• MMA

UFC 306 Odds and Expert Predictions

Sean O’Malley and Merab Dvalishvili are tied in the current UFC 306 odds ahead of their Bantamweight title fight. O’Malley and Dvalishvili will headline the event at The Sphere in Las Vegas on September 14th. A trilogy fight between Alexa Grasso and Valentina Shevchenko will serve as the co-main event.

In this free MMA outlook, I will discuss the UFC 306 betting odds for every fight on the card. Also, I provide my predictions for all the fights scheduled for this event. 

When Is UFC 306?

There are ten fantastic fights scheduled for UFC 306, including two incredible championship bouts. But when is UFC 306? The PPV is scheduled for Saturday, September 14th.

Here is everything you need to know about when and where UFC 306 is taking place.

• Location: Las Vegas, Nevada
• Venue: The Sphere
• Total fights: 10
• Main card: Pay-Per-View
• Preliminary card: ESPN

UFC 306 Betting Odds

BetOnline Sportsbook provided the following betting odds for UFC 306.

Weight Class	UFC 306 Favorite	UFC 306 Underdog
Lightweight	Daniel Zellhuber (-215)	Esteban Ribovics (+185)
Featherweight	Diego Lopes (-175)	Brian Ortega (+150)
Flyweight	Ronaldo Rodriguez (-160)	Ode Osbourne (+140)
Women’s Flyweight	Alexa Grasso (-115)	Valentina Shevchenko (-105)
Bantamweight	Sean O’Malley (-110)	Merab Dvalishvili (-110)

Daniel Zellhuber (-215) vs. Esteban Ribovics (+185)

The main card at UFC 306 starts with a Lightweight fight between Daniel Zellhuber (-215) and Esteban Ribovics (+185). Zellhuber (15-1) and Ribovics (13-1) have just one loss in their respective careers, and they are both 4-1 in their last five appearances.

Daniel Zellhuber announces he will be fighting at the Sphere with a very interesting video 🤣👏

pic.twitter.com/xByebtdqTt

— MMA Orbit (@mma_orbit) July 6, 2024

BetOnline has Zellhuber as the -215 favorite, and the 25-year-old will have a massive reach advantage in this fight. Zellhuber has a reach of 77 inches, while Ribovics’ reach is just 69 inches.

Zellhuber is the favorite, and I believe he will win if the fight remains standing. His eight-inch reach advantage will simply be too much for Ribovics to overcome.

Diego Lopes (-175) vs. Brian Ortega (+150)

Next is a Featherweight fight pitting Diego Lopes (-175) vs. Brian Ortega (+150). Ortega started his career 14-0, but he has gone just 2-3 in his last five fights dating back to 2018. Lopes (25-6) has been far more active, winning four of his five fights since May 2023.

Ortega’s best weapon in MMA has been his submission skills, and he has submitted eight opponents in his career. However, Lopes is a skilled grappler in his own right, earning 12 submission wins in his career. He also has the edge in the stand-up game, knocking out 12 opponents to Ortega’s three.

Despite his recent inactivity, Ortega is still one of the best in the world at 145 pounds. I believe he will prove that point this weekend with an upset win over Lopes at UFC 306.

Ronaldo Rodriguez (-160) vs. Ode Osbourne (+140)

Another exciting fight on the main card is the Flyweight bout pitting Ronaldo Rodriguez (16-2) vs. Ode Osbourne (12-7). Rodriguez is the -160 favorite in Bovada’s UFC 306 odds.

Osbourne has lost four of his seven fights since moving down to Flyweight. Rodriguez, on the other hand, has not lost since his appearance on Dana White’s Contender Series in August 2020.

Both fighters have had most of their career success at heavier weight classes, but Osbourne has especially struggled with the weight cut to 125 pounds. I think he will struggle again, and Rodriguez will pick up the second win of his UFC career.

Alexa Grasso (-115) vs. Valentina Shevchenko (-105)

The co-main event of UFC 306 is the third fight in arguably the best Women’s Flyweight trilogy in UFC history. Women’s Flyweight Champion Alexa Grasso is the -115 favorite against former champion Valentina Shevchenko (-105). Grasso submitted Shevchenko in their first fight at UFC 285, and the two fought to a split decision draw last September.

"She has a style where she waits too much. … If you want to get your belt back, I don’t think that’s the way to do that."

Alexa Grasso challenges Valentina Shevchenko to bring the fight at #NocheUFC 🔥

(via @MikeBohn) pic.twitter.com/t9yVUGYiQo

— MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie) September 4, 2024

Shevchenko (23-4-1) is one of, if not the, best Flyweights in UFC history. Her only losses in her UFC career have come at the hands of Amanda Nunes twice and Grasso. But she appears to have lost a step at 36 years old and 28 fights into her MMA career.

