UFC on ESPN 4 Odds: Dos Anjos vs. Edwards & Full Main Card
- A pivotal welterweight bout headlines UFC on ESPN 4 on Saturday, July 20th
- Greg Hardy returns to the Octagon
- See the odds for the entire main card
The Octagon heads back to the Lone Star State this weekend with UFC on ESPN 4 from San Antonio, Texas on Saturday, July 20th. The main event features top welterweight contenders as Rafael dos Anjos takes on Leon Edwards. In the co-main event, Alexey Oleynik takes on Walt Harris. The main card airs live on ESPN at 9 p.m. ET.
Rafael dos Anjos vs Leon Edwards Odds
| Fighter | Odds at Sportsbook 1 | Odds at Sportsbook 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Rafael dos Anjos | +105 | +100 |
| Leon Edwards | -135 | -120 |
*All odds taken 07/14/19
A new Rafael dos Anjos?
Dos Anjos (29-11) was counted out heading into his fight against Kevin Lee at UFC Rochester. The Brazilian had lost two in a row to Colby Covington and Kamaru Usman and had been out-wrestled. But, against Lee, he dominated the fight and got back into the win column.
The former lightweight champion has also beaten the likes of Robbie Lawler, Donald Cerrone (twice), Nate Diaz, Anthony Pettis, and Benson Henderson among others.
Edwards (17-3) is riding a seven-fight winning streak and his last lost is to current welterweight champion Kamaru Usman. During his winning streak, the Englishman has beaten Gunnar Nelson, Vicente Luque, Donald Cerrone, and Bryan Barberena among others. Out of his 17 wins, nine have come by stoppage.
| 34 | Age | 27 |
| 5’8″ | Height | 6’2″ |
| 70″ | Reach | 74″ |
| 8 | UFC finishes | 3 |
| 8 | UFC main events | 1 |
Leon Edwards needs to keep this fight on the feet and use his reach and jab to piece up dos Anjos. Keeping the distance is key, but the way the Brazilian has been losing as of late is not a way Edwards fights. Rather, he is normally clinched up against the fence and just outwrestled and outworked. But, their gas tanks are similar and I think dos Anjos will be too much too soon for Edwards.
I expect dos Anjos to put the pressure on Edwards and just outwear him, similar to what he did against Kevin Lee. Regardless, dos Anjos is still a top welterweight and will show that here in the main event of UFC on ESPN 4. And, I am shocked he is the underdog as ‘RDA’ is the more proven commodity and frankly is the better fighter in my opinion.
Pick: Rafael dos Anjos (+105)
Alexey Oleynik vs Walt Harris Odds
| Fighter | Odds at Sportsbook 2 | Odds at Sportsbook 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Alexey Oleynik | +125 | +130 |
| Walt Harris | -155 | -150 |
Can Oleynik get back into the win column?
Oleynik (57-12-1) is coming off of a TKO loss to Alistair Overeem at UFC St. Petersburg. There, the Russian stepped in on short notice and had success up until Overeem exploded and finished him via ground and pound. Before that, the jiu-jitsu ace submitted both Mark Hunt and Junior Albini. The 42-year-old has beaten some tough fighters like Mirko Cro Cop, Travis Browne, Jared Rosholt, and Anthony Hamilton among others.
Harris (12-7 and one no-contest) is coming off of a TKO win over Sergey Spivak at UFC Ottawa. Before that, he beat Andrei Arlovski by decision at UFC 232 but was overturned to a no-contest after Harris was flagged by USADA. The 36-year-old has serious knockout power and has beaten the likes of Chase Sherman, Anthony Hamilton, and Cyril Asker among others.
| 42 | Age | 36 |
| 6’2″ | Height | 6’5″ |
| 80″ | Reach | 81″ |
| 6 | UFC finishes | 5 |
| April 2019 | Last Fight | May 2019 |
There is a clear path to victory for both fighters. If Oleynik can get this fight to the feet he will no doubt in my mind submit Harris. But, if the American can stuff the takedowns, or avoid the Russian pulling guard, he should be able to have success on the feet.
Regardless, I am surprised by the odds as I like the underdog in Oleynik on this fight. I have not been impressed by Harris and the 42-year-old is still one of the best heavyweights in the UFC. I think he gets this fight to the ground and submits “The Big Ticket” to get back into the win column.
Pick: Alexey Oleynik (+130)
The Rest of UFC on ESPN 4 Card
| Fighter | Odds at Sportsbook 1 | Odds at Sportsbook 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Greg Hardy | -115 | +100 |
| Juan Adams | -115 | -120 |
| Fighter | Odds at Sportsbook 1 | Odds at Sportsbook 2 |
| James Vick | +125 | +127 |
| Dan Hooker | -155 | -147 |
| Fighter | Odds at Sportsbook 1 | Odds at Sportsbook 2 |
| Alexander Hernandez | -170 | -171 |
| Francisco Trinaldo | +140 | +146 |
| Fighter | Odds at Sportsbook 1 | Odds at Sportsbook 2 |
| Andrei Arlovski | +155 | +166 |
| Ben Rothwell | -190 | -191 |
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.
