UFC 291 Late Preliminary Card Fights Betting Preview

While the main card for UFC 291 seems like more than enough for any mixed martial arts fan, everyone is also going to want to tune into the late preliminary card at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah on July 29th. There will be four fights during the late prelims, one of which will feature No. 11 heavyweight contender and two-time title challenger Derrick Lewis, who isn’t even the moneyline favorite on most betting sites for his fight, which speaks to the quality of the lineup.

UFC 291 Late Preliminary Card Betting Odds - July 29th

The late prelims, which begin at 8PM Eastern Time, will begin with a welterweight bout between Jake Matthews and Darrius Flowers. Middleweights Roman Kopylov and Claudio Ribeiro will fight next, followed by a matchup between heavyweight veterans Marcos Rogerio de Lima and No. 11 contender Derrick Lewis. To cap off the late prelims, Gabriel Bonfim will take on Trevin Giles in the featured preliminary bout. All odds provided by Sports Interaction.

Gabriel Bonfim vs. Trevin Giles Welterweight Bout Odds

In the featured bout of the late preliminary card, it will be Trevin Giles attempting to shock the MMA world against Gabriel Bonfim in a welterweight bout. Giles is a grizzled veteran, but he might be a little too far over the hill to contend with an exciting up and comer like Bonfim.

Nicknamed ‘Marretinha,’ Bonfim will bring an unblemished 14-0 record with 11 submissions into the octagon that includes an LFA title, a submission win on Contender Series, and a sub-one minute submission of Mounir Lazzez in his UFC debut. Bonfim isn’t a very polished striker, but the power is definitely there if Giles ever switches off for a second. There’s not much value here but if you’re a big Marretinha fan, his -125 odds to submit Giles, who has been submitted twice previously, are solid.

Marcos Rogerio de Lima vs. Derrick Lewis Heavyweight Bout Odds

Derrick Lewis and Marcos Rogerio de Lima have 35 wins by knockout between them, so we can be sure that this one will be fought on the feet—and not for very long. 12 of de Lima’s 16 UFC fights have been finished inside the distance, and the same goes for the Black Beast’s last seven straight fights.

This one would seem to be a more evenly matched bout than the odds would claim it to be, so there’s not much value on de Lima’s moneyline odds. If you want to bet on this scrap, either fighter to win via KO is pretty much a 50/50 bet. However, we’d suggest just sitting back and enjoying the carnage for however long it lasts.

Roman Kopylov vs. Claudio Ribeiro Middleweight Bout Odds

Since bursting onto the UFC scene with a jaw-dropping one punch knockout on Dana White’s Contender Series, Claudio Ribeiro hasn’t been able to live up to the hype. He’s clearly got strong hands, but Ribeiro does not have strong cardio, and fighting in Salt Lake City at high altitude will only exacerbate those shortcomings.

Meanwhile, Roman Kopylov didn’t show any signs of fatigue during a three-round slog against Albert Duraev a couple of years ago. Kopylov lost the fight, but he represented himself well and has won his two most recent bouts via knockout. The Russian is clearly the more well-rounded and disciplined striker of the two, so if he can hold Ribeiro off early, he should have no problem giving the Brazilian fighter death by 1,000 cuts.

Jake Matthews vs. Darrius Flowers Welterweight Bout Odds

In the first bout of the late preliminary card we see the second largest favorite in Jake Matthews, whose -290 odds to win are prohibitively short. Matthews will have a two-inch advantage in height over Darrius Flowers as well as a one-inch edge in terms of reach.

Both of these guys have pretty good power at 170 pounds, but Flowers would seem to have a bit of an edge in that department. In tight, Flowers is ruthless, but his ability to close the distance has not always been what you’d expect from a former boxer. Matthews is a massive favorite, but his tentative approach in his last fight, a loss to Matthew Semelsberger, could spell trouble against a guy with fireworks in his fists. Matthews is not worth a wager here, but if you think Flowers can surprise him early, his underdog odds are very welcoming.