UFC 259 Prelims Betting Results: Underdogs Shine in Undercard Action

Underdog performances highlight UFC 259 Action Packed Prelims

UFC 259 was set out to be a great fight card on paper with a top heavy card that included 3 title fights. Oh boy did the card deliver. The nights three title fights did not disappoint, reviewed in our UFC 259 main card betting results article. For the more savvy MMA fans and pundits, let’s review and analyze UFC 259 Prelims betting results.
Overall, the action was nonstop in the prelims portion of the card. Fighters showcasing high level MMA striking, wrestling and grappling were in full display. Shining brightest were betting underdogs Kayler Philips (+175) and Kennedy Nzechukwu (+190) won their respective contests opposite of Song Yadong (-200) and hyped prospect Carlos Ulberg (-220).

Kayler Philips dominates a game Song Yadong

Few envisioned Philips coming out of his UFC 259 prelims fight with Song Yadong with his hand raised. a +175 betting underdog, Philips used pressure, creative striking and expertly timed takedowns to sweep the bout on all three judges scorecards. With the win Philips handed the betting favorite Yadong -200 his first loss in the ultimate fighting championships. For his credit, Yadong never backed down. the “Alpha male” MMA product threw hard counters and actively working on the ground thus making the fight very entertaining. This was an excellent showing from both man.

Kennedy Nzechukwu defies underdog betting odds, Rallies to KO's Carlos Ulberg in a barnburner

Highly touted MMA prospect Carlos Ulberg showed a lot of promise and why many were excited about his UFC debut. Ulberg, a major betting favorite at (-220) coming into the fight facing Kennedy Nzechukwu (+190) on most online sportsbooks MMA bettling lines.

With only 3 professional fights to his credit the Auckland, New Zealand MMA fighter started strong,. First nailing Nzechukwu with a head kick then punches and vicious body shots to build a huge lead in damage and significant strikes landed. Be it a result of fatigue, Octagon jitters or the combination of both Ulberg started to fade as the first round drew to an end. Keep in mind, Ulberg out landed Nzechukwu by an 84 to 38 margin in the 1st round. The fight seemed to be in Ulbergs control.

The trend continued as the betting favorite Ulberg kept up the high striking output despite visibly slowing down. On the other hand, Kennedy was finding his groove. the former LFA fighter clawed back into the fight with powerful punches of his own. With neither man backing down the fight turned into a gritty brawl. As both fighters through caution to the wind. This attitude backfired for Ulberg, a wild exchange close to the octagon fence left him with little room to manuver. As a result he was slept bad by a Nzechukwu right hand and follow up punches.

The end came a little over 3 minutes of the second round. While Carlos Ulberg held the significant strike advantage firmly at 146 to 84 he was the one knocked out. What an amazing poise and heart demonstrated by Kennedy Nzechukwu.

Kennedy Nzechukwu with the MASSIVE knockout 😳
Stream #UFC259 on ESPN+➡️ https://t.co/69HCYcZ1yC pic.twitter.com/ldkYaaPvhv
— ESPN (@espn) March 7, 2021

Elliot, Askarov dominate to justify Betting Favorites Status

UFC 259 prelims featured some very convincing showings from MMA veterans Askar Askarov and Tim Elliot. Former UFC flyweight title challenger and Titan FC champion was a steady -145 betting favorite over +125 underdog Jordan Espinosa. While Askarov was a safe, modest betting favorite at -135 over former top contender and title challenger Joseph Benavidez (+115) by most online betting sites fight odds.

Although both Betting favorites took a similar route to victory, Askarov was definitely facing the tougher opponent. Elliot and Askarov control the distance and minimized danger. Specifically using ring craft, takedowns and ground control to win wide unanimous decisions. In hindsight, betting on these two flyweights was a relatively safe wager.

Who would you bet your money on in case of an Askar Askarov Vs. Tim Elliot title eliminator?

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