It’s a great weekend for fans and bettors on mixed martial arts with Bellator 265 headlined by Cheick Kongo vs. Sergei Kharitonov on Friday night and then a good UFC Fight Night card Saturday from Las Vegas headlined by a middleweight bout between Americans Jared Cannonier against Kelvin Gastelum.

With the main card starting at 10 p.m. ET, this fight should get going around 11:45 p.m. Originally, this main event was to feature Paulo Costa and Cannonier, but in early June Costa withdrew from the bout reportedly for contractual reasons and was replaced “The Ultimate Fighter: Team Jones vs. Team Sonnen” middleweight winner Gastelum.

That being said, NitroBetting takes your MMA betting experiences to the next level with our previews. Get to know more about the event and the fighters, the latest UFC odds, important betting trends, and expert betting predictions that help you lock in on the best picks. Don’t forget to check out the rest of MMA odds and lines at our online crypto sportsbook.

UFC 266 Event Info

• When: Saturday, August 21, 2021, 10:00 PM ET (Main Card)
• Where: UFC APEX, Las Vegas, Nevada
• TV: PPV
• Live Stream: UFC Fight Pass

UFC 266 Main Card Odds

UFC 266 Main Card Preview

Jessica Andrade vs. Cynthia Calvillo

There’s a reason Andrade is the chalk. At 21-9, the favorite has lost more bouts than Calvillo. But Andrade has also fought the much better opponents, including Valentina Schevchenko at UFC 261 in April.

Calvillo has a decent 9-2-1 record. However, she heads into this after dropping a match to Katlyn Chookagian at UFC 255. This past October, Andrade knocked out Chookagian in the first round at a UFC Fight Night event.

We hate laying so many dollars, but it’s hard to see Calvillo getting past one of UFC’s most feared women mixed-martial-artists.

UFC 266 Pick: Jessica Andrade

Curtis Blaydes vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik

The lone heavyweight bout on the UFC 266 main card pits 14-3 Curtis Blaydes against 12-2 Jairzinho Rozenstruik. Blaydes has a couple of physical edges. The favorite is 2 inches taller and has a 2-inch reach advantage. But Derrick Lewis beat Curtis Blaydes in the last, knocking Blaydes out in the second-round.

In his last bout, Rozenstruik ended Augusto Sakai’s night in the first round. Jairzinho can be up or down depending on the opponent. The underdog shows overlay odds, though, so that’s who we’re backing.

UFC 266 Pick: Jairzinho Rozenstruik

Nick Diaz vs. Robbie Lawler

UFC 266 boasts a couple of championship bouts, but let’s be honest. Nick Diaz versus Robbie Lawler is the match to justify the pay-per-view cost. Nick’s last fight was in 2015. The bout happened versus MMA legend turned professional boxer Anderson Silva. It ended a no contest.

Lawler fought last August, dropping a match to Neil Magny via unanimous decision. Lawler and Diaz will bring it on Saturday night, hence the -110 odds on both. Which fighter wins this one? Robbie has the recency edge, but Nick is 2 inches taller and has the longer reach. Diaz wouldn’t fight if he didn’t think he was ready. Nick gets the nod.

UFC 266 Pick: Nick Diaz

Valentina Schevchenko vs. Lauren Murphy

Muay Thai expert Lauren Murphy is a great fighter. The challenger has never lost a bout via TKO/KO or submission. On Saturday night, though, the underdog faces one of the best mixed-martial-arts fighters in the world. Valentina Schevchenko hasn’t lost since 2017 and when she did it was versus maybe the best pound-for-pound MMA fighter on the planet, Amanda Nunes.

The fact Nunes beat Schevchenko via split-decision tells you how much a chalk the champ is in this bout. Unless something unforseeable occurs, Schevchenko easily wins.

UFC 266 Pick: Valentina Schevchenko

Alexander Volkanovskivs. Brian Ortega

Expect fireworks when Volkanovski defends his belt agianst Brian Ortega. The champ has a 22-1 record. Ortega brings a 15-1 record into the Octagon. In his last couple of bouts, Volkanovski beat Max Holloway. Before the wins against Holloway, the champ bested legend Jose Aldo via unanimous decision at UFC 237. Volkanovski is 11-1 via technical knockout and knockout victories. He’s 3-0 via submissions.

But although the champ looks strong, the challenger is worth a look. Ortega’s last loss happened in 2018 via a doctor stoppage in a bout against Holloway. Since then, the underdog has had a single bout. It was a victory against The Korean Zombie, Chan Sung Chung via unanimous decision. The fight happened in October, which means the timing is perfect. Ortega has a big shot to pull off the upset.

UFC 266 Pick: Brian Ortega

Where to Bet on MMA with Crypto

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This is just one of the many sports betting guides that you can read here at Nitrobetting news. Stay tuned for more MMA previews and articles, and don’t forget to check out the latest MMA betting odds on our crypto sportsbook.

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