UFC 236 on Saturday in Atlanta was a pleasant surprise, as the event provided two “Fight of the Year” contenders, featured a number of upsets and resulted in finishes few foresaw. A number of lucrative outside-the-box bets cashed, and the five best of them provide the material for this edition of Insane Props.
Dustin Poirier Wins by Unanimous Decision (+725)
The thrilling main event saw Poirier defeat Max Holloway via unanimous decision to capture the interim Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight title in one of the best fights of the year. Poirier’s striking was a little sharper and his chin held up a little better, as he curried favor from the judges on all three scorecards. The prop on Poirier winning by decision hit at +550, and the prop on his winning a unanimous decision cashed at +725.
Khalil Rountree Wins by Decision (+750)
In a beatdown of epic proportions, Rountree used a dominant muay Thai attack to steamroll Eryk Anders and win a lopsided unanimous decision in their light heavyweight showcase. Official scorecards made Rountree a 30-26 winner, but he could have easily been awarded a wider margin; the fight was a complete wipeout from start to finish. The prop on Rountree winning by decision cashed at +750.
Nikita Krylov Wins by Submission (+645)
In a light heavyweight rematch, Krylov submitted Ovince St. Preux with a second-round rear-naked choke. The first time these two fought in 2014, “OSP” managed to tap Krylov with a Von Flue choke. Their second encounter was completely different, as the Ukrainian repaid the favor with a submission of his own. The prop on Krylov winning in the second round cashed at +525, and the prop on his winning by submission hit at +645.
Khalid Taha Wins in Round 1 (+1050)
In one of the shockers on the card, Taha needed only 25 seconds to brutally finish Boston Salmon with punches. Not many observers picked Taha to win the fight, much less author a quick knockout, so the props on his doing so were available at crazy odds. The prop on Taha winning by technical knockout hit at +875, but even more profitable was the prop on his winning in the first round at +1050.
Brandon Davis Wins by Submission (+775)
The curtain jerker at UFC 236 resulted in Davis coming away with a second-round submission of UFC newcomer Randy Costa. The first round saw Costa enjoy quite a bit of success with his striking, but he fatigued in the second and Davis capitalized, taking him down to the floor and tapping him with a rear-naked choke. The prop on Davis winning in Round 2 cashed at a tidy +625 mark, but even better was the prop on his winning by submission, which cashed at +775.
Adam Martin is a mixed martial arts journalist who has been covering the sport since 2011. He is currently the lead odds analyst for Sherdog.com, as well as the lead staff writer for MMAOddsbreaker.com. Adam is also the co-host of “The Parting Shot Podcast” on iTunes. His favorite fight of all-time is Dan Henderson-Mauricio Rua, and he wishes Pride Fighting Championships never died. Adam is based out of Toronto, and he is a graduate of the University of Toronto and Centennial College. Get in touch with him on Twitter at @MMAdamMartin.