UFC 268 combat card, odds: Issues to learn about every bout on the principle card from New York Metropolis

UFC 268 takes place on Saturday evening from the historic Madison Sq. Backyard in New York Metropolis. The most important bout lands in the principle occasion the place bitter rivals Kamaru Usman and Colby Covington battle for a second time with the welterweight title on the road.

There may very well be fireworks as soon as once more when Rose Namajuans and Weili Zhang meet within the co-main occasion after “Thug Rose” scored a vicious head kick knockout in April. The loss snapped a 20-fight win streak for Zhang, who had been nothing wanting dominant in her run previous to the loss. She scored a choice win over Joanna Jedrzejcyzk in March 2020 in a combat that soundly received Struggle of the 12 months honors. Now, she seems for rapid revenge in the identical enviornment the place Namajunas first earned gold 4 years in the past.

To not be outdone, a significant light-weight conflict kicks issues off with Justin Gaethje and Michael Chandler battling it out. Gaethje beforehand held the interim light-weight title earlier than falling by the hands of Khabib Nurmagomedov, who retired instantly after the bout. With the title open and recent off an explosive debut, Chandler battled Charles Oliveira in Might however got here up quick in his quest to win a significant promotional title for a fourth time.

Clearly, it is easy to get misplaced within the trivia of an enormous occasion. So we’re right here to assist in giving you a concise outlook of what to anticipate and what to know for each essential card combat together with odds from Caesars Sportsbook. Let’s take a better take a look at what to anticipate on Saturday.

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Essential card

Marlon Vera vs. Frankie Edgar, bantamweight

• Odds: Vera -180, Edgar +155 | Final three outcomes: Vera  – W,L,W | Edgar – L,W,L
• Vera: An enormous-time finisher who has 14 stoppages in 17 profession victories
• Edgar: A former light-weight champion and multi-time featherweight title challenger now combating at bantamweight

Edgar (24-9-1) entered his April 2010 combat with then-lightweight champion B.J. Penn thought of fighter however not somebody able to dethrone a light-weight nice like Penn. Regardless of being a greater than +600 underdog, Edgar received that combat and have become light-weight champion. Greater than a decade later, Edgar remains to be combating within the UFC and nonetheless sitting as an underdog. Edgar is now a bantamweight after a prolonged stint at featherweight the place he didn’t win the 145-pound title in three probabilities. He’s 1-3 in his 4 most up-to-date fights, nonetheless, with two of these losses coming through first-round stoppage. Vera (17-7-1) picked up severe momentum in August 2020 when he scored a TKO of highly-regarded prospect Sean O’Malley. He misplaced to Jose Aldo in his subsequent outing however rebounded with a win over Davey Grant in June. Vera has 14 stoppages in 17 profession victories however has by no means been stopped, with all seven of his losses approaching the judges’ scorecards.

Shane Burgos vs. Billy Quarantillo, featherweight

• Odds: Burgos -200, Quarantillo +170 | Final three outcomes: Burgos  – L,L,W | Quarantillo – W,L,W
• Burgos: On a two-fight shedding skid after a 6-1 begin to his UFC profession
• Quarantillo: 9-1 with seven stoppages in his 10 most up-to-date fights

Burgos (13-3) received off to a fantastic begin in his UFC profession, profitable six of his first seven fights with the lone loss coming towards Calvin Kattar. With that stage of success comes a rise in stage of competitors. That has led to a rocky stretch for Burgos as he misplaced to Josh Emmett by choice earlier than a knockout loss to Edson Barboza. Each of these losses got here in bouts that earned Burgos Struggle of the Night time bonuses. Quarantillo (16-3) is coming off his personal Struggle of the Night time effort, scoring a third-round TKO towards Gabriel Benítez in July. That victory was a bounce-back efficiency for Quarantillo after struggling his first UFC loss when he dropped a choice to Gavin Tucker. Quarantillo has a stable unfold of finishes with seven knockouts, 5 submissions and 4 selections in his profession.

