In a 3-round welterweight bout on the main card, Joaquin Buckley and Nursulton Ruziboev meet Saturday at UFC on ESPN 56 at Enterprise Center in St. Louis. Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s lines around the UFC on ESPN 56: Buckley vs. Ruziboev odds, and make our expert picks and predictions.
The prelims begin at 4 p.m. ET and can be viewed on ESPN/ESPN+, while the main card starts at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN/ESPN+.
Records: Buckley (18-6-0) | Ruziboev (34-8-2)
Buckley heads into this bout with 3 consecutive victories, including 2 KO/TKO wins over Andre Fialho and Vicente Luque. He also has a unanimous-decision win over Alex Morono in the 3-bout win streak since a 2nd-round KO/TKO loss to Chris Curtis at UFC 282.
The southpaw Buckley has finished inside the distance in 3 of his past 4 fights, although he hasn’t had a fight end in Round 1 since Jan. 16, 2021, a KO/TKO loss to Alessio Di Chirico.
The 30-year-old Uzbekistani fighter has recorded a pair of Round 1 KO/TKO wins over Brunno Ferreira and Sedriques Dumas since making his UFC debut July 1, 2023.
Ruziboev has won 10 consecutive pro bouts since a unanimous-decision loss to Boris Miroshnichenko at ProFC 66 Dec. 22, 2019. In addition, all 10 of those fights, including the 2 at the UFC level, have finishes inside the distance. He has 5 submission victories and 5 KO/TKO wins during the span, and the kimura has been his specialty.
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UFC on ESPN 56: Buckley vs. Ruziboev odds
Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 10:10 a.m. ET.
- Fight result (2-way line): Buckley -125 (bet $125 to win $100) | Ruziboev +105 (bet $100 to win $105)
- Over/Under: 1.5 rounds (Over -145 | Under +110)
- Will the fight go the distance? (Yes +210 | No -300)
UFC on ESPN 56: Buckley vs. Ruziboev picks and predictions
Fight result (2-way line or moneyline)
This should be a banger, as both fighters are evenly matched. Both BUCKLEY (-135) and Ruziboev (+110) are 30 years old and each have a 76-inch reach. The Uzbekistani fighter stands 7 inches taller while also being a little more accurate on significant strikes at 43.90% to 36.41%.
This fight is likely to come down to experience and location. Buckley’s hometown just happens to be St. Louis.
While Ruziboev has plenty of experience inside the octagon, he has had limited exposure at the UFC level. Buckley is a veteran at the highest level, not only in the UFC, but also Bellator. He’ll tap into that experience in the North American octagon to get the job done, and it helps he is fighting in his hometown, so he’ll have a raucous crowd spurring him on.
Over/Under (O/U)
Looking to the method of victory, Ruziboev hasn’t lost via KO/TKO or submission since a loss via kimura Oct. 22, 2016, against Daniyar Abdibaev at WEF: Grand Prix 2016.
Ruziboev’s past 5 losses have each come via unanimous decision. We’re taking the more experienced favorite in his hometown, therefore BUCKLEY ON POINTS (+400) for the chance to multiply up by 4 times is a tempting play.
YES: WILL THE FIGHT GO THE DISTANCE? (+210) for a chance to multiply up by more than 2 times is also a recommended play. OVER 1.5 ROUNDS (-145) isn’t a bad bet, either, especially if you’re a little more on the conservative side.
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