Our Top Betting Pick for UFC Vegas 76
UFC Pick: Sean Strickland -155 at Heritage Sports (visit our Heritage Sports Review)
The UFC returns to the Apex in Nevada with an elite middleweight bout scheduled for the evening’s main event, and we’re covering all your betting needs.
Striking standout Sean Strickland looks to prove his position as a top-ranked 185lb competitor when he welcomes an unranked and unfamiliar face Abus Magomedov.
Read on for our complete betting guide with an early preview of the UFC Vegas 76 main event clash between Strickland and Magomedov, including updated UFC odds and our free expert UFC first look betting picks, predictions, and analysis.
Strickland vs. Magomedov Key Facts
- Magomedov is headlining a UFC event in just his second appearance for the promotion.
- Strickland owns elite-level UFC experience dating back to 2014.
- Strickland has fought 8 times since the end of 2020.
- Magomedov has fought 2 times since the end of 2020.
UFC Vegas 76 Information
- When: Saturday, July 1, 2023 – 04:00 PM EDT
- Where: UFC Apex, Las Vegas
- Scheduled Bouts: 12
- Main Event: Sean Strickland vs. Abus Magomedov
- Moneyline Probability: Strickland – 60.8% (-155) Magomedov – 44.1% (+127)
UFC Vegas 76 Strickland vs. Magomedov: Tale of the Tape
Sean Strickland
Sean Strickland fought three times in 2022 and is already headlining his second Fight Night event of 2023, and we shouldn’t be surprised. The top-ranked UFC middleweight has never shied away from active competition, and with nine years of UFC experience under his belt, he’ll gladly welcome a new face in Abus Magomedov this weekend.
Strickland has been relentless with his volume and is predominantly a striker. But with an excellent takedown defense, he can force grappling-style fighters into the type of fight he thrives on – a toe-to-toe striking war.
Strickland's Combat Sports Accomplishments
- UFC Performance of the Night (One time)
- KOTC Middleweight Champion (One time, five defenses)
Strickland Best Moneyline Odds: -155 at Heritage Sports
Abus Magomedov
With a background in wrestling dating back to his childhood, a traditional Dagestan style has assisted Magomedov in many of his earlier pro-MMA career successes. He also developed his offensive striking skills through kickboxing, and for the past twelve years, he’s actively competed in various mixed martial arts promotions worldwide.
Surprisingly, after making his UFC debut last September, he’s already been pushed to a main event position in what will be his second appearance for the promotion. This could be a cause for concern, as the expertise of Sean Strickland alongside the main event spotlight may prove to be a challenging night for the German.
Magomedov's Combat Sports Accomplishments
- German MMA Welterweight Champion (GMC) (One time)
Magomedov Best Moneyline Odds: +127 at Heritage Sports
UFC Vegas 76 Skillset Analysis: Styles Make Fights
Despite his wrestling background, Magomedov loves to strike, and the latter stage of his pro-MMA career has displayed this love. While he might have been confidently exchanging strikes with a lower level of competition, it could become his downfall when attempting to keep up with Strickland’s numbers.
The American fighting out of Team Quest has a personality you can’t forget, but his in-octagon style is also a memorable factor. Striking output has been pivotal to Strickland’s success thus far, and he doesn’t hide from the game plan he utilizes every time; he’s going to throw a lot of jabs, a lot of low kicks, and this blitzing style paired with excellent cardio is difficult for most opponents to handle.
The most viable game plan for Magomedov would need to involve a fearless approach and hunt for the knockout. He’s achieved this in the past, but Strickland’s only been knocked out in 2 of the 31 pro-MMA bouts he’s competed in, having displayed excellent striking defense.
The UFC Vegas 76 Best Bet Formula
The available UFC odds at the best US sportsbooks have placed Strickland as the slight favorite, but given the unknowns of Magomedov, I believe this number should be wider.
I see excellent Value in the favorite, and it doesn’t matter how impressive Magomedov has looked in the past; we don’t have enough evidence that he’s ready for this level of competition – thus making Saturday’s main event wager an automatic play on Strickland.
UFC Pick: Sean Strickland -155 Heritage Sports [1.55u to win 1u]
UFC Vegas 76 Main Card & Odds
- Sean Strickland vs. Abus Magomedov [UFC middleweight main event bout]
- Damir Ismagulov vs. Grant Dawson [UFC co-main lightweight bout]
- Max Griffin vs. Michael Morales [UFC welterweight bout]
- Ariane Lipski vs. Melissa Gatto [UFC women’s flyweight bout]
- Benoit Saint-Denis vs. Ismael Bonfim [UFC lightweight bout]
- Nursulton Ruziboev vs. Brunno Ferreira [UFC middleweight bout]
UFC Vegas 76 Preliminary Card & Odds
- Kevin Lee vs. Rinat Fakhretdinov [UFC welterweight bout]
- Yana Santos vs. Karol Rosa [UFC women’s featherweight bout]
- Ivana Petrovic vs. Luana Carolina [UFC women’s flyweight bout]
- Joanderson Brito vs. Westin Wilson [UFC featherweight bout]
- Alexander Romanov vs. Blagoy Ivanov [UFC heavyweight bout]
- Guram Kutateladze vs. Elves Brener [UFC lightweight bout]
*The line and/or odds on picks in this article might have moved since the content was commissioned. For updated line movements, visit BMR’s free betting odds product.
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