UFC Betting Sites – The Best MMA Online Bookies

Canelo Alvarez will once again be heavily compensated for his return to the boxing ring this evening (Sat., May 4, 2024) live on DAZN pay-per-view (PPV) from inside T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, as the Mexican superstar defends his undisputed super middleweight title against undefeated bruiser Jaime Munguia.

Alvarez may be getting up there in age and not dominating the competition quite like he used to, but the 33-year-old champion is still one of the best fighters in boxing today. At the very least, he remains one of the most popular fighters in combat sports. There’s no disputing that, which is why Canelo stands to earn another massive payday for Saturday’s title defense in “Sin City.”

According to Marca, Canelo is expected to bank a ridiculous $35 million salary from Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) for his fight against Munguia. The two sides had some issues earlier in the year, but that number seems to be the going rate for Alvarez’s services. Of course, Canelo can earn much more through PPV revenue, ticket sales, and more.

As for Munguia, it’s unknown at this time what the undefeated fighter stands to earn for his fight against Canelo, but it will undoubtedly be the biggest purse of his career. Some are estimating the 27-year-old fighter will walk away with around $10 million guaranteed (double his current net worth) before any secondary revenue is calculated. Not too shabby for a fighter who is currently a 4-1 betting underdog.

“Obviously, without a doubt, it’s the best purse, but thank God I’ve done very well and I’m not surprised, I’m not impressed,” Munguia told Marca. “What matters to me is to go, give a good fight and win, because what’s coming is going to be much better.”

---

For complete Canelo vs. Munguia results, coverage, and highlights click HERE.

Canelo Alvarez vs. Jaime Munguia super middleweight title fight goes down this Sat. night (May 4, 2024) LIVE on DAZN pay-per-view (PPV) from inside T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. That’s why Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is staging it’s latest pay-per-view (PPV) offering (UFC 301) on the same night in Brazil. Canelo’s return to action will cost you $89.99, but it also features the interim WBC welterweight title bout between Mario Barrios and Fabian Maidana.

What’s Hot:

Photo by Cris Esqueda/Golden Boy/Getty Images

Canelo Alvarez will make his much-anticipated return to action to face Jaime Munguia to see who will be the undisputed super middleweight champion of the boxing world. Alvarez currently holds the WBA, WBC, IBF, WBO, and The Ring super middleweight titles, while Munguia is the WBC Silver super middleweight champion. Alvarez was last seen dominating Jermell Charlo in Sept. 2023, his third straight win after his 16-fight win streak was snapped by Dmitry Bivol, which was just the second loss of his illustrious combat career. Much was made about Canelo’s resistance to grant David Benavidez a shot, with some going as far as to say that the undisputed king was ducking him. That’s just silly. A man who has taken on the best the boxing world has to offer isn’t afraid of anyone, and critics fail to understand Canelo’s stance that he shouldn’t have to grant someone a title shot just for the sake of doing it. At some point, however, it will be a mandated fight that has to be made.

Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images

For now, Alvarez more than has his hands full in an undefeated 27-year old phenom who already has a pro record of 42-0 with 34 knockouts on his resume. The knock on Munguia is that his resume is not even close to that of Canelo’s (there are few that are), but taking out one of the most-respected Mexican fighters ever will make him a hero in his home country. If he can pull off the upset, he will be able to write his own ticket moving forward, and he will also have a huge target on his back. Furthermore, he will give his promoter, Oscar de la Hoya, some more ammunition in his war of words against Canelo. Indeed, the two boxing legends recently went at it during the final pre-fight press conference, with Canelo accusing his former promoter of stealing from his fighters. With that kind of heat, one can only imagine what a fight between them in their primes would have played out.

How The ‘Prelims’ Look:

Photo by David Becker/Getty Images

Rising contender Vito Mielnicki Jr. will take on Ronald Cruz in a 10-round super welterweight title fight, Meilnicki is 17-1 and is on a nine-fight win streak with eight knockouts accrued in the span. As for Cruz, he is 19-3-1 with 12 knockouts on his resume.

