The Ultimate Fighting Championship will be setting up show in Auckland, New Zealand this weekend, with UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs. Hunt. It’s an event headlined by two finishers and a cast of would-be contenders, ready to shine, giving us a variety of options to consider laying down some coin.
In the main event, heavyweight sluggers Derrick Lewis (-135) will take on hometown hero Mark Hunt (+115). Right off the bat, taking Hunt straight up would not be a bad idea, but there is far more value in the fun bets offered on both of these gentlemen to potentially win via T/KO.
If you fancy Hunt to score that type of finish, you can get him for +139. On the flip side, if you like Lewis, you can get him with that fun bet at +124.
In the co-main event, perennial underdog Daniel Kelly (+240) will take on middleweight contender Derek Brunson (-280). Kelly seems to prove everybody wrong, so risking a little on him straight up could prove a very nice return.
Kelly is coming off a split decision victory over former light heavyweight champion Rashad Evans, so taking on opposition with a name or high quality MMA skills is nothing knew to him. His confidence is likely at an all-time high right now, and he’ll either continue on this run or come crashing down to what many are saying is “a reality check”.
If Daniel is going to win, I believe it will be via decision, so again, taking him straight up is a smart play. Even better, the decision fun bet is currently sitting at +320.
Now, if Brunson takes this, I believe he will do so with his speed advantage and those crazy bursts of striking combinations. If you agree, then bypassing him straight up in favor of a T/KO will pay you +135 on your wager.
Then we have what I deem will be a lightweight war between Dan Hooker (-145) and veteran Ross Pearson (+125). The savvy Pearson straight up would not be a bad idea, but has he endured too much MMA mileage on his body that Father Time will give way to his 27 year old opponent? I’m leaning towards yes, and really like the option on Hooker via T/KO at +353 or via submission at +607.
And while finishes at flyweight are somewhat rare, I will not be surprised if we see one in the matchup between Timothy Elliott (-220) and Ben Nguyen (+180). I believe Elliott is on a different tier that Nguyen is right now and will not be surprised if he scores the T/KO at +890 or a submission, currently listed at +400. Hands down, the best two fun bets on this card.
As for the rest of the event, you may want to consider these fun bets as well:
Alexander Volkanovski via T/KO (+325) over Mizuto Hirota
Mizuto Hirota via submission (+1800 - ‘never say never’ ) over Alexander Volkanovski
Damien Brown via T/KO (+405) over Vince Pichel
John Moraga wins inside the distance (+200) over Ashkan Mokhtarian
As always, I’m interested in your thoughts as well as your reasoning behind some of your fun bets. Hit me up anytime via social media: @ShowdownJoe
And a friendly reminder that Sean Ross Sapp and I will have a full UFC Auckland post-show recap, as soon as the event is over. Come say ‘Hi’ via our live chat.
