The Ultimate Fighting Championship is back on Wednesday, just three nights after UFC 249 became the first major sporting event held in the United States since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
While the card for "UFC Fight Night: Smith vs. Teixeira" isn't as loaded as the one we saw on Saturday, there are still 11 fights to bet on and that's nothing to be taken for granted in times like these.
Also not to be taken for granted are great sportsbook promotions, like the $1,000 sign-up bonus that DraftKings is offering for Action Network users who are in Colorado, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Indiana and West Virginia.
Here are the details: If your first bet at DraftKings is a $500 wager on a UFC fight, DK will fund your account with $500 in free bets instantly. (This first-bet match is good for up to $500.) Additionally, DraftKings will match 20% of your initial deposit up to $500. In other words, if you deposit $100 DraftKings you would earn a $20 bonus. To earn the max $500 bonus, you would have to deposit $2,500.
If you're new to betting on UFC and need some guidance on the best way to take advantage of this $1,000 sign-up bonus tonight, here's Sean Zerillo favorite bet for Wednesday:
"The consensus projection (77%) that I compiled loves Michael Johnson in a fight that is listed as a pick'em against Thiago Moises — easily the largest discrepancy of the night.
His metrics are certainly better across the board, with an advantage in strike differential (+0.3 vs. -0.42) and takedown defense (78% vs. 68%) over Moises, in particular, showing that he should be able to keep the fight standing – just where he wants it.
'The Menace' has lost five of his past seven, and seven of his past ten fights, and it was easy to excuse the first few losses in that run – to Nate Diaz, Khabib, and Justin Gaethje – but after bouncing down in weight, and losing in his return to Lightweight, there are even more question marks now for Johnson.
Moises has also lost three of his past four fights but to grapplers far superior to Johnson, which is what makes Wednesday's fight more of a true coinflip.
I'll back the fighter with the higher pedigree and make a small (0.5 unit) moneyline bet on Johnson, at -115 or better."
So, using Johnson as an example you deposit $500 and bet $200 on Johnson to beat Moises at -112, you will get $200 in free bets instantly added to your account and you'll earn another $100 in free bets over time thanks to the 20% deposit match. And then, of course, if Johnson goes on to win the fight, you'd get your profits ($178.6 on a $200 bet), as well.
All you need to do is click this link to get started.
UFC Fight Night: Smith vs. Teixeira Odds
Light Heavyweight fight: Anthony Smith vs. Glover Teixeira
- Smith: -190
- Teixeira: +155
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Heavyweight title fight: Ben Rothwell vs. Ovince St. Preux
- Rothwell: +115
- St. Preux: -139
- Over/Under: 2.5 rounds (-371/+265)
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Lightweight fight: Alexander Hernandez vs. Drew Dober
- Hernandez: +100
- Dober: -125
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Bantamweight fight: Ricky Simon vs. Ray Borg
- Simon: -165
- Borg: +130
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Middleweight fight: Karl Roberson vs. Marvin Vettori
- Roberson: +151
- Vettori: -186
Prelims
Heavyweight fight: Andrei Arlovski vs. Philipe Lins
- Arlovski: +130
- Lins: -162
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Lightweight fight: Michael Johnson vs. Thiago Moses
- Johnson: -112
- Moses: -112
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Women's Bantamweight fight: Sijara Eubanks vs. Sarah Moras
- Eubanks: -400
- Moras: +195
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Lightweight fight: Gabriel Benitez vs. Omar Morales
- Benitez: +140
- Morales: -177
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Featherweight fight: Hunter Azure vs. Brian Kelleher
- Azure: -190
- Rosa: +150
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Heavyweight fight: Chase Sherman vs. Ike Villanueva
- Sherman: -162
- Villanueva: +127
[Get a $1,000 sign-up bonus to bet UFC 249 at DraftKings. Claim now in CO, NJ, PA, IN and WV.]