UFC 259 Odds, Picks & Betting Preview – Blachowicz vs Adesanya
- A stacked UFC 259 goes down on Saturday, March 6th, 2021
- Three title fights top the card, including a highly anticipated fight between Jan Blachowicz and Israel Adesanya
- See the odds, picks, and betting preview for the full UFC 259 main card, below
The UFC is set for their card of the year in UFC 259 which will take place in Las Vegas, Nevada this Saturday, March 6, 2021, from the UFC Apex. The highly anticipated Israel Adesanya vs Jan Blachowicz headlines this weekend’s UFC 259 odds and picks.
In the main event, middleweight champion, Israel Adesanya is moving up in weight to try and become a champ-champ as he faces light heavyweight champion, Jan Blachowicz. The co-main event sees Amanda Nunes defend her featherweight title against Megan Anderson. Petr Yan also looks to defend his bantamweight title against Aljamain Sterling in the third title fight on the card.
UFC 259 main card airs live on pay-per-view at 10 PM EST. The table below shows odds for the main card at FanDuel and DraftKings, followed by best bets for the event.
UFC 259 Odds
| Fighter | Odds at FanDuel | Odds at DraftKings |
|---|---|---|
| Jan Blachowicz | +198 | +185 |
| Israel Adesanya | -230 | -230 |
| Fighter | Odds | Odds |
| Amanda Nunes | -1200 | -1000 |
| Megan Anderson | +680 | +650 |
| Fighter | Odds | Odds |
| Petr Yan | -110 | -110 |
| Aljamain Sterling | -110 | -110 |
| Fighter | Odds | Odds |
| Islam Makhachev | -355 | -360 |
| Drew Dober | +270 | +275 |
| Fighter | Odds | Odds |
| Aleksandar Rakic | -168 | -167 |
| Thiago Santos | +136 | +138 |
All odds as of March 4
Israel Adesanya is looking to become the latest fighter to be a two-division champion and cement his case as one of the best ever. Jan Blachowicz, meanwhile, can prove the doubters wrong once again if he can become the first person to defeat Adesanya.
Blachowicz & Adesanya Recent Fights
| Dominick Reyes, win by TKO (title fight) | Fight 1 | Paulo Costa, win by TKO (title fight) |
| Corey Anderson, win by KO | Fight 2 | Yoel Romero, win by decision (title fight) |
| Jacare Souza, win by split decision | Fight 3 | Robert Whittaker, win by TKO (title fight) |
| Luke Rockhold, win by KO | Fight 4 | Kelvin Gastelum, win by decision (interim title fight) |
Israel Adesanya is a rising superstar, and if he can become a champ-champ on Saturday night he could easily be the second biggest star in the sport as he enters Conor McGregor territory. The middleweight champion is 20-0 and is a phenomenal striker but Blachowicz will pose some problems to him.
There is no question Adesanya will be the more technical striker as well as the faster fighter. However, Blachowicz has legit one-punch KO power and has the strength to be able to hold Adesanya against the cage and grind out a win.
Blachowicz vs Adesanya Stats
| 38 | Age | 31 |
| 6’2″ | Height | 6’4″ |
| 78″ | Reach | 80″ |
| 6 | UFC finishes | 4 |
This fight is a fascinating one, and to me, I think the odds are way off. Blachowicz gets no respect, as I wrote about in his last fight, and he cashed as a big dog against Reyes. However, Adesanya is something special, and given the Pole is a striker, it’s hard to pick anyone to beat Adesanya in a striking fight.
I expect Adesanya to be tentative early on as he won’t want to get hit by Blachowicz. But, as the rounds go on, he will start using his jab to pick apart the Pole. Then, in the championship rounds, “The Last Stylebender” finds a big power shot that drops Blachowicz, and he finishes him off via ground and pound to become a champ-champ. I have Adesanya by KO/TKO at +130 in my recent props article.
Pick: Israel Adesanya (-230)
Can Anderson Pull off the Upset Against Nunes?
Amanda Nunes is the greatest female fighter of all-time and she has been unstoppable, but Megan Anderson is a legit featherweight and poses some problems to the Brazilian.
Nunes & Anderson Recent Fights
| Felicia Spencer, win by decision (title fight) | Fight 1 | Norma Dumont, win by KO |
| Germaine de Randamie, win by decision (title fight) | Fight 2 | Zarah Fairn, win by submission |
| Holly Holm, win by TKO (title fight) | Fight 3 | Felicia Spencer, loss by submission |
| Cris Cyborg, win by KO (title fight) | Fight 4 | Cat Zingano, win by TKO |
Amanda Nunes is the current bantamweight and featherweight champion, but if there is a time she loses, it is this fight. Her partner, Nina Ansaroff just had a baby, and training with a newborn is tough. Anderson is a legit featherweight and has the ability to use her size and power to outstrike Nunes.
Unfortunately, for Anderson, her ground game is a big concern, and I expect Nunes to take her down like Felicia Spencer did and either ground and pound TKO her or submit her. The odds are crazy for this fight, so you have to look at Nunes inside the distance or just pass on this fight.
Pick: Amanda Nunes (-1000)
Other UFC 259 Picks:
- Petr Yan (-110): Money is coming in on Sterling and I don’t get it as I think Yan will be able to stuff the takedowns, and piece up Sterling on the feet.
- Islam Makhachev (-355): Makhachev is Khabib Nurmagomedov’s pupil, and I expect him to take Dober down over and over again and eventually get the submission win.
- Thiago Santos (+138): I’m not sold on Rakic yet, and he does get hit a lot. I think Santos will land something big and KO the Austrian.
Cole graduated from Sheridan College in April of 2019 with a diploma in journalism. He now is a full-time freelance writer, focusing on MMA for sites like BJPENN, while also covering the Toronto Blue Jays as a credentialed media member. At SBD, Cole covers the four major sports and MMA.
