The UFC is back on the road again this week, landing in Columbus, Ohio. This packed-out card will feature some fantastic bouts spanning across various weight divisions. The main event will be between the two heavyweights, Curtis Blaydes and Chris Daukaus. Get the latest odds and pre-fight info for all main card bouts at the latest UFC Fight Night.
UFC Fight Night: Blaydes vs. Daukaus
- Date: Saturday, March 26
- Location: Nationwide Arena, Columbus, United States
- Main Card: ESPN+ 7:00 PM ET
- Prelims ESPN+ 4:00 PM ET
Curtis Blaydes vs. Chris Daukaus Fight Odds
This 265lb matchup is set for five rounds between the all-American pairing. We saw Curtis “Razor” Blaydes come back from adversity with his recent loss against Derrick Lewis, getting a stylish, cruise-control win over Jairzinho Rozenstruik in his last fight.
Curtis, who is primarily a wrestler, enters as a favorite, with UFC betting sites having him at -300 to win this bout. These odds are due to him smothering out his most recent kickboxing opponent – Rozenstruik, with his skills on the mat.
Razor Blaydes has a sizable four-inch reach advantage in this main event and has impressive stats – 6.28 takedowns per 15 minutes and a 67% finishing rate. A win for either of these closely-ranked fighters will likely set up a title shot, so there’s a lot on the line.
Chris Daukaus is new to the UFC and won his first four fights by knockout or TKO. With three of the wins coming in just the first round. The ex-cop is coming off the back of a loss against Derrick Lewis in December when a nasty right hand dropped him in the first round.
Daukaus doesn’t possess the wrestling skills that Blaydes does, so he will need to keep this fight standing to win. The American has proven that he can get things done quickly and will enter the Octagon with an impressive 92% finishing rate.
The now-retired serviceman has yet to land a takedown in his professional career, but at the same time, no one has ever taken him to the floor yet either. Look for this to change on Saturday, though against such a prolific wrestler. Daukaus himself stated in interviews, “I’m not a fool. I fully expect to be on my back at some point in this fight”.
| Curtis Blaydes | vs | Chris Daukaus |
|---|---|---|
| 31 | Age | 32 |
| 19 | Fights | 16 |
| 15 | Wins | 12 |
| 3 | Losses | 4 |
| 9 | KO’s | 10 |
| 1 | Subs | 1 |
| 6′ 4 | Height (feet) | 6′ 3 |
| 80 | Reach (inches) | 76 |
| 261.00 | Weight (lbs) | 235.50 |
| Win | Last Fight | Loss |
Joanne Wood vs. Alexa Grasso Fight Odds
This women’s flyweight matchup will see an all-striker bout between Wood and Grasso. Joanne Wood will need to make a comeback after losing her two most recent bouts against Lauren Murphy and most recently Taila Santos.
This fight was initially supposed to go down in November, but Grasso had to withdraw due to an injury. Joanne Wood is a tough veteran but has just a single win from her last four fights.
The Scot enters this bout as an underdog; she is eight years older than her up-and-coming opponent and has a slight reach advantage. Joanne will need to put in a solid performance in this fight if she is to have any chance of staying in the UFC.
Alexa Grasso has had her fair share of ups and downs in the UFC, with three losses since joining in 2016. But her form recently has been undeniable, smashing Maycee Barber with some great boxing in her last bout.
The Mexican is up and coming in the division and will break into the top ten rankings with a win against Wood on Saturday, ultimately putting her in line for a title shot.
While Joanne is a great grappler, Alexa prefers to box, so expect her to keep things standing, and stay in her comfort zone to get the win in this co-main event.
| Joanne Wood | vs | Alexa Grasso |
|---|---|---|
| 36 | Age | 28 |
| 24 | Fights | 16 |
| 15 | Wins | 13 |
| 7 | Losses | 3 |
| 5 | KO’s | 4 |
| 1 | Subs | 0 |
| 5′ 6 | Height (feet) | 5′ 5 |
| 66.5 | Reach (inches) | 66 |
| 126.00 | Weight (lbs) | 125.00 |
| Loss | Last Fight | Win |
Askar Askarov vs. Kai Kara-France Fight Odds
This flyweight bout will be a compelling watch, featuring former ACB champion Askar Askarov, who will face off with the dangerous striking power of #6 ranked Kara-France.
Askar is unbeaten in his professional career and has ground out all of his UFC wins by decision with impeccable striking and grappling. The Russian won three in a row after a draw against Brandon Moreno during his UFC debut back in 2019.
These fighters are evenly matched – both are around the same age and height, but Askar will have a slight reach advantage on the night. Everything is on the line for Askarov in this bout – a win here will ensure a shot at the belt in his next matchup.
