Kamaru Usman and Gilbert Burns will battle it out on Saturday night at UFC 258 with Usman's welterweight title on the line. This is a fight that UFC fans have waited quite a while for as two previously-scheduled showdowns were scrapped. Despite those roadblocks, however, the former teammates are set to do battle as we get treated to another exciting scrap in the loaded 170-pound division.
Oddsmakers favor Usman to leave Vegas still as champion, with a moneyline of -270 the day before the fight. Burns is a legitimate threat to score the upset, however, and is currently riding a six-fight winning streak that has seen him perform at increasingly high levels as he has climbed the ranks. Burns is also a well-balanced fighter with six knockouts, eight submissions and five decisions in his 19 career wins, making him a threat in all areas of the fight game.
There's expected to be tons of action on the main event -- and the card as a whole, for that matter. That's why William Hill Sportsbook is offering tons of props for Usman vs. Burns for bettors to consider on Saturday night. Let's take a closer look at some of those prop offerings before making our three best bets for the main card below.
Kamaru Usman vs. Gilbert Burns
Method of result | Odds |
---|---|
Usman via KO/TKO/DQ | +220 |
Usman via submission | +1400 |
Usman via decision | +110 |
Burns via KO/TKO/DQ | +800 |
Burns via submission | +550 |
Burns via decision | +500 |
Draw | +5000 |
Fight goes the distance: YES | -150 |
Fight goes the distance: NO | +110 |
Pick: Kamaru Usman via KO/TKO/DQ (+220) -- Burns is a threat on the feet and on the ground with a willingness to throw power shots with complete abandon and a legitimate submission game. Where he falls into trouble in this fight is that Usman is just a better and more technical fighter in every facet except pure submission grappling. Usman also has the ability to fully control where the fight takes place, and his ability to either strike with power or grind with his wrestling makes him a clear favorite here. The line on the TKO stoppage is appealing because Usman does have that ability to wear on fighters and find that stoppage. If Burns tries to initiate a firefight, this fight will look a lot like Usman's TKO win over Colby Covington.
Maycee Barber vs. Alexa Grasso
Method of result | Odds |
---|---|
Barber via KO/TKO/DQ | +450 |
Barber via submission | +700 |
Barber via decision | +350 |
Grasso via KO/TKO/DQ | +900 |
Grasso via submission | +1200 |
Grasso via decision | -110 |
Draw | +5000 |
Fight goes the distance: YES | -225 |
Fight goes the distance: NO | +163 |
Pick: Barber via TKO/KO/DQ or submission (+225) -- Barber is a very good finisher for the flyweight division. Grasso is tough and has only been finished once in her career -- a 2018 submission loss to Tatiana Suarez. Still, Barber probably shouldn't be an underdog in the fight at all, as she has seven stoppage wins in her eight career victories. The line for Barber via straight TKO/KO/DQ is really tempting at +450, but you can add some safety in the alternate method of victory by adding on the submission to the knockout. It drops the line down to +225 but opens up some more chances to cash.
Brian Kelleher vs. Ricky Simon
Method of result | Odds |
---|---|
Kelleher via KO/TKO/DQ | +600 |
Kelleher via submission | +750 |
Kelleher via decision | +500 |
Simon via KO/TKO/DQ | +750 |
Simon via submission | +600 |
Simon via decision | -125 |
Fight goes the distance: YES | -225 |
Fight goes the distance: NO | +163 |
Pick: Brian Kelleher via decision (+500) -- Kelleher has been susceptible to submissions through his career. Simon has only scored three submission wins in his career, though two of those three came in his seven fights in the UFC. Both men have only been stopped by strikes once. Despite Kelleher having 10 submission wins in his career, Simon doesn't seem likely to fall victim to a submission in the fight. Kelleher is a scrappy fighter who is more than capable of winning a fight against Simon, a fighter who has not really lived up to what some expected when he was considered a decent prospect. That win would most likely come on the cards, so take the juicy line of Kelleher via decision at +500.
Who will win Usman vs. Burns and every fight at UFC 258? Visit SportsLine now to get detailed picks on every fight, all from the incomparable expert who's up more than $22,000 on MMA picks in the past two years.