UFC Fight Night: Sandhagen vs. Nurmagomedov Fight Card Odds and Picks

Last Updated on August 3, 2023 5:47 pm by Erwin Noguera

The UFC Fight Night is taking a trip to Nashville, Tennesse, as the Bridgestone Arena will be the venue to host an exciting clash between two Bantamweights, but due to the fights being adjusted and people pulling in and out of the event all over, the main event will be a catchweight bout.

Besides all the changes in this event, and there has been a fair amount taking into consideration that 8 match-ups were scrapped in the process, including the former main event, we still have quite a fun fight card with 12 matches.

We should be having quite a blast, as 8 of the fights will be in the featherweight divisions and under, meaning that we are going to get fast fighters and should not close our eyes.

We do have 2 Light heavyweight bouts, a lightweight bout, and a welterweight clash to keep some variety.

The main event will be a banger between Cory Sandhagen and Rob Font, who comes in as a late replacement to save the main event, but we will also have the experienced Jessica Andrade and the undefeated Tatiana Suarez clashing in the Co-main event.

We are expecting an exciting event with a ton of new faces trying to make their name known in their respective divisions.

You can check all the UFC/MMA bets, the analysis of each fighter, and the final bet you can make in this fight.

UFC Fight Night: Sandhagen vs. Font – Info

When:

Saturday, August 5th, at 6:00 pm ET

Moneyline odds:

Cory Sandhagen -344 / Rob Font +250

Jéssica Andrade +278 / Tatiana Suarez -384

Dustin Jacoby -158 / Kennedy Nzechukwu +124

Gavin Tucker +136 / Diego Lopes -175

Tanner Boser -161 / Aleksa Camur +126

Ignacio Bahamondes -232 / Ľudovít Klein +177

Raoni Barcelos +165 / Kyler Phillips -212

Jeremiah Wells -135 / Carlston Harris +105

Billy Quarantillo -181 / Damon Jackson +141

Jake Hadley -208 / Cody Durden +160

Sean Woodson -175 / Dennis Buzukja +145

Ode Osbourne +149 / Asu Almabaev -192

Where can I watch it?

UFC Fight Pass

UFC Fight Night: Cory Sandhagen vs. Rob Font

Why Bet on Cory Sandhagen?

Cory Sandhagen is the No. 4-ranked bantamweight contender and most recently defeated Marlon Vera by a split decision in March. He was submitted by current champ Aljamain Sterling in a bantamweight title eliminator in 2020 but bounced back with knockout victories against Marlon Moraes and Frankie Edgar.

After losing a controversial split decision to T.J. Dillashaw, he was given an interim title shot against Petr Yan but came up short in a 25-minute battle which earned Fight of the Night honors. Since then, he’s defeated Song Yadong and Vera to get back in the championship picture.

Why Bet on Rob Font?

Rob Font is at No. 7 in the rankings and is fresh off a first-round knockout victory against Adrian Yanez in April that earned him a Performance of the Night bonus. That snapped a two-fight skid for him, who previously lost by unanimous decision in five-round main events against Marlon Vera and Jose Aldo.

The 36-year-old has compiled a 10-5 record inside the octagon with seven of those wins coming by stoppage. He’s a high-volume striker that relies on his crisp boxing, pressure, and cardio to defeat opponents.

Cory Sandhagen vs. Rob Font Betting Analysis:

Font is a good striker but he’s heavily reliant on his boxing while Sandhagen has more weapons in his arsenal, including dangerous kicks, knees, and elbows.

Font is also at his best against fighters that move in a straight line so Sandhagen’s lateral movement and creative angles will make it tough for him to get into rhythm.

Another reason we like Sandhagen to get the win is his underrated grappling game.

Sandhagen has been trying to implement his wrestling more in recent fights which includes three takedowns on Vera and taking down Petr Yan once on six attempts.

Font doesn’t have the best defensive wrestling and Sandhagen’s ability to control him on the mat and unleash ground-and-pound is another path to victory. We will take the younger fighter with more tools.

UFC Fight Night: Jéssica Andrade vs. Tatiana Suarez

Why Bet on Jéssica Andrade?

Andrade’s risk-taking backfired in more ways than one recently. First, she jumped in on short notice against Erin Blanchfield back up at 125 pounds, and she got strangled for her bravery.

Then, she tried to march down Yan Xiaonan and got cracked for her efforts. Still, Andrade remains a powerhouse with dangerous submission skills.

Why Bet on Tatiana Suarez?

Suarez was clearly on the route to the belt until injuries sidelined her for nearly four years. Before returning, Suarez was a nearly unstoppable wrestler, but she has yet to prove she remains at that level against top competition.

