UFC betting online: With John Hathaway (17-2) withdrawing from his matchup against prospect Gunnar Nelson (13-1, 3 KOs, 9 SUBs), Brandon Thatch (11-2, 8 KOs, 3 SUBs) will step in as a replacement to face the Iceland native.
Thatch was originally scheduled to fight John Howard on the prelims, but will now face Nelson on the main card. Howard will instead fight Cathal Pendred on the prelims.
Currently, Bookmaker’s UFC 189 odds have Thatch as a significant minus-165 favorite, with Nelson’s money line at plus+140. Full odds, like the over/under and prop bets are typically listed a few days before fight night, so keep checking the sportsbook for the latest updates and additions.
Thatch was last seen in action against Benson Henderson at UFC Fight Night 60, suffering his first loss when Henderson choked him out in the fourth round. The bout won Fight of the Night, but also snapped Thatch’s 10-fight winning streak. Still, many feel that Thatch – who is extremely big for the welterweight class – has all the tools to be a top-10 fighter in the near future.
Nelson is looking to bounce back from his first career loss, which came at the hands of Rick Story in a split decision. The 26-year old submission specialist will now fight in the U.S. for the first time, earning a spot on the main card after starting out his UFC career 4-0.
While the two title fights at the top of the card are getting all the attention, this is a fantastic fight between two bright prospects at 170. Thatch has a fan-friendly Muay Thai game, while Nelson’s vaunted submission skills are absolutely the real deal. Whoever wins this fight is one to watch in the division and could be lined up against a top-10 guy.
If you bet on Thatch vs. Nelson, I’d lean towards Thatch in this fight. While he did lose to a upjumped lightweight in Benson Henderson, Nelson isn’t nearly as good a wrestler as the former 155-pound champ. Thatch is the bigger, more athletic fighter and should be able to keep this fight on the feet, where he’ll have a significant advantage in the standup department. The pick is Thatch to win by TKO in the third round.
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