William Scull and Sean Hemphill will throw down in a super middleweight bout. Scull is undefeated at 21-0 with nine knockouts to his credit. His young foe may not be as experienced, but he has the skills to perhaps pull off the upset here with a 63-percent knockout rate.

Jesus Ramos and Johan Gonzalez are set to collide in a 10-round super welterweight fight. Ramos is a southpaw from the US and has racked up an impressive record of 20-1 with 16 knockouts. His opponent, meanwhile, hails from Venezuela with a record of 34-2. The orthodox fighter has won all but one of his fights via knockout.

Photo by Jaime Lopez/Jam Media/Getty Images

Undefeated Mexican sensation, David Picasso, is 27-0-1 at just 23 years of age and has all the makings of a future star, and his 15 knockouts prove that. He has a tough challenge against Damien Vazquez, who is out for his third straight win. In further action, Jabin Chollet takes on Julian Bridges at 135 pounds. Chollet is undefeated at 9-0, while Bridges is very early in his combat career with a 4-0 record.

In another intriguing lightweight bout, Adrian Torres and Arsen Poghosyan do battle in a fight between up-and-comers. Poghosyan hails from Armenia and is just 3-1-1 in five fights with two knockout victories to boast of. As far as Torres is concerned, the Mexican-born fighter is 7-0 with six impressive knockouts on his resume.

Who Needs A Win Badly:

Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images

In a super lightweight fight, Gabriel Valenzuela and Jose Angulo will trade punches in what is sure-to-be an entertaining bout. Valenzuela is fighting out of Mexico and boasts a record of 28-3-1 with 17 knockouts. His opponent, who fights out of Ecuador, is an orthodox boxer with a sub-par record of 16-8 and is the rightful underdog in this fight. Angulo is in desperate need of a win because he is 2-6 in his last eight fights and is coming off a majority decision loss.

Interest Level: 8.5/10

Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images

This fight is filled with several exciting bouts, which includes four main card title fights. To compliment the main event, Mario Barrios will face Fabian Maidana for the interim WBC world welterweight title. Maidana is the younger brother of former champion, Marcos Maidana, who nearly pulled off an upset over Floyd Mayweather a decade ago. But Fabian is out to make his own name in the boxing world, and at 18-1 with 13 knockouts, the 31 year-old Argentinean is well on his way. Barrios, however, is way may more experienced with a 28-2 record and 18 knockouts. He is currently the interim WBC welterweight championship on a two-fight win streak. Prior to starting his current run, he was coming off back-to-back losses at the hands of Gervonta Davis and Keith Thurman.

Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images

Interim WBC featherweight champion, Brandon Figueroa, will put his strap on the line against Jessie Magdaleno. Figueroa — who is the former WBC super bantamweight champion — is 24-1-1 with 18 knockouts wins, which gives him a 75-percent stoppage ratio. But his opponent is a tad more experienced in the ring with a 29-2 record and 18 knockouts. He only has three fights in four years, so he hasn’t been overly active thanks to injuries.

Kicking off the main card is a WBA regular welterweight title fight between Eimantas Stanionis vs. Gabriel Maestre. Stanionis is the current champion at 147 pounds. The Lithuanian packs power in his punches and his nine knockouts in 14 wins prove just that. Maestre, meanwhile, is fighting out of Venezuela and is just 6-0-1 in his young boxing career. He is the current interim Welterweight champion and is looking to become undisputed in “Sin City.”

Enjoy the fights!

Full Fight Card:

Canelo vs. Mungia DAZN PPV Main Card (8 p.m. ET):

168 lbs.: Canelo Álvarez vs. Jaime Munguia for Undisputed Super Middleweight Title
147 lbs.: Mario Barrios vs. Fabian Maidana for Interim WBC World Welterweight Title
126 lbs.: Brandon Figueroa vs. Jessie Magdaleno for Interim WBC Featherweight Title
147 lbs.: Eimantas Stanionis vs. Gabriel Maestre for WBA Regular Welterweight Title

Note: Main event ring walks expected at or around 11 p.m. ET.

