Former interim champion Tony Ferguson (23-3, 10 KOs, 8 SUBs) will meet former titleholder Anthony Pettis (21-7, 9 KOs, 8 SUBs) at UFC 229 on Saturday, October 6, 2018 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The main card airs live on pay-per-view starting 10 pm ET.
Tony Ferguson is back from his knee injury and ready to resume his nine-fight winning streak. By now, we all know how “El Cucuy” was just days away from fighting Khabib Nurmagomedov for the undisputed title, only to tear up his knee while tripping on a camera cable of all things. As far as high-profile injuries go, it really doesn’t get any more bizarre.
While he lost both his interim title and his shot at Khabib, Ferguson could make sure he gets next when he steps into the cage with Anthony Pettis this Saturday in Las Vegas. El Cucuy has gotten lost in the shadow of the McGregor-Nurmagomedov superfight, but a convincing performance against a former champion could force the issue.
Pettis is coming off a huge win over Michael Chiesa at UFC 226. Not only was that his first win over a ranked lightweight in years, it was the type of vintage finish that made “Showtime” a must-see attraction in the first place. At 31, maybe he’s got his groove back. And if he has, than the stacked 155-pound class needs to be on notice.
The UFC odds at BookMaker.eu opened with Ferguson as a heavy favorite, so obviously the oddsmakers aren’t buying a return to championship form for Pettis. But is that an opportunity for you to win a lot by betting a little? We’ve got something to say about that.
Remember, you don’t have to pick a winner right now: in-game UFC betting at BookMaker.eu is one of the best ways to come up big on fight night, but just make sure to log into your account once the action kicks off.
UFC Odds at BookMaker.eu
Anthony Pettis +268
Tony Ferguson -329
Over/under 2.5 rounds: -137 / +118
Striking Stats
Significant strikes landed per minute: Ferguson 5.09 / Pettis 2.78
Accuracy: Ferguson 42.97% / Pettis 45.3%
Significant strikes absorbed per minute: Ferguson 3.48 / Pettis 2.8
Defense: Ferguson 54.47% / Pettis 55.51%
Grappling Stats
Takedown average: Ferguson 0.64 / Pettis 0.8
Takedown accuracy: Ferguson 42.86% / Pettis: 54.55%
Takedowns defended: Ferguson 76.74% / 58.52%
Submission average: Ferguson 1.59 / Pettis 1.33
Bet on Ferguson vs. Pettis Odds at BookMaker.eu Now
Oddsmakers are making a huge assumption about Ferguson here: they’re banking on him coming back the same fighter he was before blowing out his knee. They’re probably right, but 10th Planet product is also 34 years old - not exactly a spring chicken. All his weirdass Instagram videos of him breakdancing and eccentric training methods suggests that he’s the same guy, but you never know.
Still, even he’s anywhere close to the Ferguson that was about to lace ‘em up against Khabib, then Pettis is in some trouble. I’ve compared Ferguson to Taz from Looney Tunes a bunch of times - this guy is a non-stop whirlwind of shitwrecking. Nothing’s off the table for El Cucuy, as he’s just as likely to throw a spinning elbow as he is to somersault into a takedown attempt. And he just. Does. Not. Stop. His cardio is off the charts, and throwing over 200 strikes at Mexico City altitude for five rounds was no problem.
You really can’t truly prepare for that kind of unpredictability or relentless pressure. Pettis is athletic and dynamic, and he can pull off any trick that El Cucuy can do. He just can’t do it at the same volume, plus he’s too cerebral to fire off one high-risk maneuver after another. I think we all wished that Pettis would be a little more like Ferguson.
One last thing before we get to our pick: this is gonna be a striking match. Neither guy ever tries to win with their wrestling. They’re both awesome in scrambles and creative submissions, so it’ll be a definite bonus if it hits the mat.
UFC Odds Pick: Ferguson inside the distance +125
Pettis can say he’s back to the old Pettis as much as he wants, but we’re not buying it. It’s not like he dominated Chiesa - the first round was super close before he latched on a flash sub. Showtime struggles against aggressive, high output fighters - remember how he got beat down by Max Holloway and Dustin Poirier. Ferguson is gonna get into berzerker mode and overwhelm him inside the distance. It’s much easier to stomach this payout than Ferguson to win straight up.
Bet on UFC odds at BookMaker.eu
Access live betting lines from your mobile device at BookMaker sportsbook! Real-time spreads, totals, props and money line are all available so start betting with BookMaker today. UFC 229 takes place on Saturday, October 6, 2018 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The main card airs live on pay-per-view starting 10 pm ET.
