Amanda Nunes aims to reclaim the UFC women’s bantamweight title that she lost in stunning fashion to Julianna Pena at UFC 269 when she steps into the Octagon for a highly anticipated rematch with the “Venezuelan Vixen” at UFC 277.
UFC 277 is set to take place on Saturday, July 30, at American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas, with all the action available on PPV. Despite pulling off one of the biggest upsets in UFC history with her championship win, Pena looks to her first title defense as a lengthy betting underdog.
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Julianna Pena vs Amanda Nunes 2 Odds
Online sportsbook Sportsbook has got you covered with all the UFC 277 odds, and has listed Amanda Nunes as a strong -310 favorite, while Pena sits well off the pace as a +260 underdog to successfully defend her UFC bantamweight crown.
That means Nunes backers must wager $310 to generate potential winnings of $100, while a successful $100 bet on Pena will generate tidy winnings of $260.
| Fighter | Odds |
|---|---|
| Julianna Pena | +260 |
| Amanda Nunes | -310 |
A deeper dive into the Pena vs Nunes 2 betting line using our sports betting calculator shows that Nunes’ -310 odds translate to an implied win probability of 75.61 percent, while the champion’s odds reflect an implied win probability of just 27.78 percent.
This clash is one of two championship matchups on the UFC 277 main card and provides a great opportunity for fans to get into UFC betting action for the first time. So head on over to our How to Bet on UFC guide to learn about UFC betting.
In addition, we have done all the homework on the best UFC betting sites to help you decide where to bet on the UFC. All of your UFC betting news can be found here at Odds Shark.
Pena vs Nunes 2 Odds Analysis
Nunes’ loss to Pena last December has not diminished her support at the sportsbooks, where she has been consistently pegged as strong betting chalk since adding the UFC featherweight belt to her trophy case almost four years ago.
“Lioness” sported average odds of -665 during a five-fight run that ended with her loss to Pena as massive -1125 chalk.
As for Pena, entering the Octagon as a betting long shot is nothing new. The Venezuelan Vixen made her UFC debut as a betting favorite, paying out on average odds of -325 in wins over Milana Dudieva and Jessica Rakoczy.
However, Pena was unable to maintain that momentum at the sportsbooks, where she was tagged as the underdog on five occasions during her current 4-2-0 run.
In addition to her historic championship win, she also defied the oddsmakers by defeating Cat Zingano and Sara McMann while pegged as the underdog.
Pena vs Nunes 2 Betting Preview
It is difficult to overstate just how big an upset Pena pulled off in her win over Nunes. The 32-year-old has endured a tough road to the top of the UFC women’s bantamweight division that has featured a pair of lengthy layoffs.
A serious knee injury kept her out of the cage throughout 2014. She then stepped away from MMA for two and a half years for the birth of her first child in January 2018 and has fought just four times since then.
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However, her focus on family has not diminished her success in the Octagon. Overall, Pena sports a respectable 7-2-0 record since appearing on The Ultimate Fighter 18 finale and has emerged as one of the best submission specialists in the sport.
Five of her 11 career wins have come by submission, including each of her past two, and she ranks third all-time among UFC bantamweights with 16 career takedowns. Her six submission attempts leave her knotted with Nunes at fifth overall.
Even more impressive was Pena’s ability to successfully go toe to toe with Nunes. Pena proved surprisingly effective at drawing Nunes into a street fight, softening up the longtime champ with a barrage of jabs that clearly knocked Nunes off balance.
Can Nunes Dictate The Terms Of Rematch?
Amanda Nunes emerged as arguably the most feared fighter in the UFC during an 11-fight win streak that featured eight finishes and her UFC featherweight and bantamweight title victories.
Unrivaled in physical strength among women fighting in the UFC, Nunes has proven her ability to defeat opponents in multiple ways.
Three of her six first-round wins have come by submission, and she is the all-time leader among UFC bantamweights in finishes, knockouts and knockdowns.
The challenge she faces in her rematch with Pena is to avoid letting the newly crowned champion dictate the terms of engagement. It was classic Lioness in the first round of their first clash, with Nunes patiently awaiting her opportunities and effectively controlling Pena on the mat.
However, she opted to abandon her longtime strategy by engaging in a slugfest with Pena that wore her down and set the stage for her defeat.
Pena vs Nunes 2 Pick
UFC betting fans should expect to see a more humble and better prepared Nunes in this rematch. While she showed cockiness by abandoning her game plan in her first date with Pena, expect her to keep things simple this time around by keeping the champion at arm’s length and seizing the first opportunity to take the action to the mat.
Unlike Pena, Nunes is a seasoned veteran in championship rounds, and the longer this fight goes, the more it will favor her reclaiming her title.
