UFC Fight Night 153 on Saturday in Stockholm resulted in a number of surprises, as the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s return to Sweden had prop bettors salivating. The five biggest bets to cash in that regard provide the material for this installment of Insane Props.
Anthony Smith Wins in Round 4 (+2000)
The main event gave rise to an upset, as Smith submitted Alexander Gustafsson with a rear-naked choke in the fourth round. The two light heavyweight contenders had engaged in a competitive fight before the finish, but Smith managed to exploit the Swede on the ground and cinch the fight-ending choke. Smith winning by submission hit at +1200, which was the second-biggest prop on the whole card to cash. However, the crown jewel of all the props was “Lionheart” winning in the fourth round, which hit at a massive +2000 number.
Leonardo Santos Wins by TKO (+1050)
Despite not having fought since 2016, Santos returned to the Octagon in spectacular fashion when he brutally knocked out Steven Ray with a brutal counter right hand early in the first round of their lightweight encounter. Santos might be 39 years old, but he still has much to offer and probably deserves a Top 15 opponent for his next assignment. The prop on Santos winning in the first round hit at +375, and the prop on his winning by TKO cashed at +1050.
Frank Camacho Wins in Round 2 (+825)
In one of the top performances by any fighter on the card, Camacho destroyed Nick Hein’s body with crushing kicks and eventually created an opening for a fight-ending TKO sequence with punches late in the second round of their lightweight prelim. The prop on Camacho winning by TKO hit at +482, and the prop on his winning in the second round cashed at a robust +825.
Bea Malecki Wins by Submission (+825)
Duda Santanna started strong in the first round, but a mistake in the second cost her the fight when an ill-advised takedown attempt led Malecki to a dominant position on the mat. Soon after, she nailed down the rear-naked choke finish in their undercard pairing at 135 pounds. The prop on Malecki winning in the second round hit at +700, and the prop on her winning by submission scored at +825.
Joel Alvarez Wins by TKO (+925)
Alvarez finished Danilo Belluardo with punches in the second round of their preliminary lightweight tilt. Although Belluardo won the first round with his grappling, he tired in the second. Alvarez took advantage of his fatigue to net the stoppage. The prop on Alvarez winning in the second round hit at +550. Even better was the prop on his winning by TKO at +925.
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.