UFC 256 predictions, odds, prop bets: Finding the best values for a big night of fights in Las Vegas
We dig deep to find the best plays for Saturday night's action at UFC 256 in Las Vegas
•
3 min read
Deiveson Figueiredo and Brandon Moreno return to the Octagon on Saturday night, just one month after picking up big wins at UFC 255 to battle for Figueiredo's flyweight championship. But as with every UFC pay-per-view cards, there are plenty of intriguing fights up and down the slate.
But this card has some depth beyond the title fight main event. Lightweight contenders collide in the co-main event when perennial title contender Tony Ferguson returns to take on Charles Oliveira. Ferguson was considered the No. 1 contender for the 155-pound title for multiple years and had multiple bookings with champ Khabib Nurmagomedov, only to see each fall through for one reason or another. Now, coming off a destructive loss to Justin Gaethje in May, Ferguson is looking to get back to a title shot with a win over Oliveira, who himself has won seven in a row.
Bettors can't wait to get in on the fun when the action is expected to be this good, and that's exactly what you can expect this weekend with so many intriguing matchups up and down this 12-fight card. A lot of gamblers like to live outside the box of straight moneyline picks, and that's what we're here for in this space. We're going to take a closer look at the UFC 256 main card to find the best values on prop bets with odds provided via William Hill Sportsbook.
Can't get enough boxing and MMA? Get the latest in the world of combat sports from two of the best in the business. Subscribe to Morning Kombat with Luke Thomas and Brian Campbell for the best analysis and in-depth news.
Tony Ferguson vs. Charles Oliveira
| Method of result | Odds |
|---|---|
Ferguson via KO/TKO/DQ | +188 |
| Ferguson via submission | +550 |
Ferguson via decision | +333 |
Oliveira via KO/TKO/DQ | +800 |
Oliveira via submission | +350 |
Oliveira via decision | +500 |
Draw | +6600 |
Fight goes the distance: YES | +150 |
Fight goes the distance: NO | -188 |
Pick: Ferguson via KO/TKO/DQ (+188) -- Ferguson's loss to Justin Gaethje was ugly and lopsided. That said, a lot of people seem ready to write off a fighter who has been one of the division's elite for years based off one fight with a lot of odd circumstances surrounding it and a few questionable decisions by Ferguson. Oliveira is a tremendous fighter in his own right, but he is also a fighter who has been stopped by many fighters who are not on Ferguson's level. Ferguson should be able to bust up Oliveira before getting a stoppage somewhere in the second half of the fight.
Junior dos Santos vs. Ciryl Gane
| Method of result | Odds |
|---|---|
dos Santos via KO/TKO/DQ | +550 |
dos Santos via submission | +2800 |
dos Santos via decision | +700 |
Gane via KO/TKO/DQ | -125 |
Gane via submission | +700 |
Gane via decision | +333 |
| Draw | +8000 |
Fight goes the distance: YES | +200 |
Fight goes the distance: NO | -275 |
Pick: dos Santos via decision (+700) -- This feels like a bit of a longshot, and Gane is certainly a fighter on the way up while dos Santos has been on the decline for years. But there's a big difference from beating Tanner Boser (a guy who just lost to a shot Andrei Arlovski) and beating a veteran like dos Santos. Gane could -- and probably should -- win by stoppage. But the +700 odds on a dos Santos decision gives implied odds of 12.5%. I think a dos Santos decision win is a far more likely possibility, which means there's a lot of value in the line.
Billy Quarantillo vs. Gavin Tucker
| Method of result | Odds |
|---|---|
Quarantillo via KO/TKO/DQ | +500 |
Quarantillo via submission | +900 |
Quarantillo via decision | +180 |
Tucker via KO/TKO/DQ | +1000 |
Tucker via submission | +500 |
Tucker via decision | +240 |
Fight goes the distance: YES | -175 |
Fight goes the distance: NO | +130 |
Pick: Quarantillo via KO/TKO/DQ (+500) -- Tucker has never been stopped in his pro career, with his only loss coming via decision. Quarantillo is coming into his own with strike stoppages, however, scoring five in his seven most recent fights. Look for him to keep up pressure and force Tucker into an uncomfortable fight. Quarantillo has been through the fire in an intense fight with Spike Carlyle and proven his ability to be put in bad spots and continue firing forward. Call it a gut feeling, but roll with Quarantillo via strike stoppage here.
Who wins Figueiredo vs. Moreno? And how exactly does each fight end? Visit SportsLine now to get detailed picks on every fight at UFC 256, all from the incomparable expert who's up more than $22,000 on MMA in the past 22 months, and find out.
