UFC on ESPN 5 Odds: Covington vs Lawler & Full Main Card
- Colby Covington returns after more than a year off
- UFC is back in Newark, New Jersey
- See the odds for the entire main card
The Octagon returns to Newark, New Jersey on Saturday, August 3, for UFC on ESPN 5. In the main event, former interim welterweight champion, Colby Covington returns to take on the former welterweight champion, Robbie Lawler. The co-main event sees two legends scrap as Jim Miller takes on Clay Guida. The main card airs live on ESPN at 3:00 pm EST.
Colby Covington vs Robbie Lawler Odds
| Fighter | Odds 1 | Odds 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Colby Covington | -230 | -210 |
| Robbie Lawler | +180 | +180 |
*All odds taken 07/29/19
Holding out Didn’t Work for Covington
Covington (14-1) hasn’t fought since he beat Rafael dos Anjos for the interim welterweight title at UFC 225 in June of 2018. Since then, “Chaos” has been holding out for a shot at the title but was passed over at UFC 228 and UFC 235 and now has to fight Lawler. The former interim champ is on a six-fight winning streak with notable wins over ‘RDA’, Demian Maia, Dong Hyun Ma, Bryan Barberena, and Max Griffin among others. But, should he win here, he will finally get the title shot according to UFC president, Dana White.
Lawler (28-13 and one no-contest) is on a two-fight losing streak, after dropping a controversial submission loss to Ben Askren at UFC 235. Before that, he lost by decision to dos Anjos. The former welterweight champion has notable wins over the likes of Donald Cerrone, Rory MacDonald, twice, Carlos Condit, and Johny Hendricks among others.
Covington vs Lawler Stats
| 31 | Age | 37 |
| 5’11” | Height | 5’11” |
| 72″ | Reach | 74″ |
| 4 | UFC finishes | 4 |
| 0 | UFC main events | 6 |
Although many do not like Colby Covington for his antics outside of fighting, he still one of the best fighters in the world. He has only one loss, and his relentless pace and wrestling have resulted in dominating performances.
But, against Robbie Lawler, he is in for a tough fight given how good “Ruthless” is at stuffing the takedowns. At UFC 235 he stuffed an Askren takedown that resulted in the former champ dumping “Funky” on his head and nearly knocking him out.
.@ColbyCovMMA suspicious of @Ruthless_RL ‘fountain of youth’ — ‘It doesn’t make sense’ https://t.co/6PLuvECLMg
— MMA mania (@mmamania) July 25, 2019
However, a major difference is the fact that Covington’s striking is better and he can hang on the feet. Eventually, his pace will be too much for Lawler and he will drag him to the ground and dominate him.
Although Lawler is tough to finish, I wouldn’t be surprised if Covington won by ground and pound TKO or submission. But, the pick is “Chaos” by decision and he’ll finally get a title shot in his next fight.
Pick: Colby Covington (-210)
Jim Miller vs Clay Guida Odds
| Fighter | Odds 1 | Odds 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Jim Miller | -185 | -180 |
| Clay Guida | +150 | +155 |
Two OG’s Go at It
Miller (30-13 and one no-contest) is coming off of a submission win over Jason Gonzalez at UFC Fort Lauderdale. In his career, the veteran has beaten the likes of Joe Lauzon twice, Yancy Medeiros, Gleison Tibau, and Melvin Guillard among others. He also made his UFC debut back in 2008 and has never fought for a UFC title.
Breaking: One for the OG’s. The longterm fans. UFC close to finalizing Guida vs. Miller on Aug. 3 in New Jersey, per sources. 59 combined UFC appearances between these madmen. And believe it or not, they’ve never fought before. pic.twitter.com/UKnx05GV0l
— Brett Okamoto (@bokamotoESPN) June 22, 2019
Guida (35-18) beat legend B.J. Penn last time out by decision at UFC 237. Before that, he lost to Charles Oliveria to snap his winning streak of two which included wins over Erik Koch and Joe Lauzon. In his career, he has beaten the likes of Rafael dos Anjos, Anthony Pettis, Nate Diaz, and Josh Thomson among others.
Miller vs Guida Stats
| 35 | Age | 37 |
| 5’8″ | Height | 5’7″ |
| 71″ | Reach | 70″ |
| 11 | UFC finishes | 6 |
| 32 | UFC fights | 27 |
The two have a combined 59 Octagon appearances, yet this will be the first time the two fight each other. Both are legends of the sport and have fought the who’s who of the UFC. In this fight, it should be interesting how it plays out.
If Miller can get the fight to the ground, he has a high chance of submitting Guida. But, Guida’s boxing and cardio could be too much for Miller as the 37-year-old seemingly never gets tired and keeps moving forward. Regardless, it is a super close fight, and the oddsmakers believe that, too. But, I like the underdog in Guida to get it done by decision.
Pick: Clay Guida (+155)
The Rest of UFC on ESPN 5 Card
Here are the odds for the remaining fights on the card.
Joaquim Silva vs Nasrat Haparast Odds
| Fighter | Odds 1 | Odds 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Joaquim Silva | +195 | +220 |
| Nasrat Haparast | -250 | -260 |
Trevin Giles vs Gerald Meerschaert Odds
| Fighter | Odds 1 | Odds 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Trevin Giles | -155 | -155 |
| Gerald Meerschaert | +125 | +135 |
Scott Holtzman vs Dong Hyun Ma Odds
| Fighter | Odds 1 | Odds 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Scott Holtzman | -325 | -350 |
| Dong Hyun Ma | +250 | +285 |
Darko Stosic vs Kennedy Nzechukwu Odds
| Fighter | Odds 1 | Odds 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Darko Stosic | -135 | -140 |
| Kennedy Nzechukwu | +105 | +120 |
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.
