A pair of veteran fighters looking to earn another shot at the UFC heavyweight crown will clash on Saturday when Francis Ngannou takes on Junior dos Santos in the main event at UFC Minneapolis as a heavy -260 favourite at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.
Ngannou is coming off a dominating first-round KO victory over Cain Velasquez in mid-February, and has now claimed victory in under a minute in two straight outings ahead of Saturday night’s bout at the Target Center.
The 32-year-old needed just 45 seconds to dispose of Curtis Blaydes in their highly anticipated rematch at UFC Fight Night 141 last November, rewarding bettors as a +185 underdog while also earning his first Performance of the Night bonus in almost two years.
Ngannou’s recent impressive performances come on the heels of the first consecutive losses of his career, including a five-round defeat by decision at the hands of Stipe Miocic as a -175 favourite at UFC 220, which marked his first bid for the UFC heavyweight championship. However, when Ngannou wins, he wins big, with each of his past six victories coming in the opening round.
Dos Santos will also be looking to build on a win streak when he enters the octagon on Saturday as a +200 underdog on the UFC odds. The 35-year-old Brazilian marked his third-straight victory and claimed a Fight of the Night bonus with a second-round TKO win over Derrick Lewis at UFC Fight Night 146 at -225 odds.
The former UFC heavyweight champion also ended Tai Tuivasa’s night with a second-round TKO at UFC Fight Night 142, but has failed to finish three straight opponents inside the distance since 2010.
In Saturday’s co-main event, Jussier Formiga will be aiming for a fifth straight victory as he takes on fellow flyweight Joseph Benavidez as a +145 betting underdog. Earlier in the evening, welterweight Demian Maia looks to tally consecutive wins for the first time since 2016 as he battles Anthony Rocco Martin as -185 chalk, while lightweight Roosevelt Roberts looks to extend his perfect 8-0 professional MMA record as he squares off against Vinc Pichel as a strong -280 favourite.
Formiga solidified his perch as the No. 1 contender in the UFC flyweight division with a three-round unanimous decision win over Deiveson Figueiredo at UFC Fight Night 148 while sporting +130 odds, but will face a stiff test against the veteran Benavidez, who rides a two-fight win streak into Saturday’s clash as -175 chalk.
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