UFC 301 Betting Preview

UFC 301 is on the schedule this weekend, and all of the action is going to be taking place in Rio de Janeiro in this event. There have been some amazing moments at recent stops in Rio, and that should be the case yet again this time around. 

The flyweight division is going to be featured in the main event this weekend, but there will be some other weight classes with big matchups as well. Alexandre Pantoja is going to be looking to defend his title against Stephen Erceg in the final bout of the night, but there is no reason to wait around for that one. 

Here is a look at some of the top fights of the night, and the best betting options to explore in each matchup. 

Main Event Bout

This is not going to be one of the biggest main events in 2024, but this should still prove to be a really good matchup. Pantoja is going to be fighting in front of home fans, and he has already defended his featherweight title once successfully. 

The betting odds for this bout are actually pretty tight, but it make sense that Pantoja is the betting favorite at -188. Stephen Erceg has odds set at +163 to win on Saturday night, and that actually gives him a pretty good chance to get this done. 

Erceg is a worthy challenger in this fight, and he has proven that he has the skills to beat anyone. Fighting in his hometown will end up being a huge thing for Pantoga as that home crowd will give him an extra boost. 

Go with the champion at -188, but expect this fight to go the distance. 

Aldo Back in Co-Main

Fans in Rio de Janeiro will get a nice treat on Saturday night as Jose Aldo will be making his return back to the Octagon. Aldo hasn’t fought in the UFC in nearly two years, but the odds suggest that he is going to fight well on Saturday night. 

Jonathan Martinez is the slight favorite at -157 in this matchup of bantamweights, and he is on a trajectory to get a title fight soon. The home crowd will be going crazy for Aldo on Saturday night, but he has just taken too long away from the sport. 

Martinez will make Aldo wish that he stayed retired as he will come away with a win in this fight. 

More Brazilians On Main Card

There is a theme at UFC 301 as there are going to be plenty of top fighters from Brazil on the Main Card. Another of those top fighters is Vitor Petrino and he will be taking on Anthony Smith late in the night. 

Smith looked like he was going to be a contender in the light heavyweight division, but he ran into some tough luck in his most recent event. That loss exposed some weaknesses in his fighting style, and Petrino should be able to take advantage of that in this one. 

There is a reason that Vetrino is a big betting favorite at -550 in this fight, and that is really the only way to go. 

Look at Full Card

Since all of the past events in Rio de Janeiro have yielded some exciting results, that should be the case again this weekend. Not only is the main card loaded with some great bouts, but the same is true for the undercard as well. 

There will be some great betting odds available throughout the entire event, and cashing in on those odds will lead to some big payouts.