Masvidal vs. Diaz: UFC 244 Odds and Predictions
UFC 244 is headlined by a non-title welterweight bout between Jorge Masvidal and Nate Diaz. The main card is expected to begin at 10 p.m. ET on pay-per-view. Here’s a look at it and the Sports Interaction odds.
UFC 244 Betting Odds
Jorge Masvidal (34-13) vs. Nate Diaz (21-11)
Division: Welterweight
Prediction: Masvidal by KO/TKO
Very unusual for a primary UFC event to not feature a title fight as the headliner, but everyone on the main event card is ranked and fans were calling for a Masvidal-Diaz bout. And, technically, there will be a belt given out to the winner of this one. In fact, the Rock will be the one presenting it inside the Octagon as these two are battling for the “baddest m*****f*****” title. The belt is being created specifically for this fight.
The 34-year-old Diaz, an American ranked seventh in the welterweight division, is best-known for his two very popular and very brutal fights with Connor McGregor in 2016. Diaz upset McGregor in the first and lost the second by majority decision. Diaz then didn’t return to the Octagon until this past August when he beat former UFC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis by unanimous decision to claim he was the “baddest m*****f*****!”
There was a brief time earlier this week where it looked like the fight might be off because Diaz failed a drug test, but he has been cleared by the New York State Athletic Commission to fight because there were only trace amounts in Diaz’s system. Masvidal, also 34 and from the USA, is ranked third in the division. He comes off a very memorable win over Ben Askren, knocking him out with a flying knee just five seconds in. It was the fastest knockout in UFC history. McGregor has made some noise about fighting the winner of this bout if McGregor wins his comeback bout first next January.
Kelvin Gastelum (16-4) vs. Darren Till (17-2-1)
Division: Middleweight
UFC odds: Gastelum -210, Till +160
Prediction: Gastelum by KO/TKO
Gastelum, 28 and from the USA, is ranked fourth in the division. Israel Adesanya is the current middleweight champion and Gastelum comes off a brutal fight against him in April, losing by unanimous decision. That is a Fight of the Year candidate. Perhaps no fighter has given Adesanya such a beating. Till, a 26-year-old Englishman ranked 10th, is moving up from welterweight. He lost a title fight to Tyron Woodley last September by second-round submission and then lost by second-round knockout to Masvidal in March.
Stephen Thompson (14-4-1) vs. Vicente Luque (17-6-1)
Division: Welterweight
UFC odds: Thompson -135, Luque +105
Prediction: Thompson by decision
Thompson is a 36-year-old American ranked ninth in the division but going backward with losses in three of his past four fights – albeit against excellent competition in Anthony Pettis, Darren Till and Tyron Woodley. That loss to Woodley was in a title bout rematch after the two had a majority draw at UFC 205. Canadian fight fans may recall Thompson beating Rory MacDonald at UFC Fight Night 89. The 27-year-old Luque, ranked 14th and from Brazil, has won six in a row but hasn’t fought close to the competition that Thompson has.
Derrick Lewis (21-7) vs. Blagoy Ivanov (18-2)
Division: Heavyweight
UFC odds: Ivanov -120, Lewis -110
Prediction: Ivanov by decision
Lewis, 36 and from the USA, is ranked fifth in the division despite coming off back-to-back second-round losses to Junior dos Santos (TKO via punches) and Daniel Cormier (submission by rear-naked choke). Lewis does own a win over top heavyweight contender Francis Ngannou so he clearly doesn’t duck quality opposition. Lewis fights rarely go to the judges. Ivanov is from Bulgaria and the 33-year-old is ranked eighth. He’s a bit of an unknown but does also have loss to dos Santos, coming by unanimous decision last July in Ivanov’s UFC debut.
Kevin Lee (17-5) vs. Gregor Gillespie (13-0)
Division: Lightweight
UFC odds: Gillespie -165, Lee +125
Prediction: Lee by submission
Lee is ranked 10th in the division and Gillespie 11th. The 27-year-old Lee is from Michigan and is a good grappler with eight wins by submission. But he enters having lost three of four, most recently in May by fourth-round submission to former champion Rafael dos Anjos. Lee also lost an interim title bout to Tony Ferguson at UFC 216. Gillespie, 32, will have the fans’ support as he’s from New York City. Fine record but questionable competition and only six fights in the UFC. He was an excellent college wrestler.