UFC Fight Night 146 on Saturday in Wichita, Kansas, saw a number of bouts conclude in ways oddsmakers did not foresee. Prop bettors had to be out there licking their chops. These were the five most substantial prob bets to cash, as the Ultimate Fighting Championship made its debut in another new market:
We have a new contender in the UFC welterweight division. Zaleski dos Santos improved to 7-1 in the promotion with his seventh straight victory -- a rear-naked choke submission of Curtis Millender. The MMA world already knew Zaleski dos Santos could knock out opponents -- the Brazilian had done so in his two previous appearances -- so seeing the Brazilian take the fight to the ground and finish it there bodes well for his title aspirations at 170 pounds. The prop on Zaleski dos Santos winning in the first round scored at a +600 number, but even more profitable was his winning by submission at +700 odds.
Beneil Dariush Wins in Round 2 (+600)
One of the lightweight division’s most accomplished grapplers, Dariush turned back to his bread-and-butter skills, survived an early knockdown against Drew Dober and came back in the second round to execute a submission win via armbar. Dariush ran into trouble a few fights back when he decided he could stand and trade with his opponents, and he paid for it with a pair of knockout losses to Alex Hernandez and Edson Barboza. It was nice to see him go back to his wheelhouse against Dober. The prop on Dariush winning the fight in the second round hit at +600 odds.
Maurice Greene Wins by Decision (+600)
Greene outstruck Jeff Hughes to take home a narrow split decision in a heavyweight prelim. This was a rematch of an April 27 encounter under the Legacy Fighting Alliance banner that Hughes won on points. This time, Greene curried the judges’ favor across three competitive rounds. It seems entirely possible we could see a trilogy fight between these two heavyweights someday. The prop on Greene taking home the win on the scorecards cashed at +600.
Alex Morono Wins in Round 1 (+550)
In what was his most impressive UFC performance to date, Morono made Zak Ottow verbally submit to elbow strikes in the first round of their undercard pairing at 170 pounds. Morono’s previous four wins inside the Octagon had come by decision, so it was promising to see him up the aggression and author the finish over Ottow. The prop on Morono winning in the first round cashed at +550.
Matt Schnell Wins in Round 1 (+850)
A former contestant on “Caged,” Schnell strengthened his position in the UFC’s bantamweight division, as he submitted Louis Smolka with a first-round triangle choke. Schnell, a former flyweight prospect, may be undersized for the 135-pound weight class, but he looked fantastic against Smolka and won in spectacular fashion. The prop on Schnell winning by submission hit at +735, but even better was the prop on his winning in the first round, which scored at +850 odds.
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.