UFC on ABC: Sandhagen vs. Nurmagomedov - Odds, Predictions & Picks

• Top-10 bantamweight main event Saturday’s Abu Dhabi card

• Nick Diaz’s return postponed versus Vicente Luque

• Former champions Figuieredo and Ferguson appear on the main card

UFC on ABC: Sandhagen vs. Nurmagomedov

The odds for this match are provided by the FanDuel Sportsbook. Click the link to place your bets: Bet $5, Get $300 in Bonus Bets if Your Bet Wins.

UFC on ABC: Sandhagen vs. Nurmagomedov - Picks & Predictions

Cory Sandhagen vs. Umar Nurmagomedov - Bantamweight division

• My pick: Cory Sandhagen (+235) at FanDuel

Shara Magomedov vs. Michal Oleksiejczuk - Middleweight division

• My pick: Shara Magomedov (-265) at FanDuel

Marlon Vera vs. Deiveson Figueiredo - Bantamweight division

• My pick: Deiveson Figueiredo (-142) at FanDuel

Tony Ferguson vs. Michael Chiesa - Welterweight division

• My pick: Tony Ferguson (+430) at FanDuel

MAckenzie Dern vs. Loopy Godinez - Women’s strawweight division

• Our pick: Mackenzie Dern (-122) at FanDuel

Cory Sandhagen vs. Umar Nurmagomedov - Bantamweight Division

Originally slated to face one another in Nashville back in August, number-two ranked bantamweight Cory Sandhagen will take on the undefeated number-ten ranked Umar Nurmagomedov in this weekend’s main event.

Nurmagomedov pulled out of their original contest due to injury, which led to Sandhagen taking a last-minute catchweight bout against Rob Font. Sandhagen won the contest but tore his tricep in the process. The win was his third in a row and this fight will be his first of 2024.

Nurmagomedov last fought back in March - defeating Bekat Almakhan by unanimous decision. It was the undefeated fighter’s fifth win in the UFC.

Nurmagomedov holds a master of sport in combat sambo and has gold-medal credentials. However, Sandhagen - surprisingly a +235 underdog here - will stand three-inches taller and have a very slight reach advantage.

To find out how to place your bets for this top-ten bantamweight main event, check out our ultimate UFC betting guide to get started.

Bet on Cory Sandhagen (+235) at FanDuel

Shara Magomedov vs. Michal Oleksiejczuk - Middleweight Division

Another undefeated Russian on this main card, Shara Magomedov makes a quick turnaround from his last fight to return to action overseas against Michal Oleksiejczuk.

Magomedov has yet to fight in the United States due to the fact that he only has one eye! The sporting commissions in Abu Dhabi have cleared him to fight. He defeated Antonio Trocoli by TKO at the end of June.

Oleksiejczuk is 1-3 in his last four fights and is, by no surprise, the underdog in this matchup at +210. He will have a one-inch reach advantage in the fight but will stand two-inches shorter.

Bet on Shara Magomedov (-265) at FanDuel

Marlon Vera vs. Deiveson Figueiredo - Bantamweight Division

In what could have easily been a main event itself, former title challenger, BJJ black belt and number-four ranked bantamweight Marlon Vera takes on former flyweight champion, BJJ black belt and number-six ranked bantamweight Deiveson Figuieredo. 

Vera is fresh off of his UFC title fight loss at the hands of Sean O’Malley. The fight was a rematch of their 2020 bout in which Vera became the first and only man to defeat O’Malley.

Figueiredo moved up in weight after losing his flyweight title and now has two wins and a top-ten ranking in the bantamweight division. He defeated Rob Font in his bantamweight debut before most recently dispatching former bantamweight champ Cody Garbrandt at UFC 300.

Vera will stand three-inches taller and have a 2.5-inch reach advantage. However it is the durable former champion Figueiredo who comes in as the -142 favorite.

Bet on Deiveson Figueiredo (-142) at FanDuel

Tony Ferguson vs. Michael Chiesa - Welterweight Division

At one time he held the honor of having the longest-active winning streak in the UFC. Now Tony Ferguson holds the longest-active losing streak. 

Ever since Ferguson’s winning streak was snapped in 2019 due to a doctor’s stoppage against Donald Cerrone, Ferguson hasn’t been able to get a win. To be fair, he has still been fighting top-contenders. His most recent loss came against Paddy Pimblett, whom he dropped a decision to at UFC 296 last December.

Michael Chiesa is also on a losing streak - albeit only three in a row compared to Tony’s seven. But Chiesa also hasn’t fought in almost a year and was off for almost two years prior to his most recent loss against Kevin Holland.

Chiesa will stand one-inch taller but Ferguson will have the reach advantage. Somehow Chiesa is a -620 favorite, which seems a bit steep. Could Ferguson get his first win since 2019?

Bet on Tony Ferguson (+430) at FanDuel

Mackenzie Dern vs. Loopy Godinez - Women’s Strawweight Division

Grappling ace and number-seven ranked women’s strawweight Mackenzie Dern looks to snap a two-fight losing skid this Saturday when she takes on Loopy Godinez. 

Godinez was on a four-fight winning streak prior to her last bout. She most recently lost a unanimous decision against Virna Jandiroba back in March.

Dern is coming off of a fight of the night loss at the hands of Amanda Lemos that took place back in February.

Dern will have a two-inch advantage in both height and reach and will have a significant advantage in grappling should the fight go to the mat. She is a -122 favorite.

Bet on Mackenzie Dern (-122) at FanDuel

How to Watch UFC on ABC: Sandhagen vs. Nurmagomedov

• Location: Etihad Arena, Abu Dhabi

• When: Saturday, August 3

• Time: 3 PM EST

• How: ABC, Sportsnet+