Canelo vs. Mungia YouTube Prelims Card (6 p.m. ET):

154 lbs.: Vito Mielnicki Jr. vs. Ronald Cruz
168 lbs.: William Scull vs. Sean Hemphill
154 lbs.: Jesus Ramos vs. Johan Gonzalez
140 lbs.: Gabriel Valenzuela vs. Jose Angulo
122 lbs.: Damien Vazquez vs. David Picasso
135 lbs.: Jabin Chollet vs. Julian Bridges
135 lbs.: Adrian Torres vs. Arsen Poghosyan

---

For the entire Canelo vs. Munguia fight card and DAZN PPV lineup click here. For more boxing news and notes click here.

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is back on the pay-per-view (PPV) market later TONIGHT (Sat., May 4, 2024) to stage UFC 301 form inside Farmasi Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil live on ESPN+ PPV. Headlining the event will be a men’s Flyweight title fight as division king, Alexandre Pantoja takes on Steve Erceg. In the co-main event, “The King of Rio” and former Featherweight champion, Jose Aldo, returns for one last fight to face off against Jonathan Martinez.

What’s Hot:

Photo by Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

The UFC flyweight division is alive and well with a new champion in Alexandre Pantoja, who already has one title defense under his belt. He will look to snatch up his second straight defense and sixth win overall when he takes on unlikely contender, Steve Erceg. I say unlikely because most people were caught off guard when this fight was booked. Erceg is currently ranked No. 10 in the division, which is why more than a few eyebrows were raised.

Nevertheless, Erceg has a huge opportunity to turn the division on its head. “Astro Boy” is currently riding an 11-fight win streak, but only three of those have come inside the Octagon, winning two “Performance of the Night” bonuses in the process. Still, that was enough to earn himself a title shot over many other seasoned veterans ranked ahead of him. But Pantoja is on a healthy run himself and it’s going to have to take a near-perfect performance to snatch the belt away from him. This fight may surprised a lot of people.

What’s Not:

Photo by Cris Esqueda/Golden Boy/Getty Images

Unfortunately for Dana White and Co., this somewhat lackluster PPV event is going head-to-head with Canelo Alvarez, who will be facing off against Jaime Munguia in a champion boxing match in Las Vegas, Nevada. That means that the buys will likely be less than stellar.

Original Card vs. Actual Card:

Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Makhmud Muradov was forced out of his scheduled bout against Michel Pereira with an infection, and was ultimately replaced by Ihor Potieria. Pereira has been on a monstrous tear as of late, winning seven straight fights, five at welterweight and two at middleweight. As for Poteira, he was in line to fight Sharabutdin Magomedov next month, but was yanked from that fight to fill this void. Poteira snapped his two-fight skid two months ago be defeating Robert Bryczek via unanimous decision.

Injuries:

No injuries were reported for this event, however, William Gomis was pulled from his fight against Jean Silva after he could barely make it to weigh ins. He reportedly vomited backstage, and as a result the fight was canceled, thankfully.

New Blood:

Photo by Mike Roach/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Ernesta Kareckaite will make her UFC debut after earning a split-decision win on the Contender Series in Sept, 2023 when she battles fellow newcomer, Dione Barbosa. “The Witch” also made her way via the Contender Series, and has a pro record of 6-2. She hasn’t been overly active since making her pro debut in mid-2018, but maybe a win in her debut can get her going.

Mauricio Ruffy had himself an explosive win on the Contender Series thanks to a technical knockout win over Raimond Magomedaliev, which earned him a spot on the UFC roster. Ruffy has stoppage finishes via strikes in all his wins. He will be taking on longtime UFC veteran, Jamie Mullarkey, who hasn’t been very consistent inside the Octagon by going just 5-5. He was last seen getting knocked out in the very first round by Nasrat Haqparast back in Dec. 2023.

