It has been a while.
Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone has been one of the UFC’s most steady fighters since arriving with the company in 2011.
He won 12 of 13 fights in a busy stretch from 2013 and 2016. In all, he has a 36-15 record and has faced some of the company’s biggest names, including Connor McGregor, Jorge Masvidal and Justin Gaethje. But his recent history has been rather troubling. Cerrone has lost four straight fights and two of those in the first round.
His last win was two years ago in May 2019.
So it has been a while.
But Cerrone gets another chance on Saturday, in a short-notice matchup with Alex Morono, who was added as a replacement for last week.
Another change to the card was made following the announcement of Nate Diaz’s undisclosed injury, which will move his fight with to UFC next month.
So UFC Fight Night: Rodriguez vs. Waterson, will look a little different than it was original intended when the broadcast airs on Saturday. But with Cerrone’s match on the main card and women’s flyweights Marina Rodriguez and Michelle Waterson fighting in the Main Event, there still promises to be plenty of action.
We’ll take a look at the fights – including one featuring Philadelphia native Kyle Daukaus (pictured, lead image) – along with all the odds at the best PA sportsbooks to get you ready for Saturday’s UFC bouts.
The main event features a pair of talented female flyweights
Saturday’s fight card starts with preliminary bouts at 5 p.m. and will be broadcast from the Apex Facility in Las Vegas. The early action will be televised on ESPN+ with the main card on ESPN.
In the Main Event, Brazilian flyweight Marina Rodriguez (13-1-2) will face American Michelle Waterson (18-8). As noted in a UFC preview, Rodriguez last fought in January, defeating Amanda Ribas via second-round knockout. Waterson’s most recent fight was a split decision win over Angela Hill in Sepetember.
On Saturday, FOX Bet has Rodriguez at -213 on the moneyline, while Waterson is +150. Wagers can also be made on round betting, method of victory, and whether or not the fight will go the distance.
FOX Bet also has some boosted wagers for the final fight. Rodriguez is +333 (from +310) to win in Rounds 1-5 and Waterson is +650 (from +600) for that same bet.
Philadelphia’s Kyle Daukaus will enter the octagon Saturday
In one of the earlier bouts, Philadelphia’s Kyle Daukaus faces Phil Hawes in a middleweight matchup. Daukaus lost his UFC debut last June, but rebounded with a win over Dustin Stoltzfus in November. FOX Bet has Daukaus at -143 on the moneyline. Hawes, who has won his last two fights, is listed at +105.
And FOX Bet has boosted Daukaus to win in Rounds 1-3 to +180, while the number for Hawes is +230. Round betting and odds for whether or not the fight will go the distance are also posted for this bout.
The rest of Saturday’s fights and their moneyline odds at FOX Bet are as follows:
- Neil Magny (+170) vs. Geoff Neal (-200)
- Maurice Greene (+162) vs. Marcos Rogerio de Lima (-188)
- Diego Ferreira (+162) vs. Gregor Gillespie (-188)
- Angela Hill (+150) vs. Amanda Ribas (-175)
- Ben Rothwell (-118) vs. Philipe Lins (-118)
- Ludovit Klein (-250) vs. Michael Trizano (+180)
- Ryan Benoit (-167) vs. Zarrukh Adashev (+120)
- Jun Yong Park (+125) vs. Tafon Nchukwi (-175)
- Christian Aguilera (-110) vs. Carlston Harris (-150)
DraftKings offering daily fantasy contests for UFC Fight Night
Daily fantasy players will also have entry points for UFC Fight Night: Rodriguez vs. Waterson, with a featured Throwdown contest at DraftKings offering a $100,000 payout to first place. FanDuel should have some options posted soon as well.
It all starts at 5 p.m. Saturday.
Maybe this card will be the one where Cowboy finds his next win. And he sure could use one.
It has been a while.
Lead image credit: AP Photo/Matt Slocum