Justin Gaethje vs. Michael Chandler, light-weight

• Odds: Gaethje -200, Chandler +170 | Final three outcomes: Gaethje  – L,W,W | Chandler – L,W,W
• Gaethje: Former interim light-weight champion with 9 efficiency bonuses in eight UFC fights
• Chandler: Former multi-time Bellator champion who was inches from the UFC light-weight title in his final combat

The combat between Gaethje and Chandler often is the most anticipated non-title combat of the yr. Gaethje (22-3) has not fought since October 2020 when he misplaced the interim light-weight title in a unification bout with then-champion Khabib Nurmagomedov. Since leaving WSOF as their longtime champion and signing with the UFC, Gaethje has lived as much as each little bit of his repute as an all-action fighter. In eight journeys to the Octagon, Gaethje has received 9 efficiency bonuses for both Struggle of the Night time or Efficiency of the Night time. Chandler is a former three-time Bellator light-weight champion who made his UFC debut in January, knocking out Dan Hooker and incomes a shot on the light-weight title vacated by Nurmagomedov. Chandler was on the verge of capturing the title by stopping Charles Oliveira within the first spherical of their combat however was knocked out within the second spherical. This can be a matchup of two very related fighters — wrestlers turned strikers with explosive knockout energy — and guarantees to be a fantastic combat.

Rose Namajunas (c) vs. Weili Zhang, ladies’s strawweight title

• Odds: Namajunas -110, Zhang -110 | Final three outcomes: Namajunas  – W,W,L | Zhang – L,W,W
• Namajunas: A fan-favorite and the primary lady in UFC historical past to regain a championship she misplaced beforehand
• Zhang: Coming off a knockout to Namajunas that snapped a 21-fight profitable streak

Zhang (21-2) entered UFC 261 in April as the ladies’s strawweight champion, driving a 21-fight profitable streak since shedding her skilled debut. It took simply 78 seconds for all the pieces to come back crashing down. Namajunas landed a head kick that despatched Zhang crashing to the mat and the primary UFC title reign for a Chinese language fighter was over. Zhang can be seeking to get again to the shape she confirmed in knocking out Jessica Andrade to seize the title and in her Struggle of the 12 months effort towards Joanna Jedrzejczyk. Namajunas (10-4) would not have probably the most spectacular wanting report at first look. Breaking down her resume, nonetheless, you see that she has fought virtually nothing however the high names within the division each trip. After beating Jedrzejczyk to win the strawweight title the primary time round, and retaining the title within the rematch, Namajunas suffered a brutal slam knockout by the hands of Andrade in 2019. After practically retiring, Namajunas got here again to take a break up choice towards Andrade and win the title from Zhang.

Kamaru Usman (c) vs. Colby Covington, welterweight championship

• Odds: Usman -330, Covington +260 | Final three outcomes: Usman  – W,W,W | Covington – W,L,W
• Usman: One of many best welterweights ever, Usman has added one-punch energy to his wrestling
• Covington: A brash, controversial fighter with a high-output model

Covington (16-2) talked near-record quantities of trash resulting in his first combat with Usman, pushing nicely previous the boundaries of excellent style whereas vowing to finish Usman’s reign. The 2 males went punch-for-punch in an all-out struggle that ended when Covington was stopped within the fifth spherical. Since that evening in December 2019, Covington has solely fought as soon as, stopping a badly pale model of Tyron Woodley in September 2020. His high-output model has been arduous for any opponent to take care of over the previous a number of years and he’ll look to overwhelm Usman this time round.

Usman (19-1) is driving an 18-fight profitable streak. Whereas he has all the time been spectacular, Usman has considerably upped his recreation because the Covington combat. Constructing on his wrestling base, Usman added technical boxing — largely based mostly round an efficient jab — and severe one-punch energy. That energy was most just lately on show in his rematch with Jorge Masvidal the place Usman dominated the putting earlier than a crushing second-round knockout. Because the first combat with Covington, Usman has fought thrice, beating Masvidal twice and in addition knocking out Gilbert Burns.

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