Jéssica Andrade vs. Tatiana Suarez Betting Analysis:

Were it still 2019, we would have sided with Suarez in a heartbeat. She truly looked unbeatable, the rare situation where Khabib comparisons were not baseless. A whole bunch of surgeries later, we are distinctly less confident. We’ve all seen wrestlers hamstrung by a wonky knee or bad back, and at 32, we’re starting to enter now-or-never territory for her.

Even so, we are backing her up here. The book is written on Andrade, who has never fared well when placed on her back. Suarez isn’t going to back up, which tends to be when the Brazilian’s best shots land.

Instead, she’ll get wrestling right away, and based on recent history, Andrade will make a mistake at the bottom.

UFC Fight Night: Dustin Jacoby vs. Kennedy Nzechukwu

Why Bet on Dustin Jacoby?

Jacoby fell flat in his first UFC stint, but he developed his skills as a professional kickboxer before returning to the Octagon up a weight class. He’s now a more powerful and composed striker, and his takedown defense has come a long way as well, making him a solid gatekeeper to the top portion of the division.

Why Bet on Kennedy Nzechukwu?

Nzechukwu, meanwhile, is a major physical talent still learning to use all his tools. He’s at his best when swarming opponents in close distance, where his size and strength are most effective at creating major collisions.

Dustin Jacoby vs. Kennedy Nzechukwu Betting Analysis:

This match-up reminds us of a famous Royce Gracie quote, “A black belt only covers two inches of your ass. You have to cover the rest.” That’s how we feel about Jacoby’s professional kickboxing experience in this regard.

Sure, it sounds great on paper, but will it will not matter much when he’s a little tired, and Nzechukwu is in his face, throwing hard elbows and punches-in-bunches. Kennedy has overcome strikers more technical than himself previously, and he’s riding good momentum into this one.

Likely, “The African Savage” keeps it going here and continues another rung up the rankings.

UFC Fight Night: Gavin Tucker vs. Diego Lopes

Why Bet on Gavin Tucker?

Tucker has proven himself a very skilled combatant in a fairly small amount of fights. A jiu-jitsu black belt with an effective wrestler and good kickboxing offense from both stances, he is comfortable wherever the fight goes.

Why Bet on Diego Lopes?

Lopes impressed everyone with his short-notice debut against Movsar Evloev, taking it to the unbeaten Russian on the feet and the floor. He spent a little too much time on the bottom and grew fatigued as the fight wore on, but it was still a top-notch debut given the level of competition and preparation.

Gavin Tucker vs. Diego Lopes Betting Analysis:

There are two paths to victory for Tucker here. On one hand, he could look to wrestle and navigate the dangerous waters of Lopes’ guard. Alternatively, he could keep his distance, deny any takedowns that come his way, and try to outwork the Brazilian newcomer.

Both could work, but both feel very dangerous. Lopes just appears to be the more serious finishing threat. He’s also nearly a decade younger and has significant advantages in height and reach.

It’s a match-up where Tucker will have to be perfect, whereas Lopes just needs to find one big moment to shift the fight in his favor.

UFC Fight Night: Tanner Boser vs. Aleksa Camur

Why Bet on Tanner Boser?

Boser has lost four of his last five fights, mostly in an underwhelming fashion. He’s got a good distance kickboxing game that capitalizes on his quickness — an advantage his drop to Light Heavyweight may have eliminated — but his takedown defense remains a liability.

Why Bet on Aleksa Camur?

Camur is best known for being Stipe Miocic’s training partner. He’s not accomplished much yet in his short UFC career, but he’s proven himself a decent striker with finishing power.

Tanner Boser vs. Aleksa Camur Betting Analysis:

It’s worrying that Boser was pretty quickly dispatched by an Ion Cutelaba 1-2. If he can’t handle the speed of smaller men, his size advantage is going to mean very little.

After all, Boser is not a huge hitter himself. Mostly, he relies on volume and distance striking to win decisions, occasionally sitting down more on counter shots. Fortunately, Camur is a good test for whether this Light Heavyweight idea has any legs. If Boser gets cracked here, it’s time to beef back up.

More likely, he’s able to play the outskirts of the Octagon well, and Camur’s aggression and volume will lead him into the heaviest shots of the night.

UFC Fight Night: Ignacio Bahamondes vs. Ľudovít Klein

Why Bet on Ignacio Bahamondes?

Bahamondes has unexpectedly turned into a pretty exciting prospect. The 25-year-old Chilean talent throws an absurd amount of strikes, putting the pace on his opponents and throwing shots from all ranges.

Why Bet on Ľudovít Klein?