How The Prelims Look:

Photo by Alexandre Loureiro/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Jack Shore is 6-1 so far under the UFC banner, but it has not been good enough to help him crack the Top 15, Still, the former Cage Warriors bantamweight champion is well on his way, he just needs to keep winning. His next challenge will come against Joanderson Brito, who is currently on a four-fight win streak himself. This fight has the chance to steal the show.

After a horrid run that saw her lose five fights in a row, Karolina Kowalkiewicz has found her groove, winning four in a row. The former women’s strawweight title challenger is hanging strong at No. 13, but she desperately wants to get back into the Top 10 to potentially make another run at the title. She will first have to get through Iasmin Lucindo, who bounced back nicely with two straight wins after coming up short in her UFC debut.

Elves Brener has quietly racked up three straight wins to improve his win streak to five in a row. His opponent, Myktybek Orolbai, is even hotter with a seven-fight win streak, which includes an impressive stoppage win over Uros Medic in his debut. In Lightweight action, Joaquim Silva will attempt to earn his first back-to-back win streak since 2017 when he goes up against Drakkar Klose. With a record of 6-1 over his last seven fights, Klose has some momentum here and another win gets him closer to earning a ranking spot.

In another intriguing Lightweight bout, Ismael Bonfim will take on Vinc Pichel. Bonfim is trying to earn a trip back to the win column after having his 13-fight win streak snapped at the hands of Benoit Saint Denis. As for Pichel, he lost his three-fight win streak to Mark Madsen back in April 2022.

Who Needs A Win Badly:

Photo by Mike Roach/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Alessandro Costa came into the UFC on a seven-fight win streak, but threw up a dud in his debut after he was knocked out by Amir Albazzi (see it again here). He did bounce back with a TKO win over Jimmy Flick, but he was then defeated by headliner Steve Erceg, putting him at 1-2 under the UFC banner. If he loses his second straight when he goes up against Kevin Borjas and drop to 1-3 with the promotion, his position with the UFC could come into question. I don’t think he will get cut so soon, but he does need a win badly here. Borjas could use a win himself after losing his UFC debut in Nov. 2023, because starting 0-2 with UFC will not be a good look.

Interest Level: 6.5/10

Photo by Mike Roach/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

In the co-main event of the evening, former UFC Featherweight champion Jose Aldo will return for one last ride inside the Octagon, as this fight is the last one on his contract. While a boxing career is what he is eying — which I’m not sure is the best idea at this point in his career — he has a tall task at hand against Jonathan Martinez. Aldo hasn’t competed since losing to Merab Dvalshvilli in Aug. 2022 and retired shortly thereafter. Other than to complete the final fight of his contract, there really was no other reason for him to return to the cage. Will a loss hurt his legacy? No. Will it his hurt hist stock for the foreseeable future? Maybe. Going into another form of combat sports on a two-fight skid isn’t the best look, but he still has his name to fall back on. As for Martinez, he is riding a six-fight win streak into what is the biggest fight of his career. Currently ranked at No. 12, a win over Aldo can get him closer to the Top 5. Aldo has the name, the legacy, but Martinez has youth and momentum on his side so don’t be too surprised if he pulls it off here.

Photo by Mike Roach/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Anthony Smith has been talking like he has a chance to fight Alex Pereira (Spoiler alert: he doesn’t). While you can’t knock someone’s confidence, “Lionheart” hasn’t exactly been lighting it up as of late, losing three of his last four fights and was last seen getting knocked out by Khalil Rountree in Dec. 2023, yet somehow he is still ranked in the Top 10. He will be taking on Vitor Petrino, who is undefeated at 11-0, which includes winning his first four fights inside the Octagon. This is a tough task for Smith, and if he loses this fight I don’t want to hear “Poatan’s” name coming out of his mouth ever again.

