Tyron Woodley will be looking to rebound from a loss to Kamaru Usman at UFC 235 that cost him the UFC welterweight title when he returns to action on Saturday to face rising star Gilbert Burns as a -190 betting favourite on the UFC odds at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.
Woodley’s unanimous decision loss as a -210 favourite ended his three-year reign as the UFC welterweight champion, but with just one defeat over his past eight fights he remains the top-ranked contender in the UFC welterweight division going into Saturday night’s bout at the UFC APEX in Las Vegas.
The 38-year-old earned his first submission win since 2009 in his victory over Darren Till at UFC 228, but has more commonly earned narrow victories by decision. In addition to a split decision win over Kelvin Gastelum in a catchweight clash at UFC 183, Woodley saw a pair of memorable clashes with Stephen Thompson go to the judges, who declared their UFC 205 tilt a majority draw before handing Woodley a majority decision at UFC 209 as a -115 wager.
Listed as a +155 underdog for Saturday night, Burns currently rides a five-fight win streak including three straight victories since returning to welterweight. The 33-year-old Brazilian ended Demian Maia’s night with a first-round TKO as a -160 wager in his last outing at UFC Fight Night 170, which marked his fastest victory since joining the UFC in 2014.
Overall, Burns is undefeated in 10 professional fights as a welterweight, including a run of six straight first-round finishes to start his pro career, beginning in 2012. However, he needed a unanimous nod from the judges in two of his three recent welterweight contests. And unlike Woodley, Burns has never seen action in championship rounds while racking up an 18-3 record.
Also on Saturday, Augusto Sakai will be aiming to crack the top ten in the UFC heavyweight rankings with a fifth straight victory when he battles Blagoy Ivanov in a fight listed as a virtual pick’em on the UFC Fight Night odds at sports betting sites.
Sakai’s win streak features four victories since joining the UFC in 2018, highlighted by an opening-round KO on punches last time out against Marcin Tybura at UFC Fight Night 158. Blagoy is on the rebound following a split decision loss to Derrick Lewis at UFC 244 that marked his second loss in four outings, and his fifth straight fight to go the distance.
Earlier in the evening, Billy Quarantillo battles Spike Carlyle as a -145 favourite in a 150-lb catchweight matchup, while Roosevelt Roberts sits as heavy -360 chalk over fellow lightweight Brok Weaver.
