UFC Vegas 36: Brunson vs. Till Odds, Schedule, Predictions

0 of 4

Jeff Bottari/Getty Images

UFC will put on some matinee action Saturday afternoon with Derek Brunson and Darren Till serving as the main event at the UFC’s APEX Facility. 

Brunson has been an oscillating contender in the middleweight division for a large chunk of his career. But with four consecutive wins, he’s looking to elevate his stock higher than before. 

Darren Till, on the other hand, has been a mixed bag at 185 pounds. After contending for the welterweight title, he is just 1-1 since moving up. A loss to Robert Whittaker took out some of his momentum, but a win against Brunson would have him right back in the mix. 

In addition to Till, the card will have feature another English hopeful in Tom Aspinall. The heavyweight will take on Serghei Spivac in the co-main event. 

Here’s a look at the whole card along with the latest odds and a preview of the biggest fights. 

1 of 4

Handout/Getty Images

Main Card (ESPN+ at 4 p.m. ET)

• Derek Brunson (+155, bet $100 to win $155) vs. Darren Till (-180, bet $180 to win $100)
• Tom Aspinall (-250) vs. Serghei Spivac (+200)
• David Zawada (+105) vs. Alex Morono (-125)
• Modestas Bukauskas (-160) vs. Khalil Rountree Jr. (+140)
• Paddy Pimblett (-150) vs. Luigi Vendramini (+130)

Preliminary Card (ESPN+ at 1:30 p.m. ET)

• Molly McCann (-115) vs. Ji Yeon Kim (-105)
• Jack Shore (-600) vs. Liudvik Sholinian (+435)
• Charles Jourdain (-180) vs. Julian Erosa (+155)
• Dalcha Lungiambula (+145) vs. Marc-Andre Barriault (-165)

Odds via DraftKings Sportbook

2 of 4

Handout/Getty Images

Any time Derek Brunson is involved, the question is which version of him is going to show up. Brunson has mostly been relegated to gatekeeper in his career because he just doesn’t seem to be able to put it together for long stretches of time. 

When Brunson is relying on his wrestling and changing levels frequently, he’s tough to stop. Case in point, Brunson registered six takedowns in his unanimous decision win over Kevin Holland. 

Holland is a dynamic striker with knockout ability. Brunson leaned on his wrestling and took that away. 

However, there’s a version of Brunson that simply loves to brawl. That’s the version that can get in trouble. 

Till is a dangerous striker in his own right and has the ability to change the fight with one punch. But his takedown defense is far from elite. He’s been taken down by Jorge Masvidal, Donald Cerrone and Nicholas Dalby among others throughout his career. 

As long as Brunson comes to wrestle, he could be set up to pull off the mild upset and extend his win streak to five. 

Prediction: Brunson via decision

3 of 4

Handout/Getty Images

This might be the best matchup on the card as it pits two potential future heavyweight contenders against one another. 

Tom Aspinall’s primary weapon is his boxing. However, he showed that he’s much more than a prototypical English boxer in a submission win over Andrei Arlovski. Not only was he striking with a skilled boxer in Arlovski, but he was able to go to the mat to get the finish. 

Serghei Spivac is a promising prospect in his own right. He is a grappler by trade but he brings enough to the table as a striker to keep opponents off balance. He’s on a three-fight win streak and last took a decision over Alexei Oleinik. 

The central question to this matchup is whether Spivac will be able to take Aspinall down. While the Englishman can pull off a submission, that’s not where he wants the fight to take place. 

Aspinall’s boxing might be the biggest advantage in the fight, though. For a heavyweight, he’s adept at sticking and moving with power. That should be enough to pick off any Spivac takedown attempts. 

Prediction: Aspinall via second-round TKO

4 of 4

Jeff Bottari/Getty Images

Alex Morono just made a name for himself with a win over Donald Cerrone. Now he’ll try to do his best impression of Cowboy. 

That’s because he is stepping up to take a fight against David Zawaba, who was supposed to fight Sergey Khandozhko. Morono took the call after Khandozhko was forced off the card just a week before the bouts were set to go off. 

He’ll come in as a small favorite to get his hand raised. 

It should also be a favorite for Fight of the Night. Morono loves to push a pace, averaging over five significant strikes per minute. Zawada is not a strong defensive fighter. He’s a willing striker, but he isn’t going to turn Morono’s aggression against him. 

He may be the better grappler, but Morono is proficient there as well. Both of these fighters like to get after their opponent, and the result should be a fast-paced bout that has a little bit of everything. 

Prediction: Morono via decision

     

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (IL).

Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ/WV/PA), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (CO), 1-800-BETS OFF (IA), or call or text the TN REDLINE: 800-889-9789 (TN).

21+. NJ/PA/WV/IN/IA/CO/IL/TN only. In partnership with Meadows Racetrack & Casino. Eligibility restrictions apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for details.