The UFC heads north to Vancouver, Canada on Saturday for UFC 290. The pay-per-view is headlined by Amanda Nunes vs. Irene Aldana, but there’s plenty to get excited about on the undercard. One of those is a bout between Canada’s own Mike Malott and Adam Fugitt just prior to the co-main event. It’s an exciting matchup and there’s one Malott-Fugitt UFC bet that is really standing out.
Best UFC 289 Bets & Odds: Mike Malott-Adam Fugitt
Mike Malott-Adam Fugitt Odds
Via, FanDuel Sportsbook
Mike Malott: -225| Adam Fugitt: +172
Over 2.5: +194 | Under 2.5: -260
Mike Malott enters this fight as a -225 favorite over Adam Fugitt. Malott boasts a 9-1-1 record and sits at 3-0 in his brief UFC career. That record includes a recent victory over Yohan Lainesse in February. Fugitt holds a 9-3 record and sits at 1-1 in the UFC. He most recently defeated Yusaku Kinoshita, also in February of this year.
Malott comes into this fight with a reputation as one of the division’s most lethal finishers. All nine of his professional victories have come by stoppage and only one fight has made it out of the first round. However, this does raise cardio questions for Malott. Ironically, his success leaves that aspect of his game unknown.
As for technical ability, Malott has displayed a well-rounded game. He has explosive power on the feet and posseses capable submission skills on the ground. That said, Malott’s UFC competition has been questionable. His wins over Shimon Shimon Smotritsky and Mickey Gall look a bit suspect. Smotritsky went 0-2 on Dana White’s Contender Series, while half of Gall’s wins came against non-UFC caliber competition. The only legitimate UFC fighter in Malott’s list of wins was Lainesse.
Adam Fugitt can match Malott’s well-rounded skillset. He holds five wins by knockout and another three wins by submission. Fugitt comes from a Muay Thai striking background and holds a brown belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Fugitt also wrestled in junior college, giving him a strong blend of skills for mixed martial arts.
However, Fugutt’s durability is an issue, evinced by a pair of knockout losses. And like Malott, he has faced reasonable UFC competition. Michael Morales sits at 3-0 and handed Fugitt a loss in his UFC debut. His second opponent, Kinoshita, had already won on Dana White’s Contender Series. Ultimately, Fugitt and Malott’s body of work look similar. The only difference between the two are the flashy finishes by Malott.
There’s definitely value for Mike Malott-Adam Fugitt UFC Bets, and it goes one way. When you get two pretty unproven UFC fighters in the early portions of their careers oddsmakers are prone to errors. When they do, the value is usually in the direction of the underdog. In this case for UFC 289, it’s Adam Fugitt.
Best Mike Malott-Adam Fugitt UFC 289 Bet: Adam Fugitt by TKO (+420, FanDuel)
