Prop bettors licked their lips as a number of juicy prop bets cashed big at UFC 239. The following are some of the biggest props to cash in the UFC 239 edition of Insane Prop Bets.
Jon Jones wins by Split/Majority Decision (+1300)
The main event of the evening saw UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones edge out a narrow split decision over Thiago Santos to retain his title. This was by far the closest fight of Jones’ MMA career, as he was one round away from losing his belt to the underdog challenger Santos. At the end of 25 minutes, two judges scored the fight 48-47 for Jones while one scored it 48-47 for Santos. Jones retained his belt, but barely. Most expected Jones to wipe the floor with Santos, but instead Santos took Jones to the brink of defeat. Since Jones was such a heavy favorite to not only win but to finish this fight, the prop on him winning on the scorecards was available at gigantic odds. The prop on Jones winning by any form of decision hit at +328, but the prop on Jones winning by split or majority decision cashed at +1300, the biggest prop on the entire card to cash out.
Jorge Masvidal wins in Round 1 (+525)
UFC history was made when Jorge Masvidal set the record for the fastest finish inside the Octagon with a five-second flying knee knockout over Ben Askren in an important fight at 170lbs. A lot of trash was talked between these two in the buildup to this fight, but it was Masvidal who emerged victorious with the devastating first-round win, one that may earn him a welterweight title shot. The prop on Masvidal winning in the first round cashed at +525, and the props on him winning by TKO and inside the distance hit at +310 and +267 respectively.
Jan Blachowicz wins in Round 2 (+1125)
Many figured Luke Rockhold’s problem at 185lbs was the weight cut, which weakened his chin, but Jan Blachowicz debunked that theory when he finished Rockhold by literally shattering his jaw with a brutal second-round KO in their 205lb bout. It was an incredible victory for Blachowicz, one that should earn him another high-profile bout in his next fight. The prop on Blachowicz winning in the second round cashed at +1125, and the props on him winning by knockout and inside the distance cashed at +500 and +415 respectively.
Yadong Song wins in Round 1 (+450)
In bantamweight action, 21-year-old phenom Yadong Song earned the biggest win of his young career when he finished Alejandro Perez with a counter right hand early in the first round. Perez threw a leg kick and left his chin exposed, which Song quickly made him pay for with a devastating punch. With this knockout, Song picked up his third win in a row in the UFC and his seventh win in a row overall. The prop on Song winning in the first round cashed at +450 odds. Additionally, the prop on him winning by TKO hit at +320 and the prop on him winning inside the distance hit at +210.
Chance Rencountre wins by Decision (+640)
Deep on the prelims, the biggest upset on the card according to the odds saw Chance Rencountre take care of Ismail Naurdiev by way of unanimous decision. It was a surprisingly-dominant performance by Rencountre, who was a massive +435 underdog yet who managed to get his hand raised. Not only did he reward bettors of his moneyline with the win, Rencountre also made rich those who bet on the prop on him winning by decision, which cashed at a monster +640 number.
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 vs. Shogun Rua and he wishes Pride never died. Adam is based out of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and he is a graduate of the University of Toronto and Centennial College. Get in touch with him on Twitter @MMAdamMartin.