Paul Craig is just 1-3 in his last four fights. yet the promotion thought it would be a great idea to pit him against Caio Borralho, who is 15-1-1, riding a 12-fight win streak and is undefeated under the UFC banner at 5-0. That said, they are only separated by one spot in the rankings. If Borralho gets another victory here I can see him moving into the Top 10, and he would be primed for bigger and better fights. For Craig, he is just trying to keep his head above water after his recent bad streak, but don’t sleep on him because he hits like a truck.

Enjoy the fights!

Full UFC 301 Fight Card:

UFC 301 Main Event On ESPN+ PPV:

125 lbs.: UFC Flyweight Champion Alexandre Pantoja vs. Steve Erceg

UFC 301 Main Card On ESPN+ PPV (10 p.m. ET):

135 lbs.: Jose Aldo vs. Jonathan Martinez
205 lbs.: Anthony Smith vs. Vitor Petrino
185 lbs.: Michel Pereira vs. Ihor Potieria
185 lbs.: Paul Craig vs. Caio Borralho

UFC 301 ‘Prelims’ Card On ESPN2/ESPN+ (8 p.m. ET):

145 lbs.: Joanderson Brito vs. Jack Shore
115 lbs.: Karolina Kowalkiewicz vs. Iasmin Lucindo
155 lbs.: Elves Brener vs. Myktybek Orolbai

UFC 301 Early ‘Prelims’ Card On ESPN+ (6 p.m. ET):

?155 lbs.: Joaquim Silva vs. Drakkar Klose
155 lbs.: Jamie Mullarkey vs. Mauricio Ruffy
125 lbs.: Dione Barbosa vs. Ernesta Kareckaite
155 lbs.: Ismael Bonfim vs. Vinc Pichel
125 lbs.: Alessandro Costa vs. Kevin Borjas

*Fight card, bout order and number of fights remain subject to change.*

---

Remember that MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 301 fight card right here, starting with the early ESPN+ “Prelims” matches online, which are scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. ET (simulcast on ESPN2 at 8 p.m. ET), before the pay-per-view (PPV) main card start time at 10 p.m. ET (also on ESPN+).

To check out the latest and greatest UFC 301: “Pantoja vs. Erceg” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here.

Jake Paul may be friends with Ryan Garcia, but even “Problem Child” is having a hard time believing the boxer’s recent failed drug test was a “setup.”

In case you missed it, Garcia popped earlier this week for a performance-enhancing drug dating back to his fight against Devin Haney last month. Garcia was a massive underdog in that fight as Haney is widely regarded as one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the sport, but “King Ry” ended up shocking the world of boxing and delivered multiple knockdowns en route to a decision win.

Everything was looking up for the controversial and presumably unstable Garcia until a failed drug test was revealed earlier this week. Now the verdict is out as to whether or not Garcia cheated against Haney. The young boxing superstar claims he’s innocent and is being setup by Team Haney after his win, but some around the combat community aren’t buying it.

Even former UFC double champion Conor McGregor put his friendship with Garcia to the wayside to destroy the boxer with a recent social media post.

Paul, who has a good relationship with Garcia, recently jumped on a video call with the boxing superstar and grilled him about his failed drug test. Garcia remains adamant that his failed test was staged and that he’s been trying to rush along a secondary test to prove his innocence. Paul seems like he wants to believe Garcia, but told him it would be “f—ked up” if he really did cheat.

“If you did do it, that’s really f—ked up and I’m gonna be pissed off at you,” said Paul (shown in the above video player. “That’s f—ked up.”

What do you think? Who are you believing at this point?

Sound off!

---

Stick with Mania for any new developments regarding Garcia’s drug test

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Flyweight talents Alexandre Pantoja vs. Steve Erceg will go to war TONIGHT (Sat., May 4, 2024) inside Farmasi Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, for UFC 301.

