UFC 259: Blachowicz vs. Adesanya odds, predictions: MMA insider releases surprising fight card picks

CBS Sports

UFC 259: Blachowicz vs. Adesanya odds, predictions: MMA insider releases surprising fight card picks

CBS Sports 6/03/2021 05:11:49 CBS Sports Staff

Israel Adesanya has never shied away from the spotlight, and Jan Blachowicz is happy to let him have all of it. Adesanya, the middleweight champion, and the understated light heavyweight king Blachowicz will meet on Saturday in the main event of UFC 259. Their clash is the last of three title fights on the main UFC 259 card, which starts at 10 p.m. ET. The brash Adesanya has received the bulk of the media attention in the lead-up to a fight that could make him a rare two-division champion. Blachowicz told the media this week that he's fine with his opponent taking the spotlight because it gives him a chance to relax and focus on the task at hand.

Adesanya is a -265 favorite (risk $265 to win $100), while Blachowicz is a at +225 underdog in the latest Blachowicz vs. Adesanya odds at William Hill Sportsbook. In the co-main event, two-division champion Amanda Nunes (-1,200) defends her featherweight title against challenger Megan Anderson (+750). Before making any UFC 259 selections of your own, make sure you check out the MMA predictions from SportsLine analyst Kyle Marley.

Marley won the first-ever "ToutMaster" UFC betting contest sponsored by MMAOddsBreaker and appears regularly on multiple MMA betting and daily Fantasy shows. He watches every single fight for every professional MMA card and does extensive research before each event.

Over the past 25 months, $100 bettors who have followed Marley's picks are up more than $21,000. Already in 2021, the accomplished MMA analyst has built on his memorable 2020 run and has now connected on 28 of his last UFC 39 main-event selections, a stretch that includes a streak of five straight underdogs.

Last week at UFC Fight Night, Marley told SportsLine members to back seventh-rated heavyweight prospect Cyril Gane (-265) against third-ranked Jairzinho Rozenstruik (+225) in the main event. Gane controlled the action from the outset and captured a unanimous decision to give Marley's followers another easy winner. Anyone who has consistently followed Marley is way up.

Now, with UFC 259 fast approaching, Marley has carefully studied every matchup on the card, identified the best value in the UFC odds and released his MMA picks for every fight. Those selections are only available here.

Blachowicz vs. Adesanya preview

Marley knows the main event will play a major role in the budding legacy of Adesanya (20-0), who has made no secret of his desire to be considered among the greatest to ever fight in the Octagon. The self-assured former professional kickboxer turned off some observers with his bold predictions for his mixed martial arts career while still just a UFC newcomer.

In fact, just his second fight ended in a razor-thin split decision against Marvin Vettori, who is now the No. 5-ranked contender at light heavyweight. However, it soon became clear his athleticism and striking merited elite status, and he is now listed at No. 3 in the UFC's pound-for-pound rankings behind Jones and Khabib Nurmagomedov.

Adesanya won the title with a second-round stoppage of Whittaker and has already defended it twice. Adesanya's last fight resulted in a second-round stoppage of previously undefeated Brazilian beefcake Paulo Costa.

Blachowicz (27-8) was considered a middling contender until his knockout of former champion Luke Rockhold in February 2019 raised his profile. The Polish slugger has since ripped off three more wins, including a victory over the top-ranked and heavily favored Reyes to capture the vacant title.

Various candidates were considered for Blachowicz's first title defense, but the decision was made easy for the UFC brass when Adesanya stated his intent to move up a weight class and seek a second division title. You can see Marley's coveted UFC 259 picks here.

Top UFC 259 predictions

We'll share one of Marley's UFC 259 selections here: He is backing Aleksandar Rakic (-160) to get his hand raised by decision against Thiago Santos (+140) in a matchup of light heavyweight contenders.

Santos (21-8) is a former title-challenger who memorably became the first opponent to win a scorecard against Jon Jones when he lost a split decision to the former champion in July 2019. However, the injuries suffered in that fight caused the hulking Brazilian to be shelved for 16 months.

The 37-year-old returned to the cage last November and suffered a third-round submission loss to Glover Teixeira, who is now the division's top-ranked contender.

The fourth-ranked Rakic (13-2) has won five of his six UFC appearances, with the lone defeat coming by split decision against Volkan Oezdemir. The Austrian fighter beat former title contender Anthony Smith by decision in September.

"Rakic has a big edge with his wrestling, so I think it would be smart of him to mix that in, and I am going to lean with him for that reason," Marley told SportsLine.

How to make UFC 259 picks

Marley also has strong picks for Blachowicz vs. Adesanya and every other bout on the UFC 259 fight card. He's also backing one fighter who "pushes at a higher pace" to score a shocking upset. Those selections are only available at SportsLine.

Who wins Blachowicz vs. Adesanya? And what underdog is a must-back? Visit SportsLine now to get detailed picks on every fight at UFC 259, all from the incomparable expert who's up more than $21,000 on MMA in the past 25 months, and find out.