Grasso, 31, is 5-0-1 in her last six fights and is the first person to submit Shevchenko in MMA. Beating Shevchenko in two out of three fights is easier said than done, but if anyone can do it, it is Grasso. I believe she will win and retain her UFC Women’s Flyweight title.

Sean O’Malley (-110) vs. Merab Dvalishvili (-110)

The main event of this PPV is also a close fight in the latest betting odds for UFC 306. Bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley (-110) will take on Merab Dvalishvili (-110). Secure betting sites have both fighters listed at -110 odds to win this fight.

Merab Dvalishvili was not amused with Sean O'Malley's recent tweets pic.twitter.com/ofxUOR9k6N

— MMA Fighting (@MMAFighting) August 24, 2024

Dvalishvili (17-4) lost back-to-back fights to start his UFC career, but he is 10-0 since. His grappling skills have been his biggest strength, but Dvalishvili has struggled to finish opponents. He has just four finishes in his 17 career wins.

O’Malley, by contrast, is 18-1 in his UFC career, with his only loss coming via an ankle injury at UFC 252. He has 13 finishes, including 11 knockouts, in his MMA career. “Suga” has two submission wins as a pro, but he will struggle against Dvalishvili if the fight goes to the ground.

This fight is a true coin flip, and typically, I would side with a grappler like Dvalishvili over O’Malley. However, there is no value in betting on the challenger here. So, I will pick O’Malley to retain his title instead.

UFC 306 Prelim Odds and Predictions

Before the exciting main card, there are four great prelim fights scheduled for this PPV. Here are the UFC 306 prelim odds, courtesy of Bovada.

Weight Class	UFC 306 Prelim Favorite	UFC 306 Prelim Underdog
Flyweight	Joshua Van (-225)	Edgar Chairez (+190)
Bantamweight	Raul Rosas Jr. (-700)	Qileng Aori (+500)
Lightweight	Ignacio Bahamondes (-120)	Manuel Torres (+100)
Women’s Strawweight	Yazmin Jauregui (-455)	Ketlen Souza (+355)
Women’s Bantamweight	Irene Aldana (-130)	Norma Dumont (+110)

Joshua Van (-225) vs. Edgar Chairez (+190)

The first fight of the night at UFC 306 is a Flyweight showdown between Joshua Van and Edgar Chairez. BetOnline has Van (10-2) as the -225 favorite in this fight, and Chairez (11-5) is available at +190 odds. Van is coming off just the second loss in his career, and I think he will be extra motivated to win this bout.

Raul Rosas Jr. (-700) vs. Qileng Aori (+500)

Next is a Bantamweight fight pitting Raul Rosas Jr. (9-1) vs. Qileng Aori (25-11). Rosas Jr. is at a clear experience disadvantage but is still the -700 favorite heading into this prelim fight.

Qileng Aori is 3-3, 1 NC in the promotion, and has just one finish in his seven UFC appearances. Rosas Jr., conversely, is 3-1 in the UFC, and all three of his wins have come within two rounds. I think Rosas Jr.’s streak will continue with another finish over Aori.  

Ignacio Bahamondes (-120) vs. Manuel Torres (+100)

The heaviest fight on the prelims is the Lightweight matchup between Ignacio Bahamondes (15-5) and Manuel Torres (15-2). Despite having the better record, Torres is the +100 underdog against Bahamondes (-120) in this fight.

Torres has won six straight fights and is 3-0 in the UFC. I believe he will win again this weekend and improve to 4-0 in the promotion.

Yazmin Jauregui (-455) vs. Ketlen Souza (+355)

The co-main event of the prelims is a Women’s Strawweight fight between Yazmin Jauregui (-455) and Ketlen Souza (+355). Jauregui is 11-1 in her career and has a 3-1 record in the UFC. She should win again this weekend, putting her in contention for a top-15 UFC ranking.

Irene Aldana (-130) vs. Norma Dumont (+110)

The main event of the UFC 306 prelims is a Women’s Bantamweight fight between #5 Irene Aldana (15-7) and #9 Norma Dumont (11-2). Aldana (15-7) is the -130 favorite but is just 3-2 in her last five fights. I think Dumont (11-2) can get the upset win and jump into the top five of the division.

Whose UFC 306 Odds Will You Bet On?

UFC 306 is not only the first MMA event The Sphere, it will be the first-ever live sporting event at the iconic new venue. The latest UFC 306 odds and my free betting predictions are listed above.

After reading my picks, sign up at BetOnline Sportsbook to place your wagers on the UFC 306 betting odds for all the fights on this exciting card. The sportsbook has an exciting No Strings welcome offer that all new members can use. This promotion rewards you with up to $250 in free bets after your first deposit.