Klein is a quality striker himself, a Southpaw who can advance or counter fluidly. Of the two, he’s also more likely to mix a takedown into his arsenal. He, however, pretty much lost his previous fight until his opponent Jai Herbert lost a point in the third round and got the fight tied.

Ignacio Bahamondes vs. Ľudovít Klein Betting Analysis:

The question here is whether or not Klein’s footwork is good enough to allow him to pick and choose when to engage with Bahamondes. Neither seems likely to stop the other, which means that in a likely kickboxing match, where volume is key.

Historically, Bahamondes throws much more, so it’s up to Klein to limit exchanges, lands the bigger shots, and punish him for his aggression.

John Makdessi managed it, and he’s not a world-beater. Still, Bahamondes’ edges in reach and volume are going to be difficult to overcome fully. Truthfully, we expect a close fight, one where one or two big lands sway the judges, and we think it’d be in Bahamondes’ favor.

UFC Fight Night: Raoni Barcelos vs. Kyler Phillips

Why Bet on Raoni Barcelos?

Raoni Barcelos (17-4) kicked off his UFC career with a “Fight of the Night” finish of Kurt Holobaugh, kicking off a 5-0 run in the world’s largest mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion. He’s now 1-3 in his last four and was last seen suffering a one-punch knockout loss to Umar Nurmagomedov in Jan. 2023.

He’s knocked out eight professional foes and submitted two others.

Why Bet on Kyler Phillips?

Kyler Philips (10-2) torched James Gray on Contender Series to earn a spot on The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 27, where he promptly lost a decision to Brad Katona. He ultimately joined UFC two years later, racking up a 4-1 record with three post-fight bonuses.

He steps in for the injured Said Nurmagomedov on around two weeks’ notice for his first fight in 18 months.

Raoni Barcelos vs. Kyler Phillips Betting Analysis:

We would honestly still favor Barcelos over many UFC Bantamweights. Indeed, we fully expected him to run over Miles Johns before the latter withdrew at the eleventh hour. With his recent struggles, though, we are not sure he has it in him to beat Phillips. He had tons of issues with a fast, versatile striker in Timur Valiev and failed to keep up with Victor Henry, suggesting the younger Phillips can out-hustle him.

Phillips does have some lingering questions after his United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) suspension and will struggle with Barcelos’ boxing if he’s at all rusty. That said, he should still have enough weapons in his arsenal to edge the Brazilian out in a high-octane striking match.

UFC Fight Night: Jeremiah Wells vs. Carlston Harris

Why Bet on Jeremiah Wells?

Jeremiah Wells (12-2-1) won titles in CFFC and CES before joining UFC in 2021 with a dramatic knockout of Warlley Alves.

Similarly impressive finishes of Mike Mathetha and Court McGee followed though he had to settle for a split decision over Matthew Semelsberger after battling through heavy knockdowns.

Why Bet on Carlston Harris?

Harris made his name with a shock upset of Saygid Izagakhmaev on “Lookin’ for a Fight,” then followed up with first-round finishes of Christian Aguilera and Impa Kasanganay. Though he fell short against Shavkat Rakhmonov, he returned to the win column in March 2023 by winning a decision over Jared Gordon.

He’s knocked out and submitted five professional foes apiece.

Jeremiah Wells vs. Carlston Harris Betting Analysis:

This is going to be an entertainingly stupid battle between awkward sluggers with surprisingly lethal ground games. For our money, Harris has a slight edge. That’s because Wells took a ton of damage from Semelsberger before turning it into a grind fest, which Harris’ stout wrestling and front chokes make non-viable.

Each man can flip the fight on its head at a moment’s notice, but Harris just seems to have the weapons to shut down both Wells’ Plan A and Plan B. So long as he doesn’t get clipped, “Mocambique” clubs and subs Wells for another quick finish.

UFC Fight Night: Billy Quarantillo vs. Damon Jackson

Why Bet on Billy Quarantillo?

After earning him a contract on Contender Series, the insane pace of Billy Quarantillo (17-5) carried him to a perfect (3-0) UFC start. He’s since alternated losses and wins, most recently suffering his first knockout loss since 2016 at the knee of Edson Barboza.

Why Bet on Damon Jackson?

The UFC return of “The Leech” saw him split a pair of fights with Mirsad Bektic and Ilia Topuria before battling his way to a four-fight win streak. His efforts earned him a crack at Dan Ige, who stopped him with a nasty left hook late in the second round.

Fifteen of his 19 professional stoppages have come via submission.

Billy Quarantillo vs. Damon Jackson Betting Analysis:

This is one of those fights that’s a toss-up but probably isn’t going to be competitive moment-to-moment. Quarantillo’s wrestling is miles behind Jackson’s and he has no answers for his foe top game.

