UFC 272 Betting Preview

UFC 272 hits on March 5, so ahead of the action. Bodog Sportsbook gives you a preview of the contenders and what to expect come fight day.

Fans continue to be spoiled by stellar lineups as the March 5th UFC 272 comes barreling our way. All bets are off – except with Bodog – as the promise of intense fighting looms large, and uncertainty runs on tap at the T-Mobile Arena in Paradise, Nevada.

The docket features two featherweight contenders, both attempting to overpower the other for a higher ranking within the top 15, and, in a different matchup, down-and-out fighters on a losing skid are looking to halt their own diminishing returns at the expense of their rival’s own ambitions.

But the real fight we’re holding our breath for is the main event: Colby Covington vs Jorge Masvidal.

The Masvidal vs Covington rivalry is all the rage right now for the punditry. The rumor mill is working overtime, and word is that the Masvidal and Covington are brewing up a veritable one-man slaughterfest in the coming days, set to showcase their ruthless best as a nearly four-year beef comes to a head.

Bodog, as always, has all the latest odds for UFC 272, and since you’re in the right place to review the fight card and prepare to place your bets, you might consider this a one-stop UFC shop. Let’s take a look at the competition.

Masvidal vs Covington

This main event is a rarity in MMA: it’s not a title fight. Instead, we’ll be enraptured as two friends-turned-foes look to settle a beef that’s been cooking ever since the two former teammates had a falling out in 2018.

Covington and Masvidal used to be tight when they lived and trained together at American Top Team. In 2018, a dispute over money tore them apart, and to add salt to the rift, it coincided with the period in which Covington made a steep rise in the ranks of the welterweight division.

The two have been eagerly awaiting a chance – or is it just the rest of us? – to trounce their real-life enemy in the octagon. It might have happened sooner, but both Covington and Masvidal have been busy licking their wounds after facing the “Nigerian Nightmare” Kamaru Usman – twice each. Perhaps this starting point will control the ego and keep it about the skills. Perhaps.

Masvidal hasn’t even stepped into the ring since that loss to Usman in April of 2021. During that fight, Usman put Masvidal instantly to sleep with a perfect right-hand, just a minute into the second round. Notwithstanding that brutal ending, he arrives in Nevada having not won a single match since he defeated Nate Diaz via TKO in November of 2019, so it’s no surprise this no. 6 ranked welterweight comes in as a +255 underdog at Bodog.

Although Covington did lose to Usman twice just as Masvidal did, Covington fared much better against the undefeated Nigerian. He was able to push Usman to his limits over all five rounds of the battle with that weaponizing pace; and we’ve continued to witness throughout his career that rare ability to improve in steady increments.

Bodog odds are -335 that Covington will show his opponent who’s been in charge all along, in one of the most anticipated grudge-matches the UFC has ever seen.

Let’s take a look at the contenders for UFC 272.

Edson Barboza vs Bryce Mitchell

Next on the docket for UFC 272 is a 145lb engagement between two featherweight fighters.

Both UFC veteran Edson Barboza and the 16-0 undefeated Bryce Mitchell will be looking to cement their place in the pecking order as they try to break out of the top 15 and into more solid footing higher up the ranks.

Brazilian Barboza has twice as much experience as Mitchell, with 32 fights to Mitchell’s 16, but he’s also eight years older at 35, and his recent record is shaky, winning only four of his last ten fights. Barboza is the more dynamic of the two when it comes to striking, and in this match Barboza has a 5-inch advantage when it comes to reach.

Ultimate Fighter contestant Mitchell was 2020’s breakout star, showing off as he proved one of the best grapplers in the division. Mitchell has won 5 fights in a row, mostly handling his opponents on the ground, and he remains undefeated at 16-0.

Despite the experience disparity, Bodog’s UFC 262 odds are -162 that Mitchell’s momentum and grappling abilities will keep him above water against Barboza, who comes to the matchup with +129 odds.

Kevin Holland vs Alex Oliveira

Neither fighter in this docket comes to UFC 272 with a spectacular run, and in fact, both are coming in on a slide.

Holland was considered one-out-of-the-box back in 2020, having garnered plenty of attention by closing out the year with a five-win streak that included an easy knockout win over Jacare Souza in the first round.

After that, it took just two fights to slow down the trot, and Derek Brunson and Marvin Vettori put him back in his place with two consecutive losses just 20 days apart, leaving him with a record of 21-7-0.

Oliviera has also visited struggletown, with his last 5 confrontations record standing at an uninspiring 2-3.

The Bodog’s UFC 272 sportsbook has Holland in the better position as the -310 favourite, leaving +240 Oliviera to rely on his striking skills build momentum against Holland, and to avoid a free-fall from his own three-fight losing skid.

Sergey Spivac vs Greg Hardy

The heavyweight fight in UFC 272 gifts us with two fighters on the brink of breaking and entering into the top 15, and expectant punters will see the question of which contender is worthy of the higher ranking both asked and answered.

27-year old Moldovan Sergey Spivac, the more experienced fighter, appeared in the ring three times last year. Washington native Jared Vanderaa was most notable among his 2021 victims, having been taken down by “The Polar Bear” as he found himself on the wrong side of Spivak’s battering punches.

Greg Hardy is six years older, at 33, and enters the octagon with nine fights under his belt within his first three years with the UFC. He celebrated a two-fight winning streak, but quickly slowed down his pace after Marcin Tybura put a halt to it in December of 2020.

Spivak is the obvious favourite for this match with lop-sided odds at -220, with the Bodog sportsbook submitting that Hardy, at +178, is unlikely to add another win to his record and reclaim his reputation as the explosive athlete we’ve seen before.

We’re just days out, with UFC 272 reaching fever-pitch. is bound to be a brutal one with so much personally at stake. Put your own stake in the outcomes, perhaps with a bet on Covington or Masvidal. Lay it all out on your bet slips at Bodog, and watch on March 5th as the eventual winners hit savvy bettors right in the bankroll.