How a Bettor Profited With a UFC Same Game Parlay on DraftKings Sportsbook

Last Saturday’s UFC 278 event featured one of the most shocking knockouts in UFC history, and considering the timing and circumstances, it may have been the most shocking KO ever. With just one minute left in the fight, welterweight title challenger Leon Edwards landed a devastating head kick knockout on champion Kamaru Usman to claim the title.

A DraftKings Sportsbook bettor took advantage of the shocking knockout by turning roughly $2 into over $100 by making this Same Game Parlay (SGP) on DraftKings Sportsbook:

$1.83 to Pay Out $112.85 Kamaru Usman vs. Leon Edwards SGP:

• Leon Edwards Moneyline
• Total Rounds - 4.5 Rounds
• Exact Method of Victory - KO/TKO/DQ

Since Edwards won by knockout with 56 seconds left in the fifth round, the bettor cashed his bet at +6066 odds.

The knockout was among the most shocking ever for a variety of reasons. Usman entered UFC 278 on a massive hot streak and had recently entered the conversation for greatest welterweight of all time. Usman had gone 15-0 in the UFC—including 6-0 in title fights—and was just one win shy of tying Anderson Silva for the longest win streak in UFC history with 16 straight wins.

Usman had dominated the 170-pound division so badly that there was talk of him moving up to light heavyweight (205 pounds) to challenge for the title in that weight class. There was also talk of Usman crossing over to boxing to fight superstar boxer Canelo Alvarez in order to give him a new challenge.

As a result, Usman entered UFC 278 as a substantial favorite, carrying a moneyline of -345 on DraftKings Sportsbook. Usman was also widely popular among the public, receiving 77% of the handle and 86% of the bets on DraftKings Sportsbook. Edwards by KO/TKO/DQ got just 6% of the handle and 4% of bets.

Edwards had a strong opening round and won Round 1 on all three of the judges’ scorecards, but Usman began to take over as the fight went on. Usman won Rounds 2, 3, and 4 on all three of the judges’ scorecards and appeared set to win Round 5 as well. Usman was just one minute away from cruising to another win in a weight class he had dominated, which amplified how shocking the knockout was. This would be similar to a powerhouse NFL team being up 35-10 with one minute left in the game yet somehow losing to the underdog.

The knockout was set up brilliantly by Edwards. Edwards, who was standing southpaw, had noticed that Usman was exiting his head towards Edwards’ left after parrying when Edwards threw his left straight. In an orthodox stance, an orthodox fighter must always be outside the lead leg of a southpaw, otherwise, the orthodox fighter risks sitting in the southpaw’s power range. Usman, who was standing orthodox, got caught inside of Edwards’ lead leg, which put him at risk to take the full force of a shot that Edwards threw from his left side.

To gain clearance to land the kick, Edwards threw a left hand down the middle, and as Usman reached to parry with his hands, Edwards followed up with a left head kick that Usman ducked his head directly into:

Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC

The combination of Usman’s head movement into the kick along with the force of Edwards’ kick amplified the effect, and Usman was left laying on the ground brutally knocked out. The image below of a knocked-out Usman is eerie and terrifying:

Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC

The knockout was reminiscent of MMA legend Mirko “Cro Cop”, who landed such devastating left head kicks that the saying “right leg hospital, left leg cemetery” was coined.

Edwards’ post-fight speech was memorable, and he shouted “Look at me now!” to the audience over and over, which was a reference to how he came from nothing in Jamaica and molded himself into a UFC champion:

The UFC is expected to book an immediate rematch sometime next year, and there has been talk of the fight taking place at Wembley Stadium in London, which has a capacity of about 90,000. Edwards moved to England when he was nine years old and is only the second-ever UFC Champion from the UK.

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Same Game Parlay (SGP) is available on DraftKings Sportsbook for multiple sports! To place a SGP:

1. Find a game that has a +SGP icon in the top-left corner.
2. Toggle “Same Game Parlay” on. Once it’s on, all available bets will appear.
3. Build your Same Game Parlay. Combine multiple bets together from one game. The more bets you combine, the more you can win.
4. Place your parlay. Add your Same Game Parlay to your bet slip, enter your wager amount, and submit your bet.

Read more about SGP at the DraftKings Sportsbook SGP page!

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Place your bets at DraftKings Sportsbook or by downloading the DraftKings Sportsbook app.

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All views expressed are my own. I am an employee of DraftKings and am ineligible to play in public DFS or DKSB contests. The contents contained in this article do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment in building lineups.

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