The full betting odds have been released for the 11 fights scheduled to take place this Saturday’s UFC on ESPN+ 31 event.
The three-round main event sees middleweight prospect Edmen Shahbazyan face the toughest test of his career to date when he takes on perennial contender Derek Brunson. Shahbazyan is a perfect 11-0 in his young MMA career and is already 4-0 in the UFC, while Brunson is coming off of back-to-back wins over Ian Heinisch and Elias Theodorou. Should Shahbazyan win this fight, he could very well be fast-tracked towards a title shot at 185lbs.
In the co-main event, top women’s flyweight contender Joanne Calderwood takes on Jennifer Maia. Calderwood has won three of her last four fights while Maia is 2-2 overall in the UFC. Should Calderwood emerge with the win, she could be next in line to fight UFC women’s flyweight Valentina Shevchenko when she returns from her injury later this year.
Check out the opening betting odds for UFC on ESPN+ 31 below, courtesy of MMAOddsbreaker.com.
UFC on ESPN+ 31 Opening Odds
Edmen Shahbazyan -270
Derek Brunson +230
Joanne Calderwood -130
Jennifer Maia +110
Vicente Luque -215
Randy Brown +185
Lando Vannata -175
Bobby Green +150
Kevin Holland -215
Trevin Giles +165
Jonathan Martinez -225
Frankie Saenz +190
Gerald Meerschaert -195
Ed Herman +170
Ray Borg -230
Nathan Maness +170
Markus Perez -200
Eric Spicely +170
Timur Valiev -300
Jamall Emmers +250
Chris Gutierrez -305
Cody Durden +225
In the main event, Shahbazyan opened as a -270 betting favorite. That means you would have to bet $270 to win $100. As for Brunson, he opened as a +230 betting underdog. That means you would have to bet $100 to win $230. Shahbazyan is the best prospect in the UFC middleweight division and could very well be a title challenger by the end of the year, but Brunson is a respected veteran and you can’t count him out of winning this fight. The oddsmakers set Shahbazyan as a big favorite here, as he’s fully expected to win.
In the co-main event, Calderwood opened as a -130 favorite with the comeback on Maia at +130. Calderwood is much more experienced in the UFC and has had more success in the Octagon than Maia, but Maia is a former Invicta FC champion and has plenty of high-level experience herself. Calderwood is the favorite here based on her accomplishments in the Octagon, but Maia is always a tough out for anyone who fights her. This is a huge fight for both women, but especially for Calderwood with a potential title shot on the line.
Who do you like for bets based on the UFC on ESPN+ 31 betting odds?