UFC 269: The 1 fight you absolutely should bet on

This is the fight that all of the smart sports bettors are keeping track of and putting their money on.

The last UFC pay-per-view of the calendar year, UFC 269 is set up to be one of the biggest events of the year. Following the monumental success and fantastic reception of UFC 268, fans have set high expectations for the event.

The card has the talent and matchups capable of meeting those expectations, from Amanda Nunes defending her title, to Charles Olivera and Dustin Poirier’s battling for the UFC lightweight title. Even the prelims have the potential to be fun, with Tai Tuivasa and Dominick Cruz set to have respective bouts.

With UFC 269 set to be as large as it is, sports bettors have already started putting hefty amounts of money on the line. However, not all bouts are even and not all odds are created even and there is one bet that all sports bettors should be putting on their bet slips for this upcoming weekend.

Sean O’Malley to finish Raulian Paiva by knockout is a surefire bet

The best bet on the card, and one that will actually pay out decently, is Sean O’Malley knocking out Raulian Paiva. WynnBets currently has that prop sitting at +100, meaning any bet will be doubled if the prop pays out, something that even sportsbooks seem to be convinced will happen.

O’Malley is known for his spectacular striking and flashy knockouts. In his last bout at UFC 264, Sean O’Malley hit Kris Moutinho with 230 significant strikes, finally being rewarded the ref stoppage in the closing seconds of the third round. O’Malley averages 8.25 significant strikes landed per minute, has 63% accuracy when throwing significant strikes, and averages 1.26 knockdowns per fight. With ten wins via knockout already on his record, this should likely be the KO that pushes “Sugar” into the top fifteen of the division.

Meanwhile, Raulian Paiva is three inches shorter, gives up three inches of reach, and struggles to stay away from strikers. Paiva absorbs 4.9 significant strikes per minute, let’s 50% of significant strikes come through, and has no grappling prowess for threatening a level change. Paiva’s best component in this fight will be his stamina and ability to constantly move around the Octagon, keeping O’Malley from setting up and landing combinations.

This may not be an exciting sixteen times payout that will lift bettors into elite status, but it is an extremely strong bet that will at least offer a doubling of betting money and cap off 2021 MMA bets off right.

UFC Vegas 269 takes place on Saturday, Dec. 11, 2021, live from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV. Follow along with FanSided MMA, who is on-site, for all your news and highlights.