It's ladies' night in Australia this weekend, and an expected record-breaking crowd of more than 53,000 fans will pack Etihad Stadium in Melbourne for UFC 193, featuring both UFC women's division titles on the line in the same day. But are they really on the line? Both incumbent champions are massive betting favorites.
Pioneering women's bantamweight superstar Ronda Rousey and surging strawweight Joanna Jedrzejczyk are both currently running at -2,000 favorites in their respective matchups. And if either of those betting lines holds, it will surpass the prior record for a UFC bout, which was Rousey's last performance, against Bethe Correia, that closed at -1,700. So the race is on to see which woman might set a new record for the biggest favorite in UFC history.
This race makes for some unusually steep odds in the marquee matchups this weekend, which makes betting more difficult than usual. MMA is a volatile sport in which a fluke injury in the opening minute can derail the biggest and most justifiable favorite. So that means finding value elsewhere. But where?
The odds are live, and the Aussie fans are gearing up for UFC action for the first time in Melbourne. Let's check out the final three fights of the night, and explore where else we might find some betting value.