Kai Kara-France is coming off the back of two first-round knockout wins – a sharp comparison to Askarov’s style. Will the Russian have the chin to survive blows that have knocked out some of the best, including Cody Garbrandt?
The New Zealander hasn’t lost since 2020 and is now ranked sixth. He has plenty more experience than his opponent but has nine losses to go with it. Kara-France is one of the most exciting people to watch in this division, so this should be a fantastic contest between two high-level MMA fighters.
| Askar Askarov | vs | Kai Kara-France |
|---|---|---|
| 29 | Age | 28 |
| 15 | Fights | 35 |
| 14 | Wins | 23 |
| 0 | Losses | 9 |
| 4 | KO’s | 12 |
| 7 | Subs | 3 |
| 5′ 5 | Height (feet) | 5′ 4 |
| 67 | Reach (inches) | 66.5 |
| 127.00 | Weight (lbs) | 125.00 |
| Win | Last Fight | Win |
Matt Brown vs. Bryan Barberena Fight Odds
These two legendary strikers will duke it out in this welterweight bout. Matt Brown, who some might remember from winning the Ultimate Fighter 7 series, will face Bryan Barberena. This matchup was initially set up to transpire in December, but Brown contracted COVID, and the fight was rebooked.
Matt Brown last encountered Dhiego Lima, when he pulled off a spectacular knockout in the second round to break his two-fight losing streak. This is as close as fights ever get, with both fighters having plenty of experience to draw from and a similar physique.
Matt will enter with a 4-inch reach advantage but is the elder of the two by nine years. The odds are basically even on these two, so it’s anyone’s guess who will win, but one thing you can’t ever doubt is Matt Brown’s heart. He leaves it all out there when he fights, so it’ll be down to Barberena to stop him.
Bryan Barberena is coming off the back of beating Darian Weeks by decision. Weeks stepped in at short notice to replace Matt Brown in December.
Barberena is as tough as they come; expect this fight to be a violent striker matchup and conceivably the best bout of the night.
| Matt Brown | vs | Bryan Barberena |
|---|---|---|
| 41 | Age | 32 |
| 44 | Fights | 24 |
| 23 | Wins | 16 |
| 18 | Losses | 8 |
| 17 | KO’s | 10 |
| 6 | Subs | 2 |
| 6′ 0 | Height (feet) | 6′ 0 |
| 76 | Reach (inches) | 72 |
| 170.50 | Weight (lbs) | 170.50 |
| Win | Last Fight | Win |
Ilir Latifi vs. Aleksei Oleinik Fight Odds
The Sledgehammer (Latifi) meets the Boa Constrictor (Oleinik) in this heavyweight matchup from some of the most experienced guys in the UFC.
In June, Ilir Latifi managed to break his three-loss streak with a close decision win against Tanner Boser. The Swede is the slight favorite, but there’s not much separating the odds in this matchup.
Ilir proved that he lives up to his nickname in his last bout when he emerged from the fight as the victor despite suffering two fractures in his arm. While Latifi is the youngest fighter by six years, he is less experienced and will have to overcome a significant reach disadvantage to get the win.
The fellow Jiu-Jitsu expert Olenik is searching for his 60th professional victory on Saturday. He must make something happen as he has lost his last three fights, and at the grand old age of 44, a loss here could mean his last appearance in the UFC.
He has a vast 76 professional fights and 59 wins, including 46 submissions – hence the Boa Constrictor moniker. He will enter with a five-inch reach advantage and the taller of the two. This fight promises to be a fun one to kick off the main card in style.
| Ilir Latifi | vs | Aleksei Oleinik |
|---|---|---|
| 38 | Age | 44 |
| 24 | Fights | 76 |
| 15 | Wins | 59 |
| 8 | Losses | 16 |
| 5 | KO’s | 8 |
| 5 | Subs | 46 |
| 5′ 10 | Height (feet) | 6′ 2 |
| 75 | Reach (inches) | 80 |
| 240.00 | Weight (lbs) | 228.00 |
| Loss | Last Fight | Win |
Preliminary Fights
- Jennifer Maia vs. Manon Fiorot
- Neil Magny vs. Max Griffin
- Tucker Lutz vs. Seungwoo Choi
- Sara McCann vs. Karol Rosa
- Chris Gutierrez vs. Batgeral Danaa
- Matheus Nicolau vs. David Dvorak
- Aliaskhab Khizriev vs. Abus Magomedov
- Luis Saldana vs. Bruno Souza
View the latest MMA odds for all upcoming UFC fights.
Based in California, James William writes about golf, tennis, UFC and the (sometimes complicated) world of betting on sports. A big lover of live poker, James also takes care of casino reviews for Vegas-Odds.com.
