Jump to
UFC 289: Nunes vs. Aldana is going down this Saturday (June 10th) from the Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada with the promotion’s bantamweight title to be decided in the card’s main event. After reclaiming her title from Julianna Peña last July, Amanda Nunes will be defending her new 135-pound belt for the first time. Instead of the trilogy match with Peña, her new challenger will be the UFC’s #5 ranked bantamweight, Irene Aldana.
Aldana has won four of her last five matches, and three of those four victories were spectacular finishes. Be that as it may, the oddsmakers have no choice but list Nunes as the betting favorite. Yes, Amanda had a big hiccup when Juliana took her crown, but she’s still much more proven at the elite level than Irene. Nunes is currently available with a sizable -350 moneyline, with a $100 bet potentially bringing back a total return of $128.57. Aldana is on deck with a hefty +260 underdog value, and throwing down a hundo on the challenger would payout $360 if she can pull off the upset.
Will the UFC 289 main event end early?
Aldana has venom, and she’s hard to kill. Her left hook knockout of Ketlen Vieira was sensational, and her up kick to the liver finish of Macy Chiasson was out of this world. Her belly down armbar of Bethe Correia was lit, and her ground and pound stoppage of Yana Santos was tight. She surely has the tools to finish no matter where the fight goes, but let’s face it, Amanda Nunes is unlike anything else, let alone anyone Irene has faced before.
The champion is one of the most lethal fighters that we’ve ever seen at the elite level. I’m talking about head kicks, multiple sub-60-second KO’s, and even an inverted triangle to boot. Nunes is dangerous everywhere, and has put out some of the baddest fighters the division had to offer, but it has been over two-years since she has put someone away.
The odds are favoring the top of the UFC 289 billing to end early, with the proposition bet ‘Fight doesn’t go to decision’ holding a strongly favored position of -250, with a +190 comeback on the ‘Fight goes to decision’ option. With how durable each fighter is known to be, this one might actually go the distance, or perhaps see a later finish. Maybe the value is in the over/under. The ‘Over 2½ rounds’ bet can be had for minimal juice at -124, and the ‘Under 2½ rounds’ line is trending at an even smaller cost of -108.
Full UFC 289 fight card
Main card
- Amanda Nunes vs. Irene Aldana: (W) Bantamweight Title
- Charles Oliveira vs. Beneil Dariush: Lightweight
- Mike Malott vs. Adam Fugitt: Welterweight
- Dan Ige vs. Nate Landwehr: Featherweight
- Eryk Anders vs. Marc-André Barriault: Middleweight
Prelims
- Nassourdine Imavov vs. Chris Curtis: Middleweight
- Jasmine Jasudavicius vs. Miranda Maverick: (W) Flyweight
- Aiemann Zahabi vs. Aoriqileng: Bantamweight
- Blake Bilder vs. Kyle Nelson: Featherweight
Early prelims
- David Dvořák vs. Steve Erceg: Flyweight
- Diana Belbiţă vs. Maria Oliveira: Strawweight
You know you can count on us for quick, consistent quality UFC coverage. Bloody Elbow is an independent, reader supported publication. Please subscribe to our newsletter to keep up with our best work and learn how you can support the site.
Join the new Bloody Elbow
Our Substack is where we feature the work of writers like Zach Arnold, John Nash and Karim Zidan. We’re fighting for the sport, the fighters and the fans. Please help us by subscribing today.
About the author
