UFC light heavyweight champion Jon “Bones” Jones (23-1, 10 KOs, 6 SUBs) will defend his title against Anthony “Lionheart” Smith (31-13, 17 KOs, 11 SUBs) at UFC 235 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.
To most of the MMA world, Anthony Smith is a dead man walking. Pretty much thrown into a title shot to keep Jon Jones busy, online oddsmakers opened with “Lionheart” as a +565 underdog. And it’s only gone down from there, as he’s nearly +700 a few months later. Word’s gotten around to Smith, who admitted that he was downright insulted that so many people had written him off completely.
Then again, this is Jon Jones we’re talking about. He came back from yet another suspension to obliterate Alexander Gustafsson to win the title for a third time. At 31, the champ looked as good as ever - which is scary considering that he’s never actually really lost a fight inside the ring. We could be witnessing the birth of Motivated Jones, one who actually makes good on the best physical gifts to ever grace the sport.
So yeah, it’s easy to write off Smith. But we’ve also seen some batshit crazy things happen inside the octagon, so there’s always a chance that he pulls off the unexpected. It’s happened before, and it could happen again. Let’s get into the UFC odds at BookMaker.eu and break down your best online betting options. Remember, live UFC betting is always available to hedge your bets between rounds.
UFC Odds at BookMaker.eu
Jon Jones -1450
Anthony Smith +700
Fight goes/doesn’t go to decision: +450 / -750
Significant Striking Stats
Landed per minute: Jones 4.43 / Smith 3.59
Accuracy: Jones 55% / Smith 47%
Absorbed per minute: Jones 2.11 / Smith 4.14
Defense: Jones 65% / Smith 46%
Grappling Stats
Takedown average: Jones 2.09 / Smith 0.58
Accuracy: Jones 48% / Smith 28%
Defense: Jones 95% / Smith 46%
Submission average: Jones 0.6 / Smith 1.0
Bet on Jones vs. Smith at BookMaker.eu
Ok, we’ll try and build a case for Smith. At 6’4”, he’s the same height as Jones and a year younger at 31. He’s earned his stripes in plenty of slugfests, but that’s something of a backhanded compliment since his defense isn’t too difficult to exploit. If it ever gets to a point where both guys are panting, Smith can rely on some filthy offensive weapons and vicious clinch work. His style is both dynamic and creative, and he’s skilled striking with all eight points.
So how does that play against Jones? The champ certainly had some problems in his first fight against Gustafsson, whose height and range gave him issue. But the second fight wasn’t even close, as Bones pieced him up with ease. Smith is far less predictable than Gustafsson, but less skilled as well. The biggest difference might be Smith’s lack of wrestling, as he’ll present zero threat to take Jones down, and his poor takedown defense won’t be good enough against a Greco-Roman ace like Jones.
UFC Odds Pick: Jones inside the distance
Smith is bringing a knife to a gunfight. Actually, that’s not accurate. Smith is bringing a rubber band gun to a tank battle. This isn’t an indictment of Lionheart, it’s just that Motivated Jones is so much better than anything the light heavyweight division has to offer that we simply don’t see him letting his opponent last five rounds.
UFC Odds Pick: Jones by submission
You can either parlay Jones to win, but it’s barely gonna win you anything. Jones by TKO is also a good pick, but if you’re looking to place a small bet this prop isn’t a bad way to go - considering the payout.
Bet on UFC odds online 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.
