UFC 277 Odds, Picks & Predictions – Pena vs Nunes II
By Daniel Coyle in Mixed Martial Arts News
Updated: September 19, 2024 at 9:41 am EDTPublished:
- Julianna Pena defends her UFC women’s bantamweight title in a rematch against Amanda Nunes at UFC 277
- The co-main event has Brandon Moreno battling Kai Kara-France for the interim UFC Flyweight title
- Read on for all the odds and trends ahead of UFC 277 action on Saturday night at American Airlines Center in Dallas
Two championship belts will be up for grabs on Saturday July 30, when the UFC returns to Dallas, Texas for UFC 277. Julianna Pena looks to defend the UFC women’s bantamweight title for the first time as she enters the octagon for a main event rematch with former champ Amanda Nunes. The co-main event features a long-awaited rematch as Brandon Moreno battles Kai Kara-France for the interim UFC flyweight belt.
Early prelims get underway at 6:00pm ET at American Airlines Center, with the main card set to kick off at 10pm ET, with all the action available on Pay-per-view.
UFC 277 Odds
| Fighter | Odds |
|---|---|
| Julianna Pena | +235/td> |
| Amanda Nunes | -305 |
| Fighter | Odds |
| Brandon Moreno | -215 |
| Kai Kara-France | +170 |
| Fighter | Odds |
| Derrick Lewis | +108 |
| Sergey Pavlovich | -134 |
| Fighter | Odds |
| Alexandre Pantoja | -159 |
| Alex Perez | +128 |
| Fighter | Odds |
| Magomed Ankalaev | -480 |
| Anthony Smith | +350 |
| Fighter | Odds |
| Alex Morono | +138 |
| Matthew Semelsberger | -175 |
| Fighter | Odds |
| Drew Dober | -240 |
| Rafael Alves | +175 |
| Fighter | Odds |
| Don’Tale Mayes | -167 |
| Hamdy Abdelwahab | +135 |
| Fighter | Odds |
| Drakkar Klose | -235 |
| Rafa Garcia | +185 |
Odds at Barstool Sportsbook as of July 26, 2022. Claim this ESPN BET promo code before betting.
Pena vs Nunes II Odds, Prediction & Best Bet
Julianna Pena aims to eliminate any doubts that may linger following her stunning second-round submission victory over Amanda Nunes seven months ago at UFC 269.
Now pegged at the top contender in the UFC women’s bantamweight rankings, Nunes returns to action aiming to avenge her first loss in seven years.
Pena vs Nunes Stats
| 32 | Age | 34 |
| 5′ 7″ | Height | 5′ 8″ |
| 69 inches | Reach | 69 inches |
| 11-4-0 (8) | Pro MMA Record (finishes) | 21-5-0 (17) |
| Champion | UFC Women’s Bantamweight Ranking | #1 |
Pena shook up the MMA world by claiming the UFC bantamweight strap from Nunes in such decisive fashion. In addition to marking her second straight win by tap out, Pena also established her first win streak in five years with her victory last December.
Juliana Peña’s historic upset over Amanda Nunes who is widely considered to be the pound-for-pound best female MMA fighter in the world. The footage after is the ensuing pandemonium of shocked UFC fighters sitting in the front row. Unbelievable. What a historic moment! pic.twitter.com/dPt37FGdPe
— ZeroPark30 (@ZeroPark30) December 14, 2021
“The Venezuelan Vixen” continues to struggle to garner support at the sportsbooks. The 32-year-old defeated Nunes as a distant +700 underdog, and has sported positive odds in five of six fights, going 4-2-0 over that stretch.
UFC champ Julianna Peña issues open challenge to anyone doubting her finish of Amanda Nunes: “Come to my house” https://t.co/3YNKgyucBv pic.twitter.com/Dh3mteDp52
— Women's MMA Rankings (@WMMARankings) December 30, 2021
Pena has demonstrated her ability to finish opponents standing or on the mat. Her two recent tap out wins are a reminder of her dominance as a submission specialist early in her career. However, her lack of experience in championship rounds is a major concern, if she is unable to once again tally an early finish.
