Tyron Woodley’s fifth title defense is set, but it’s not against the guy he wanted. Though “The Chosen One” has been calling for a matchup with hated rival Colby Covington, it’s Kamaru Usman that will get the challenge of dethroning the best welterweight champ since Georges St. Pierre.
Usman earns the bout on the strength of a 13-fight winning streak, most recently earning decisions over Demian Maia and Rafael dos Anjos. The win over RDA was particularly eye-opening, as his dominance forced Dana White to change his mind about Covington as the next title challenger.
While the matchup between Woodley and Covington would draw more views, it’s hard to argue against Usman as a worthy opponent. His resume is a bit light on top contenders, but his style is one that matches up well against the champ. A powerful wrestler and an explosive athlete, Usman has all the skills to become a fighter in the Woodley mold.
The UFC odds at BookMaker.eu opened with the champ as a clear favorite though, as his impressive winning streak - beating fighters like Stephen Thompson, Robbie Lawler, Demian Maia and Darren Till - has his name creeping into the GOAT conversation.
Let’s check in with the opening UFC odds in this matchup and get down to a few betting actions you should be looking forward to. Remember, live UFC betting at BookMaker.eu is always available on fight night as well.
UFC 235 Betting at BookMaker.eu
Tyron Woodley: -170
Kamaru Usman: +130
Fight goes/doesn’t go to decision: Odds coming soon
Significant Striking Stats
Landed per minute: Woodley 2.62 / Usman 4.47
Accuracy: Woodley 48% / Usman 50%
Absorbed per minute: Woodley 2.26 / Usman 1.65
Defense: Woodley 61% / Usman 59%
Grappling Stats
Takedown average: Woodley 1.34 / Usman 4.47
Accuracy: 42% / Usman 51%
Takedown defense: Woodley 94% / 100%
Submission average: 0.5 / 0.2
Bet on Woodley vs. Usman at BookMaker.eu
It’s interesting to note that Usman is only a slight underdog here. Oddsmakers clearly respect the fact that his wrestling seems to cancel out Woodley’s, and he definitely puts in a higher work rate against a guy that tends to only fight in bursts.
Still, we advise taking Woodley at these odds - although we wouldn’t fault you for waiting to see if his line comes down further. Online betting odds can see drastic line movements, especially when opening odds are set so early - as they are here.
Time and time again, Woodley has proven that his cerebral nature and game planning is at the top of the game. The champ figures out how to most efficiently beat his opponents, whether it’s rushing rhythm guys like Lawler or Till, or shutting down the takedown attempts of of grapplers like Maia.
Also keep an eye on the round totals or the fight goes/doesn’t go to decision prop bet. These should be a lot closer, though we expect the over to be the chalk play as both guys can be methodical in their approaches. Woodley’s knockout power makes things really interesting, as his overhand right is a threat to end the fight at any time.
Early Betting Picks for UFC 235
Stick with the champ here. Usman’s winning streak is impressive, but Tyron is in a different league compared to the guys he’s been facing. Prop bets on whether the fight goes to decision or not should be released in a few weeks, and at that point we’ll take a closer look at where the values are. Finally, we’ll have our final in-depth analysis during fight week, which takes into account all the available plays - stay tuned.
Bet on UFC 235 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 235 takes place on Saturday, March 2, 2019 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The main card airs live on pay-per-view starting 9pm ET.
