Get a detailed breakdown of the betting lines for UFC Fight Island 7, which returns to “Fight Island” in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, this weekend (Sat., Jan 16, 2021), including best bets, underdogs, favorites and much more!
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) starts the New Year on a new network, ABC, this Saturday (Jan. 16, 2021) as the promotion returns to “Fight Island” in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. In UFC Fight Island 7’s main event, former Featherweight kingpin, Max Holloway, attempts to snap a two-fight losing streak against Calvin Kattar. Earlier in the evening, Carlos Condit throws down with Matt Brown in a long overdue Welterweight slugfest and Santiago Ponzinibbio ends a lengthy layoff against the always-exciting Li Jingliang.
Since you won’t have to pay extra to catch the card, let’s find a use for that extra dough …
What Went Wrong at UFC Vegas 17?
Not a thing! We managed to cap off the year with a perfect 5-0, smashing 2019’s return on investment in the process. Not bad at all …
UFC Fight Island 7 Odds For The Undercard:
Phil Hawes (-135) vs. Nassourdine Imavov (+115)
Wu Yanan (-110) vs. Joselyne Edwards (-110)
Carlos Felipe (-185) vs. Justin Tafa (+160)
Ramazan Emeev (-255) vs. David Zawada (+215)
Sarah Moras (-230) vs. Vanessa Melo (+190)
Austin Lingo (-225) vs. Jacob Kilburn (+185)
Thoughts: Tom Breese would have been a nice pick, but his fight got pushed back to next Wednesday (details), so let’s just stick with Ramazan Emeev and maybe Carlos Felipe.
Emeev is nobody’s idea of a crowd-pleaser, but the fact of the matter is that it’s very difficult to beat him if you can’t stop his takedowns. And going by Zawada’s previous efforts, he can’t stop his takedowns. What stand up advantages the German might hold are offset by the fact that he’ll struggle to stay on his feet long enough to use them, making the durable Emeev a fairly safe pick.
Betting on a fight between knockout artists is always a risky endeavor, but then again, so is gambling in general. Felipe looks to have a better motor than Justin Tafa, more experience in deep waters, and enough craft and durability to avoid or survive the killshots that sank Juan Adams. In short, a moderate bet makes sense.
UFC Fight Island 7 Odds For The Main Card:
Max Holloway (-150) vs. Calvin Kattar (+130)
Carlos Condit (-165) vs. Matt Brown (+145)
Santiago Ponzinibbio (-280) vs. Li Jingliang (+240)
Joaquin Buckley (-265) vs. Alessio Di Chirico (+225)
Dusko Todorovic (-155) vs. Punahele Soriano (+145)
Thoughts: Joaquin Buckley is an insufficiently large favorite, while Punahele Soriano is an overly large underdog.
Alessio Di Chirico is riding a three-fight losing streak and his only stoppage win since 2015 came over Oluwale Bamgbose, who ended his Octagon career 1-4. Buckley is red-hot and has the edge in power, volume and speed on the feet.
It’s not the hardest equation to solve.
I wasn’t particularly impressed with Dusko Todorovic prior to his Octagon debut, and beating a subpar opponent like Dequan Townsend wasn’t enough to change my opinion. His reliance on clinch work and top control, coupled with his poor overall wrestling, bode ill against a powerhouse like Soriano. If anyone’s scoring takedowns on Saturday, it’s Soriano, who also hits considerably harder on the feet.
In other words, bank on the underdog.
UFC Fight Island 7 Best Bets:
- Parlay — Ramazan Emeev and Joaquin Buckley: Bet $60 to make $55.04
- Parlay — Ramazan Emeev and Carlos Felipe: Bet $40 to make $45.60
- Parlay — Joaquin Buckley and Punahele Soriano: Bet $30 to make $67.20
UFC Fight Island 7 is a solid card on free television, headlined by two of the most exciting strikers in the game. And that, Maniacs, seems like a damn fine way to kick off the New Year. See you Saturday, Maniacs.
Remember that MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC Fight Island 7 fight card this weekend, starting with the ESPN+ “Prelims” matches, which are scheduled to begin at 12 p.m. ET, then the remaining main card balance at 3 p.m. ET on ABC (also on ESPN+).
To check out the latest and greatest UFC Fight Island 7: “Holloway vs. Kattar” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here.