Pena vs Nunes Recent Fights
| Amanda Nunes (win – submission) | Fight 1 | Julianna Pena (loss – submission) |
| Sara McMann (win – submission) | Fight 2 | Megan Anderson (win – submission) |
| Germaine de Randamie (loss – submission) | Fight 3 | Felicia Spencer (win – unanimous decision) |
| Nicco Montaño (win – unanimous decision) | Fight 4 | Germaine de Randamie (win – unanimous decision) |
| Valentina Shevchenko (loss – submission) | Fight 5 | Holly Holm (win – TKO) |
Nunes saw an impressive 11-fight win streak that featured seven title defenses snapped by last December’s loss to Pena. Despite that setback, Nunes remains the winningest UFC women’s bantamweight fighter of all time, with 11 victories and eight finishes, including six by KO or TKO.
Morning Report: Amanda Nunes says injuries and a poor training camp led to upset loss to Julianna Peña https://t.co/HXcyzsHfjs pic.twitter.com/5gkKnaRbO2
— MMA Fighting (@MMAFighting) February 10, 2022
Seven of the wins during that 11-0-0 run came inside five minutes, including a knockout win over Cris Cyborg just 51 second into their UFC 232 clash, which earned her the UFC women’s featherweight belt she still holds. In addition, she outlasted opponents in five-round matches four times during her reign as 135-pound champion.
https://twitter.com/jmarine/status/1148031637638111232?s=20&t=eRUMs163YTxYZl9ODxfgvQ
Known for her impressive physical strength, Nunes has never been knocked down in the octagon, and has been taken down on just three total occasions over her past 12 contests.
Pick: Nunes to win by finish (-130)
Moreno vs Kai-France Odds, Prediction & Best Bet
Brandon Moreno needed a full three rounds to claim a unanimous decision win over Kara Kai-France when they first met at UFC 245. “Assassin Baby” is coming off an epic trilogy of fights with reigning champion Deivison Figueiredo, going 1-1-1, but failing to hold onto the belt. However, the value of that experience cannot be overstated.
Brandon Moreno is coming off of 3 consecutive fights against Deiveson Figueiredo.#UFC277 pic.twitter.com/lQXlzteiSl
— Verdict (@VerdictMMA) July 26, 2022
Seven of his past 10 fights have gone the distance, but Moreno’s skills as a submission specialist should also not be underestimated, considering he forced tap outs in 10 of his first 17 fights.
Moreno vs Kara-France Stats
| 28 | Age | 29 |
| 5′ 7″ | Height | 5′ 5″ |
| 70 inches | Reach | 69 inches |
| 19-6-2 (14 | Pro MMA Record (finishes) | 24-9-0, one no contest (14) |
| #1 | UFC Flyweight Ranking | #2 |
Kai-France has climbed to No. 2 in the UFC flyweight rankings during a three-fight win streak that includes impressive first-round KO victories over Cody Garbrandt and Rogerio Bontorin.
🇳🇿 @DanTheHangman's reaction to @KaiKaraFrance knocking out Garbrandt was absolutely epic! 😍
📺📱#UFC277 | Moreno vs Kara-France 2 | Live Sunday | Order at https://t.co/shB938mzfl pic.twitter.com/014DLkMpAF
— UFC_AUSNZ (@UFC_AUSNZ) July 26, 2022
“Don’t Blink” enjoyed steady success fighting at 135 pounds earlier in his career, and has gone 7-2-0 since returning to flyweight, with six of the contests getting decided by the judges. But unlike Moreno, Kai-France lacks experience both in championship clashes and championship rounds.
Pick: Moreno by decision (+145)
Other UFC 277 Odds and Picks
- Sergey Pavlovich (-134): Derrick Lewis may enjoy the backing of fans in attendance, but it is Sergey Pavlovich offering value at the sportsbooks in the wake of three straight first-round KO wins.
- Alexandre Pantoja (-159): Currently pegged as the No. 4 UFC flyweight contender, Pantoja is undervalued in his date with Alex Perez, who has not made an octagon appearance in almost two years.
- Anthony Smith (+350): Fresh off three straight finishes, Smith is a worthy value bet against Magomed Ankalaev, who has had his hands full while tallying three straight wins by decision.
Sports Writer
Daniel has been writing about sports and sports betting for over 23 years. The seasoned pro has contributed to the likes of Sports Illustrated, Sportsnet, NESN, Bleacher Report, OddsShark, the Globe and Mail, and The Nation magazine.
