much, but they certainly see this fight going the full 15 minutes, and you’ll have to lay $480 to win just $100 if it goes the distance. Esparza is favored in one of the tightest battles on the card at -150. She’s receiving just 39% of the bets, but 52% of the handle. That’s usually an indication of sharper action, which might mean she’s the favored fighter by those in the know. But if either of these fighters were to score an unexpected knockout, you’d get 10-1 if it was Esparza, and 11-1 via Waterson.
Here are the updated betting lines for Carla Esparza and Michelle Waterson at UFC 249.
Esparza vs. Waterson betting splits
| Fighters | Esparza | Waterson |
|---|---|---|
| Fighters | Esparza | Waterson |
| Record | 16-6 | 17-7 |
| ML Odds | -150 | +125 |
| To Go the Distance | Yes (-480) | No (+320) |
| Total Rounds | Over 2.5 (-590) | Under 2.5 (+365) |
| To Win by KO, TKO or DQ | +1000 | +1100 |
| To Win by Submission | +1200 | +1200 |
| To Win by Decision | -106 | +165 |
| ML Splits (By Handle) | 52% | 48% |
| ML Splits (By Bets) | 39% | 61% |
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