The big name is back.
Conor McGregor could be past his MMA prime, but he’s arguably still the biggest draw in the sport.
And his bout with Dustin Poirier at UFC 257 on Saturday in Abu Dhabi has energized fight fans, leading to some monster bets at the nation’s sportsbooks.
According to ESPN, earlier this week, a bettor in New Jersey made a $188,800 wager on McGregor at FanDuel Sportsbook that would win a net $65,103. (The moneyline price was -290). Last week, a sportsbook operator at PointsBet took a $100,000 bet on McGregor at -277 odds. And the sportsbooks expect even more action as the fight approaches on Saturday.
“Saturday is trending to be our biggest UFC event ever, surpassing UFC 246, when McGregor took out Donald Cerrone,” Patrick Eichner, communications director for PointsBet told ESPN.
PA sports betting apps all offer odds and a number of wagers for Saturday’s bouts. We highlight some of them here for you.
DraftKings promo offers 257-1 odds
DraftKings is doing its part to generate some excitement for UFC 257 as well. New users at DraftKings can bet $1 and win $257 if McGregor wins by knockout in the first round. Here’s the fine print:
- First-time DraftKings depositors only.
- Make a deposit of $5+ into your sportsbook account.
- Following deposit, visit the landing page from the Sportsbook Promos page and pick “McGregor to win by KO in the 1st Round” by clicking “BOOST THIS FIGHT.”
- Pick wisely; you CANNOT change your boosted event once you have clicked “BOOST THIS FIGHT.”
- Following event selection, you’ll be issued a single-use odds boost for McGregor to win by first round KO. The boost is for +25700 (257-1) odds.
- Make sure you have made your qualifying deposit first and are logged in when you choose your event. Refresh if the boost doesn’t appear at first.
- Apply your boost to “McGregor to win by KO in the 1st Round” by adding that market to your bet slip and applying the boost. Your FIRST bet with the boost is your qualifying bet.
- Max bet $1.
- One bet per user.
- Excludes live bets, parlays, cash-out bets, free bets and voided bets.
- Must be in PA, CO, IN, IA, NJ, IL, TN or WV.
McGregor fighting as lightweight for the first time in three years
As noted in a preview at CBS Sports, Conor McGregor is moving back to the lightweight division at UFC 257 for the first time since 2018. And in his last UFC fight (as a welterweight), nearly a year ago, McGregor knocked out Donald Cerrone in just 40 seconds.
McGregor has also fought Poirier once before. In 2014, McGregor defeated Poirier by KO/TKO in the first round at UFC 178. Poirier has lost only twice since then, including a submission defeat to Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 242 in 2019.
In Saturday’s fight (which starts with early prelims at 6 p.m. on ESPN+ before moving to ESPN Pay-Per-View for the main card), McGregor is -305 at DraftKings Sportsbook. Poirier is +250. The fight’s over/under is set at 2.5 rounds.
There are also wagers available on the winning method and winning round for the main event and the rest of Saturday’s fights.
The remaining matchups on the 12-fight card and the moneyline odds according to DraftKings are as follows:
- Dan Hooker (-125) vs. Michael Chandler (+100)
- Joanne Calderwood (-117) vs. Jessica Eye (-105)
- Ottman Azaitar (-155) vs. Matt Frevola (+125)
- Amanda Ribas (-335) vs. Marina Rodriguez (+250)
- Arman Tsarukyan (-286) vs. Nasrat Haqparast (+225)
- Brad Tavares (-150) vs. Antonio Carlos Junior (+120)
- Sara McMann (-130) vs. Julianna Pena (+105)
- Khalil Rountree (-335) vs. Marcin Prachnio (+250)
- Makhmud Muradov (-143) vs. Andrew Sanchez (+115)
- Movsar Evloev (-420) vs. Nik Lentz (+330)
- Zhalgas Zhumagulov (-125) vs. Amir Albazi (+100)
DraftKings 257 Special features $1 million prize pool
Daily fantasy players can also cash in on big prizes during Saturday’s MMA action. At DraftKings, the $25 entry UFC 257 Special pays out $200,000 to first and a million dollars in all. Second place takes home $100K, and third receives $40,000. Another contest, the MMA Haymaker, has a $100,000 prize pool at a much cheaper $3 entry fee.
And over at FanDuel, the flagship contest is an $8.88 entry UFC Octagon that features a $150K prize pool and a first-place prize of $30,000.
So whether you’re building a daily fantasy lineup or a betting slip at your favorite sportsbook, Saturday’s UFC action has plenty to offer.
There are 12 fights on the card. A few promotions to build your bankroll. And one of the UFC’s biggest names in the main event.
Conor McGregor will soon be in the Octagon again.
And that’s more than enough to get things buzzing.
Lead image credit: AP Photo/John Locher
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