UFC on ESPN: Dariush vs. Tsarukyan Main Card Betting Preview

After a couple of weeks off, the UFC is back in action on Saturday. Unlike most non-PPV events, this one will be in front of a live, raucous crowd at a sold out arena in Austin, Texas. We’ve got you covered with the all the best betting picks and odds for the top three fights of the night, including a matchup of top 10 lightweights in Beneil Dariush and Arman Tsarukyan, the latter of whom comes in as a pretty large moneyline favorite on all Canadian betting sites.

UFC on ESPN: Beneil Dariush vs. Arman Tsarukyan Main Card Betting Odds - December 2nd

The matchup between No. 4 Beneil Dariush and No. 8 Arman Tsarukyan won’t be the only lightweight matchup of the evening. We’ll also be treated to a battle pitting No. 12 Jalin Turner against No. 13 Bobby Green. The dark horse for fight of the night will be the bantamweight debut of former flyweight champ Deiveson Figueiredo against No. 8 Rob Font. be All odds provided by Sports Interaction.

No. 4 Beneil Dariush vs. No. 8 Arman Tsarukyan Lightweight Main Event Fight Odds

The main event sees a grappler vs. grappler matchup, with up-and-comer Arman Tsarukyan (20-3) going up against Beneil Dariush (22-5-1), a veteran of many UFC battles over the last nine years. Dariush is the older fighter by seven years, and while they both have a 72-inch reach, the 34-year-old has a three-inch height advantage, at 5'10".

This fight is a tough one to call because the line has moved so heavily in Tsarukyan’s favor that his odds have pretty much become prohibitive. While Dariush has won eight of his last nine and Tsarukyan has won seven of his last eight, eight of those 15 wins have come by decision, so neither guy has really dominated for long stretches, meaning -300 odds seem unwarranted for Tsarukyan.

Tsarukyan is way younger, which is usually a positive sign for a fighter’s chances, but when grapplers collide, it usually results in a boxing matchup. While Tsarukyan has shown a willingness to still push the wrestling against other established wrestlers, he’s gonna find it tough against a well-drilled Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt like Dariush.

So if it stays off the mat, Dariush would have the advantage. While the Georgian fighter has a lot more KOs and heavier power in his fists, the Iranian fighter is more technical and deliberate about his striking strategy. If this was being billed as more of a pick ‘em, we might feel differently, but with these odds, you might as well roll with Dariush at +240 on the moneyline.

If not that, then choose either one of the fighters (or both) to win by decision at either +450 for Dariush or +200 for Tsarukyan, because other than Charles Oliveira, no one has finished either of these dudes in the last five years. To that end, the +120 odds for the fight to go the distance are also worth your consideration.

No. 12 Jalin Turner vs. No. 13 Bobby Green Lightweight Co-Main Event Fight Odds

inch reach advantage and a five-inch height advantage. He’s bigger, stronger, faster, longer, and he has more power. Not to mention he’s a more well-rounded mixed martial artist.

Green has had his day in the sun, snatching two surprise wins to finish off his career, but Turner has too much to offer the old buck, and Green’s habit of leaving his hands down against a striker with Turner’s finesse and power will prove costly. Turner’s -200 moneyline odds are decent, but his +250 odds to win by KO/TKO are offering a lot more value.

No. 8 Rob Font vs. Deiveson Figuei#redo Bantamweight Fight Odds

This one will be very interesting. Deiveson Figueiredo (21-3-1) will be making his bantamweight debut against Rob Font (20-7). The move was a long time coming for Figueiredo, and even up at 135 pounds, he will have the power advantage here, though Font is the taller and longer fighter.

The 36-year-old Font seemed worn in his last bout against Cory Sandhagen, who seemingly took Font down at will. That’s what Deus da Guerra will be looking to do too. If the former flyweight champ can stun Font with a shot, which hasn’t been that hard to do lately, it should be a piece of cake to get him to the ground and control the fight from there.

Even if he doesn’t land big, Sandhagen proved that Font can be tired out by a lot of takedown attempts. We like the underdog here at +115 odds, and the over on this one’s 2.5 round total at -120 is a great value as well.