As long as Jackson’s fresh, he’ll manhandle Quarantillo with little issue. Conversely, Jackson completely froze up against Ige and has a history of chin issues. If he shows any sign of fatigue against his rival, he’s going to get smothered in power shots.

In short, the fight comes down to when Jackson’s foot slips off the gas. Quarantillo will be helpless in the early going, but he’ll take over the second he gets the flurries flowing and starts forcing bad shots.

We say Quarantillo gets the attrition going late in the second and polishes him off in the third round.

UFC Fight Night: Jake Hadley vs. Cody Durden

Why Bet on Jake Hadley?

Jake Hadley (10-1) earned a UFC contract despite missing weight ahead of his Contender Series victory over Mitch Raposo, only to drop a decision to Allan Nascimento in his UFC debut.

Undaunted, “White Kong” went on to score back-to-back finishes of Carlos Candelario and Malcolm Gordon, the latter of which earned him “Performance of the Night.” Eight of his 10 wins have come inside the distance, five of those by submission.

Why Bet on Cody Durden?

Cody Durden (15-4-1) stumbled out of the UFC gate with a 1-2-1 run, highlighted by stoppage losses to Jimmy Flick and Muhammad Mokaev. He’s since bounced back to win three straight, among them upset decisions over Carlos Mota and Charles Johnson.

He steps in for Tagir Ulanbekov on less than three weeks’ notice.

Jake Hadley vs. Cody Durden Betting Analysis:

Durden is an easy man to underestimate thanks to some rough early UFC performances, but he seems to have found his stride. His wrestling is an absolute nightmare to deal with, especially now that he’s seemingly fixed his cardio issues.

Though Hadley has a clear edge on the feet, so did Mota and Johnson, whom Durden racked up more than 20 minutes of combined control time against. Seeing as Jake couldn’t stay standing against Nascimento, Durden seems to have just the right skill set to neutralize the more dangerous striker and make it four straight in the Octagon.

In the end, heavy top control carries Durden to a visually unspectacular, but successful, short-notice effort.

UFC Fight Night: Sean Woodson vs. Dennis Buzukja

Why Bet on Sean Woodson?

Woodson (9-1-1) outclassed Kyle Bochniak in his UFC debut and looked poised to do the same to Julian Erosa, only to suffer a comeback submission loss midway through the third round. He rebounded with victories over Youssef Zalal and Collin Anglin but settled for a split draw with Luis Saldana after getting dropped early and hurt by an illegal knee.

Why Bet on Dennis Buzukja?

Team Longo-Weidman’s Buzukja (11-2) took a crack at the Contender Series in his sixth pro fight, only to fall short against Melsik Baghdasaryan. He’s flawless since, picking up a win in his DWCS return and most recently scoring a submission win in June 2023.

He takes this fight on four days’ notice, becoming Woodson’s fourth scheduled opponent to date.

Sean Woodson vs. Dennis Buzukja Betting Analysis:

Buzukja has excellent striking fundamentals and some decent wrestling in his back pocket that if he can bring them to bear, pose a threat to Woodson. What he doesn’t have, however, is anything that can deal with Woodson’s length. Buzukja’s jab is great, but his footwork seems like it will let him down.

We just don’t see Buzukja consistently getting into the pocket amid Woodson’s barrage of straight punches, especially since Buzukja tends to keep his left hand low. Woodson potshots him to a wide decision win.

UFC Fight Night: Ode Osbourne vs. Asu Almabaev

Why Bet on Ode Osbourne?

Ode Osbourne (12-5) failed to capitalize on his post-Contender Series momentum, losing two of his first three Octagon bouts by first-round stoppage. He now sits at 3-1 in his last four, most recently upsetting Charles Johnson in Feb. 2023.

“The Jamaican Sensation” has submitted nine professional opponents and knocked out three others.

Why Bet on Asu Almabaev?

Kazakhstan’s Assu Almabaev (17-2) stands unbeaten since a 4-2 professional start.

His streak includes successful stints in top promotions like ACB, Fight Nights Global, and Brave CF, plus a title run in M-1 Global.

Ode Osbourne vs. Asu Almabaev Betting Analysis:

To be honest, Osbourne hasn’t lived up to expectations in the Octagon. He scored a couple of explosive finishes over UFC washouts, but his wrestling and power punching just haven’t cohered into a consistently effective whole.

That said, Almabaev’s striking remains underdeveloped and his wrestling failed to shine against Zach Makovsky, suggesting that Osbourne can keep him at bay with strikes and shut down his takedowns.

We are prepared for disappointment, but like Osbourne to land enough heavy shots and neutralize enough takedowns to eke out the win.