Top UFC 277 Parlay Picks: Can Nunes Rebound?

Kyle Smith

Last Updated: July 30, 2022 12:16 PM EDT • 2 min 20 sec read. Twitter link Google News Link

DALLAS, TEXAS - JULY 29: (L-R) Julianna Pena and Amanda Nunes of Brazil face off during the UFC 277 ceremonial weigh-in at American Airlines Center on July 29, 2022 in Dallas, Texas. Carmen Mandato/Getty Images/AFP (Photo by Carmen Mandato / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)

A pair of title fights headline the UFC’s return to Dallas on Saturday night when bantamweight champion Julianna Pena defends her belt against former champion Amanda Nunes, and Brandon Moreno and Kai Kara-France battle for the interim flyweight strap. Read on for our UFC 277 Parlay picks and predictions.

Pena shocked the MMA world in December, using her otherworldly physical and mental toughness to dethrone the suddenly mortal Nunes. It was the champion’s first setback since 2014 following a legendary run that cemented her status as the greatest women’s fighter in MMA history.

Will Pena prove it was no fluke and solidify herself as the bantamweight overlord? Or will Nunes reclaim her place atop the mountain?

Also on the card, Moreno faces Kara-France with the interim flyweight title on the line, and heavyweights Derrick Lewis and Sergei Pavlovich are set to exchange heavy artillery.

Here are my top parlay picks for UFC 277 on Saturday night (odds via DraftKings Sportsbook).

UFC 277 Fight Card

Amanda Nunes (-275) vs. Julianna Pena (+230)Brandon Moreno (-215) vs. Kai Kara-France (+185)Sergei Pavlovich (-155) vs. Derrick Lewis (+135)Alexandre Pantoja (-195) vs. Alex Perez (+165)Magomed Ankalaev (-610) vs. Anthony Smith (+460)Matthew Semelsberger (-155) vs. Alex Morono (+135)Drew Dober (-170) vs. Rafael Alves (+145)Don'Tale Mayes (-195) vs. Hamdy Abdelwahab (+165)Drakkar Klose (-215) vs. Rafa Garcia (+185)Michael Morales (-600) vs. Adam Fugitt (+450)Joselyne Edwards (-130) vs. Ji Yeon Kim (+110)Ihor Potieria (+100) vs. Nicolae Negumereanu (-120)Orion Cosce (-215) vs. Mike Diamond (+185)

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Top UFC 277 Parlay Picks

Top UFC 277 Parlay Predictions

Drew Dober (-170)

Although it’s not outside the realm of possibility that Alves lands something wild, or snakes in a slick submission, I just don’t see him pulling it off against Dober.

Dober is the superior technical striker, and he possesses the requisite power to flatten the Brazilian. The durable Dober should survive any of Alves' wild flurries while using his solid, high-volume, meat and potatoes striking to carry him to victory.

With 17 of Dober’s 24 career triumphs coming via stoppage, don’t be surprised if this bout doesn’t get to the judge’s scorecards.

https://twitter.com/aaronbronsteter/status/1553029601273778176

Moreno vs. Kara-France to go the distance (-150)

Kara-France and Moreno's first encounter went the distance, and I expect more of the same on Saturday night.

Moreno has won and lost the flyweight title since that bout, and he's engaged in a thrilling trilogy with Deiveson Figueiredo. Meanwhile, Kara-France has grown leaps and bounds following their first clash, pounding out former division kingpin Cody Garbrandt before handing Askar Askarov his first career loss.

Expect Moreno to emerge with the interim title because of his championship-round experience and a well-rounded game, but it won’t be easy. Moreno and Kara-France have only been finished five times over their combined 53 career fights (all five were Kara-France).

Nunes (-275)

There will be a completely different Nunes at UFC 277 than the one we saw at UFC 269.

No longer a dominant and possibly overconfident champion, “The Lioness” will likely show the hunger that made her the baddest woman on the planet. Nunes’ gas tank was puddle deep during her initial encounter with Pena, and the 32-year-old exploited that with her scrappy, almost superhuman toughness en route to a submission victory.

History won’t repeat itself on Saturday. A more patient, prepared Nunes won’t completely exhaust herself. Instead, she’ll outclass Pena in all aspects and wrap 10.45 pounds of gold back around her waist.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CEA7fasR4pg

Total UFC 277 Parlay Payout: +260 (bet $100 to win $260)

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UFC 277 parlay picks made on 7/30/2022 at 8:10 a.m. ET.

Written By:
Kyle Smith

A sportswriter for more than a decade, Kyle Smith was once voted “World’s 78th Greatest Lover” by ‘Relatively Attractive People Magazine’.* After covering nearly every sport under the sun for theScore, Smith settled in as head MMA writer where he helped shape the company’s coverage and establish its combat sports identity. Since then, he’s dipped his toes (cannonballed) into the world of betting, where he specializes in the UFC and NHL. Constantly chasing that gigantic Parlay Dragon, Smith was devastated when a Leon Edwards head kick completely obliterated a recent five-leg parlay. You can read his rantings and ravings on Twitter @Heldrificus. *Not a real publication.