Pantoja is on the hunt for the second defense of his Flyweight crown, but he’s run into a problem: he’s defeated up most of the top contenders. Pantoja’s record versus the current Flyweight Top 10 is ridiculous, as he’s beaten most of them at some point and holds multiple wins over Brandon Moreno and Brandon Royval. Consequently, UFC was forced to look far down the rankings for a challenger, and the best option that came up was Erceg. The Australian still seems to be more of a prospect than bonafide contender, but at 3-0 in the Octagon, he’s getting a huge opportunity.

Let’s take a closer look at the betting odds and strategic keys for each athlete:

Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Pantoja Vs. Erceg Betting Odds

• Alexandre Pantoja victory: -185
• Alexandre Pantoja via TKO/KO/DQ: +450
• Alexandre Pantoja via submission: +300
• Alexandre Pantoja via decision: +200
• Steve Erceg victory: +140
• Steve Erceg via TKO/KO/DQ: +400
• Steve Erceg via submission: +1200
• Steve Erceg via decision: +450
• Draw: +5000
• Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images

How Pantoja Wins

Pantoja might be the best backpacker in the sport right now, and he pairs that asset with … a brick chin and penchant for throwing leather? It’s an odd combo, certainly, but Pantoja brawls his way into submissions and strong positions better than just about anyone else.

In this match up, Pantoja is probably eyeing Erceg’s competitive decision win over Alessandro Costa. In the second round specifically, Costa found a lot of success really bullying Erceg, forcing the Australian into uncomfortable positions and gaining top control as a result.

Pantoja can do the same. Both prongs of his attack — heavy punches and grappling offense — have to be respected by Erceg, which should open up lands and takedowns alike. Furthermore, Pantoja has the physicality to make Erceg’s life difficult, particularly on short-notice.

If Pantoja is at his mauling best, Erceg is in for a difficult evening.

Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

How Erceg Wins

Erceg is a well-rounded young talent. The 28-year-old challenger has won a majority of his fights via submission, but he’s also proven himself to have crisp boxing with good power in his shots.

Striking would appear to be his best chance at victory. Historically, Erceg puts together his combinations more cleanly than Pantoja, and he’s shown a good ability to manage distance too. He could still get clubbed by a big Pantoja swing, but that’s still a better risk to take than scrambling with the jiu-jitsu ace.

Pace is also going to play a major factor in any potential upset. Fatiguing is a huge liability in combat sports, particularly at Flyweight where fighters are expected to throw dozens of strikes per minute. Pantoja has been able to succeed anyway because he’s a gamer and can wrestle while gassed, but Erceg should be actively working to fatigue the champion. In short, that means the Australian’s volume should be higher than ever, and he should be aiming to cause attritional damage to the body and legs.

Photo by Buda Mendes/Zuffa LLC

Pantoja Vs. Erceg Prediction

It’s a strange match up but should be a good fight.

The knock against Pantoja is that he’s 34 years old and does slow down in the second half of five-round fights. Even so, he’s managed to win late rounds against cardio monsters like Moreno and Royval. Erceg has shown strong conditioning in the past, but he’s not one to push the pace quite like those two men, so it’s hard to see Pantoja crumbling in this match up after succeeding in the others.

Equally important is that Erceg hasn’t been given a full camp to prepare for Pantoja and his snake-like back takes. Pantoja always finds his way to the back at some point, and I find it unlikely that Erceg is able to escape with any kind of quickness — meaning Pantoja can manufacture rests when he needs them.

Erceg has a puncher’s chance, but that’s a bad bet at 125 pounds.

Prediction: Pantoja via submission (+300)

---

MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 301 fight card RIGHT HERE, starting with the early ESPN+ “Prelims” matches at 6 p.m. ET, followed by the remaining undercard balance on ESPN2/ESPN+ at 8 p.m. ET, before the PPV main card start time at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+ PPV.

To check out the latest and greatest UFC 301: “Pantoja vs. Erceg” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive events archive right here. For the updated and finalized UFC 301 fight card and ESPN+ lineup click here.