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Fight fans rejoice, as this weekend UFC 293 features middleweight champion Israel Adesanya defending his belt against #5 Sean Strickland live from Australia. The 12-fight card gets going at 6:30 p.m. ET, with the early prelims, followed by the prelims at 8 p.m. ET. The main event closes things out at 10 p.m. ET.
Let’s take a look at some of the best plays and odds for Saturday night’s action, courtesy of Draftkings Sportsbook.
UFC 293 Best Bets
Adesanya vs. Strickland
It’ll be electric as hometown fans get a chance to see the Style Bender fight in Sydney for the first time since February 2019. Expect Adesanya to draw energy from the crowd and land a stoppage victory. Take the under for 4.5 total rounds (-140). Sprinkle in an Adesanya KO win in round 2 (+600) or round 3 (+750) for good measure.
Prediction: Adesanya by KO
Tuivasa vs. Volkov
Another matchup that could end quickly as both fighters enter with a combined 37 wins by knockout in their careers. Tuivasa has lost his last two by stoppage. Volkov has ended his last two opponents in the first round and I expect that trend to continue here. He does a great job of utilizing his 80” reach and stands at 6’7”. Volkov by first-round KO is the play (+225).
Prediction: Volkov by KO
Kape vs. Dos Santos
Dos Santos is making his debut in this one, filling in for Kai Kara-France. The 22-year-old puts his unbeaten record of 7-0 on the line against Kape who has reeled off three straight wins. While the hunger from Dos Santos will keep this entertaining, Kape has more fight experience and composure. Take Kape to win by second-round KO (+400) in convincing fashion.
Prediction: Kape by KO
Tafa vs. Lane
These two are running it back after an accidental eye-poke to Tafa stalled their first meeting in July. Lane is a former NFL athlete who had a standout performance on the Dana White Contender Series. However, before the eye poke, Tafa was clearly outlanding him en route to a third straight knockout win. Unless Lane improved his defensive mechanics a ton, Tafa should prevail by knockout. Take the under on 1.5 rounds (-240) and Tafa by KO (-150).
Prediction: Tafa by KO