UFC 292 Fight Card Preview & Odds: Two Huge Championship Bouts

The combat sports world is buzzing as UFC 292 is right around the corner. The UFC’s upcoming pay-per-view event is highlighted by two championship bouts and will be sure to dazzle MMA enthusiasts around the globe this weekend.

And, as always, another mixed martial arts spectacle means another plethora of betting opportunities are on the horizon. Fortunately, your friends at Betting News have assembled the perfect UFC 292 preview, including the latest odds for the full fight card and background information for each bout.

UFC 292 Fight Card and Odds (Odds via BetOnline as of Monday, August 14)

UFC 292 Main Event: Aljamain Sterling (-260) vs. Sean O'Malley (+220)

The UFC 292 main event is shaping up to be huge as Aljamain Sterling (23-3) puts the bantamweight title on the line against Sean O’Malley (16-1, 1NC).

Sterling has dominated the scene over the last five years, made evident by his nine-fight winning streak. His biggest win came when he beat Petr Yan by disqualification to win the bantamweight championship at UFC 259 and he hasn’t looked back since.

After successfully defending the gold against Yan and T.J. Dillashaw, Sterling most recently retained the UFC Bantamweight Championship by overcoming Henry Cejudo by split decision back in May. On top of that, the victory also set the record for most consecutive bantamweight title defenses a three.

Nevertheless, it won’t be easy for Sterling to defeat O’Malley, who’s only lost once in his eight-year career.

O’Malley quickly made a name for himself due to his finishing ability, having knocked out six of his first 11 UFC opponents. In fact, he finished three of his last five opponents, earning ‘performance of the night’ honors twice for his work.

Time will tell if the 28-year-old can capitalize on his latest momentum. O’Malley last fought at UFC 280 when he squared off with Yan, emerging victorious from the ‘fight of the night’ with a split-decision win.

UFC 292 Co-Main Event: Zhang Weili (-300) vs. Amanda Lemos (+250)

The second championship bout at UFC 292 sees Amanda Lemos (13-2-1) challenging for Zhang Weili’s (23-3) strawweight title.

All eyes will be on Lemos to see how she handles her first shot at a UFC title after going 7-1 since her strawweight debut. She impressed her supporters in her last two outings, defeating Michelle Waterson (by submission) and Marina Rodriguez (by TKO).

On the other side, we last saw Zhang capture the strawweight title when she submitted Carla Esparza at UFC 281. Even though this is the first defense of her reign, “Magnum” did successfully defend the gold once during her first strawweight championship reign.

Welterweight: Ian Garry (-420) vs. Neil Magny (+320)

The undefeated Ian Garry (12-0) was originally supposed to take on Geoff Neal this week until the latter withdrew due to “undisclosed health issues.” Instead, he’ll be taking on long-time veteran Neil Magny (28-10).

Garry heads into Boston following back-to-back TKO victories over Song Kenan and Daniel Rodriguez. He’s now knocked out seven of his first 12 MMA opponents with three of those knockouts occurring in his first five MMA fights.

Meanwhile, Magny is taking this fight on relatively short notice. The Brooklyn, New York native just picked up a split-decision win over Philip Rowe in June, improving his record to 4-2 in his last six fights.

Bantamweight: Marlon Vera (-190) vs. Pedro Munhoz (+165)

Also on the UFC 292 card is a bantamweight showdown between Marlon Vera (20-8-1) and Pedro Munhoz (20-7, 2NC).

Vera is looking to bounce back Saturday night after a split-decision loss to Cory Sandhagen in March ended his four-fight winning streak. He hasn’t lost consecutive fights in nearly five years, though, making it interesting to see if he can get back on track.

At the same time, Munhoz has a pep in his step after overcoming Chris Gutierrez by unanimous decision four months ago. The ex-RFA Bantamweight Champion had only won one of six fights before his latest victory, leaving time to tell if his win was a fluke or the start of better times.

