The main event will feature a clash between two top-ranked welterweights when the UFC returns to Winnipeg on Saturday, as Rafael dos Anjos takes on Robbie Lawler as a narrow -120 favourite on the UFC on Fox 26 odds at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.
RDA is coming off an impressive opening-round submission victory over Neil Magny as a -210 bet at UFC 215, and is now unbeaten in two fights as a welterweight going into Saturday night’s matchup at Bell MTS Place in Winnipeg.
The former UFC lightweight champion made the move to welterweight after suffering consecutive losses in 2016, starting with a shocking first-round TKO loss to Eddie Alvarez as a heavy -270 favourite at UFC Fight Night 90 that cost him the UFC lightweight crown. A subsequent unanimous decision loss to Tony Ferguson as -150 chalk at UFC Fight Night 98 marked the first time dos Anjos suffered consecutive losses since 2009.
However, the 33-year-old Brazilian rebounded to claim a unanimous decision over Tarec Saffiedine while sporting -210 odds in his welterweight debut at UFC Fight Night 111, and is currently pegged as the No. 4 challenger among UFC welterweights.
Perched as the No. 2 challenger on the UFC welterweight rankings, Lawler enters the octagon on Saturday as a -110 bet on the UFC odds. The 35-year-old American is coming off a unanimous decision victory over Donald Cerrone at UFC 214, which marked his first appearance in the cage since losing his UFC welterweight title with a stunning first-round knockout loss to Tyron Woodley at UFC 201.
That defeat put the brakes on a thrilling five-fight win streak for Lawler that featured his ascension to the UFC welterweight championship with a stunning upset of Johny Hendricks as a +190 underdog at UFC 181. Lawler followed up with a pair of successful title defenses including a spectacular fifth-round TKO win over Canadian Rory MacDonald as a +130 bet at UFC 189 that would later be proclaimed as the 2015 Fight of the Year.
In other UFC on Fox 26 action, Ricardo Lamas has his sights set on a third straight win inside the distance as he battles fellow featherweight Josh Emmett as a strong -275 favourite.
Argentina’s Santiago Ponzinibbio looks to continue his steady rise up the UFC welterweight rankings as he battles Mike Perry as -205 chalk, while Misha Cirkunov is pegged at -170 in his date with fellow light heavyweight Glover Teixeira, who trails as a +140 underdog after suffering KO losses in two of his past three octagon appearances.
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