- The latest UFC odds are favoring Cory Sandghagen -155 against Marlon Vera +130.
- Marlon Vera is coming off a KO win over Dominick Cruz but remains a slight underdog to Cory Sandhagen.
- We give our betting prediction for Vera vs Sandhagen at UFC on ESPN: Vera vs. Sandhagen.
Cory Sandhagen and Marlon Vera will throw down on March 25 AT&T Center event in San Antonio, Texas. Vera is on a real hot streak right now with four straight wins, while Sandhagen got back in the win column with a stoppage victory over Song Yadong in his last fight.
The stakes are high with the winner potentially getting a shot at the bantamweight title. Let’s review the betting odds for Vera vs Sandhagen and find out some best bets for this weekend’s UFC action.
Vera vs Sandhagen Odds
| Fighter | Odds |
| Marlon Vera | +130 |
| Cory Sandhagen | -155 |
As per BetMGM Sportsbook, Marlon Vera is a +130 betting underdog to Cory Sandhagen’s -155 favorite. Betting on Vera here would net $130 off a $100 wager, while you would have to put down $155 to make a $100 profit on “The Sandman”. The smart betting here would be over 2.5 rounds, with the chances of a late stoppage a real possibility too.
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Marlon Vera vs Cory Sandhagen Prediction
Cory Sandhagen has fought the best of the bantamweight division thus far, he came up short against Petr Yan and T.J. Dillashaw but has notable wins over Song Yadong, Frankie Edgar, and Marlon Moraes.
Vera has looked better than ever lately, since losing a close fight of the night performance to Song Yadong, Vera scored a victory over Sean O’Malley and then took on the great Jose Aldo, a fight that the “King of Rio” got his hand raised. Since then Vera has scored four straight wins over Davey Grant, Frankie Edgar, Rob Front, and two-time bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz.
Both Sandhangen and Vera are technical strikers that are also capable of delivering knockouts. Sandhagen is the more diverse striker and delivers much more strikes landed per minute with an average of 6.15 compared to 4.28 for Vera. Both fighters come with a switch stance, which could easily lead to so come head kicks slipping past the guard.
When it comes to their ground games, I’d have to give Vera the edge with 42% takedown accuracy it might be the type of fight that 1-2 takedowns make the difference on the judge’s scorecards.
Sandhagen has only been finished once in MMA, a submission loss from the current champ Aljamain Sterling at UFC 250. Vera on the other hand hasn’t suffered one stoppage loss with his four losses all coming by way of decision. It’s clear that these are two of the most durable active bantamweights, with this fight likely going into the championship rounds.
Sandhagen also has excellent footwork and movement, which allows him to dart in and out of range and avoid his opponent’s attacks. Overall, Sandhagen is able to switch on the aggression and I expect his reputation to be back as one of the best in the UFC after this fight.
Betting Prediction: Sandhagen by Decision
Sandhagen and Vera’s Fate Awaits at UFC on ESPN 43
Sandhagen recently stated in an interview with MMA Junkie that Vera’s approach to winning is not dependable, citing his many come-from-behind victories. Nonetheless, Vera maintains that regardless of how the fight plays out, Sandhagen will face the same outcome as his previous opponents.
“He needs to convince himself of being OK to win,” Vera told MMA Junkie. “I don’t need to say anything about him to think I’m going to win. I’m going to win because I’m working this hard. So, if he thinks my style is not reliable or whatever he thinks, that’s on him. He’s going to wake up and be like, ‘F*ck, I got caught.’ But you didn’t get caught, you got knocked the f*ck out or you got submitted.”
He continued, “I’m a fighter. I’m gonna fight my ass off in every position. I’m not gonna wrestle you, I’m not gonna strike you, I’m not gonna jiu-jitsu you, I’m gonna fight you. Whatever he thinks about my style, you still got to face me. You still got to go through me. I got 20 minutes (25) to figure it out and put you out.”
Leave a comment below on who your betting pick is – Vera or Sandhagen?