Middleweight: Chris Weidman (+225) vs. Brad Tavares (-265)

Chris Weidman (15-6) makes his highly-anticipated return this weekend to go head-to-head with Brad Tavares (19-8) in a middleweight matchup.

Weidman hasn’t stepped foot in an octagon since snapping his leg against Uriah Hall at UFC 261. At the same time, the 39-year-old has lost six of his last eight fights, meaning this bout will be a good indication of what he has left in the tank.

Tavares could use a win, too, after going 2-4 in his previous six outings. Two of those losses came via KO/TKO, including when he was most recently knocked out by Bruno Silva back in April.

UFC 292 Odds & Full Card

Middleweight: Gregory Rodrigues (-360) vs. Denis Tiuliulin (+285)

The UFC 292 fight card also features Gregory Rodrigues (14-5) and Denis Tiuliulin (10-7, 1NC) meeting in a middleweight collision.

Rodriguez is the major favorite after going 6-2 in his last eight fights, however, he was knocked out by Brunno Ferreira in his latest outing earlier this year. On the flip side, Tiuliulin’s UFC run hasn’t started as planned, having lost twice by technical submission in his first three fights.

Lightweight: Austin Hubbard (-185) vs. Kurt Holobaugh (+160)

Austin Hubbard (15-6) and Kurt Holobaugh (19-7, 1NC) are set to make their UFC returns this weekend after spending some time away.

Hubbard is coming off back-to-back unanimous decision victories after a 3-4 run in the UFC. At the same time, Holobaugh is ready for the spotlight after knocking out his last two opponents in the XFC, giving him a boost as he searches for his first-ever UFC victory.

Middleweight: Andre Petroski (-250) vs. Gerald Meerschaert (+210)

Andre Petroski (9-1) puts his four-fight winning streak on the line when he battles it out with Gerald Meerschaert (35-16) in Beantown this weekend.

Petroski improved his UFC record to 4-0 back in November when he defeated Wellington Turman by points after three rounds. He’s going to have his hands full with Meerschaert, who’s looking to return to the win column after a first-round knockout loss to Joseph Pyfer at UFC 287.

Women’s Flyweight: Andrea Lee (+285) vs. Natalia Silva (-350)

Andrea Lee (13-7) faces an uphill battle at UFC 292 in her women’s flyweight bout against the red-hot Natalia Silva (15-5-1).

Lee is looking to avoid her third straight loss after back-to-back defeats to Viviane Araujo (via UD) and Maycee Barber (via SD). Rebounding won’t be easy against Silva, who has not only won her last nine fights but finished eight of those opponents.

Women’s Flyweight: Karine Silva (-162) vs. Maryna Moroz (+142)

Lastly, this weekend’s festivities also include a women’s flyweight fight between Karine Silva (16-4) and Maryna Moroz (11-4).

A first-round submission win over Ketlen Souza at UFC on ESPN 46 helped improve Silva’s record to 7-0 in her last seven fights. On the other hand, Moroz is hungry for a victory after coming up short in her unanimous decision loss to Jennifer Maia back in November.

UFC 292 FAQ

When is UFC 292?

UFC 292 will take place on Saturday, August 19, 2023.

Where is UFC 292?

UFC 292 will take place at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts.

What time does UFC 292 start?

• UFC 292 Early Prelims Start Time: 6 p.m. ET
• UFC 292 Preliminary Card Start Time: 8 p.m. ET
• Start Time of UFC 292’s Main Card: 10 p.m. ET

How can I watch UFC 292?

The UFC 292 early prelims can be viewed on ESPN+ before the preliminary card is broadcasted on both ESPN and ESPN+. The main card can then be viewed on ESPN+ or your local PPV providers.

How can I bet on UFC 292?

All of the top online sports betting sites will have UFC 292 odds, but here are some of the sites we recommend most for MMA betting enthusiasts.