Breaking Down the Best Underdog Fighters for UFC 258

On Saturday, February 13, the UFC will return with a stacked fight card from top to bottom. UFC 258 will feature a huge number of important matchups, including the main event between Kamaru Usman and Gilbert Burns. With the event just a day away, now is the perfect time to break down the best underdog fighters for UFC 258.

Millions of people around the US are expected to bet on this weekend’s fight card. Many fans are beginning to realize how profitable the odds on these bouts available online are. Before checking out these bets, we’ll take a close look at the details of UFC 258.

UFC 258: Start time, How to Watch, Fight Details

The UFC is back at the Apex Center in Las Vegas and will remain at its new headquarters until late March. The first event here this year has already concluded. Saturday makes the UFC’s first Pay-Per-View event at the Apex Center.

UFC 258’s early prelims will begin at 3:30 pm PT. The official preliminary fights will then kick off at 5 pm PT. The main card of this incredible event officially begins at 7 pm PT. Most expect to see the main event take place around 10 pm PT.

As usual, the early preliminary fights will be aired live on UFC Fight Pass and ESPN+. The secondary prelims will then be moved primarily to ESPN+. The Pay-Per-View portion of UFC 258 can be purchased through ESPN+, as well, for $69.99.

As mentioned earlier, this card’s main event takes place between Kamaru Usman and Gilbert Burns. Usman will be looking to earn his third welterweight title defense in this bout. Burns is a former training partner of Usman and wants to claim his first world championship.

This entire event is excellent. Many fans are now heading over to Bovada to make their wagers on all the action. Some of these fans are beginning to realize how fantastic the odds for many of these bouts really are.

Now is the perfect time to look at some of the underdogs that might be worth throwing some money on this Saturday.

Top 5 Best Underdog Fighters for UFC 258

The UFC doesn’t pull any punches when creating its Pay-Per-View events. This promotion works hard to make these events as exciting as possible. UFC 258 is stacked from top to bottom with huge fights that fans are interested in.

Below are some of the fighters I believe are capable of pulling off a huge upset tomorrow.

#1: Brian Kelleher (+195)

The final fight on the early prelims of UFC 258 features two men moving up from bantamweight to featherweight. Brian Kelleher and Ricky Simon and looking to find a new home in this weight class. Most online MMA betting sites seem to be overlooking Kelleher in this fight, though.

That’s not a huge surprise. Ricky Simon is a very talented wrestler and has only lost to high-level competition. Kelleher has struggled to put together a winning streak and will likely come in as the slightly smaller man in this bout.

Brian has everything needed to get the win here, though. He tends to do very well against fighters with a wrestling-heavy game. That’s due to his dangerous guillotine choke. If the fight stays on the feet, it swings heavily in Kelleher’s favor.

What to Expect

If Simon begins landing takedowns right away, it could indicate that Brian is in for a long night. I expect Kelleher to stop that by threatening with tight guillotines every time Ricky shoots. Late in the first round, Brian will land one of his patented left hooks to earn the knockout victory.

#2: Andre Ewell (+115)

It might come as a surprise to some seeing Andre Ewell listed as one of the best underdog fighters for UFC 258. He’s taken some tough losses in the UFC and seems to have barely scraped by in his past few fights in the promotion. His skills are elite, though, and he’s getting a perfect opponent to showcase his skills tomorrow night.

Ewell was thought to be one of the brightest prospects at bantamweight when he debuted with the promotion. In that fight, he earned a decision win over former champion Renan Barao. He’s gone 3-2 since that fight and is currently riding a two-fight win streak.

Andre is taking on Chris Gutierrez in his next bout. It’s a fun stylistic matchup, as Chris is known for using kickboxing to earn his victories. That almost guarantees that we will see an exciting striking battle take place tomorrow.

What to Expect

It’s always difficult to predict a battle of strikers. I believe Andre Ewell is just a little more experienced in that realm. He has a history as a professional boxer and knows how to land shots and move. I think he continues his winning streak by landing punches on the outside to pick up a decision victory.

#3: Jim Miller (+205)

It’s incredible to see Jim Miller continue fighting at the highest level of mixed martial arts. He made his debut with the UFC back in 2008 and has remained one of the toughest fighters at lightweight since that time. He’ll be taking on Bobby Green tomorrow, another tough veteran with a fantastic skillset.

Miller is constantly counted out during his fights. Prior to his June 2020 fight against Roosevelt Roberts, he was the biggest underdog on the entire card. Miller can’t be counted out, however, and he earned a first-round submission in that fight.

Many also seem to forget Miller’s performances against some of the best fighters at lightweight. Just a few years ago, he came extremely close to defeating Dustin Poirier. When he is on his game, Jim is one of the most dangerous men in the lightweight division and he is without a doubt one of the best underdog fighters for UFC 258.

What to Expect

Bobby Green brings a fight every single time he competes. His main issue seems to be finding success against fighters capable of mixing their striking and wrestling games. That is exactly what Jim Miller is great at. I think he will stay on the feet and land hard leg kicks before eventually getting Green to the mat and securing one of his patented chokes.

#4: Ian Heinisch (+180)

Ian Heinisch is another man many believed had championship potential when he debuted with the UFC in November of 2018. He racked up two-straight wins with the promotion and showed an aggressive wrestling game fans hadn’t seen in the middleweight division in years. He’s now just 1-2 in his past three bouts and is listed as the considerable underdog against Kelvin Gastelum.

That’s not a shock. Gastelum has been one of the best middleweights in the world for years. He’s the only man to ever truly push the champion, Israel Adesanya. He even came close to finishing the champ on several occasions during their bout!

Heinisch has moved his training camp to Thailand to focus on his striking. It already seems to be paying off. I believe that his new skills on the feet make him one of the best underdog fighters for UFC 258. He now has a well-rounded enough arsenal to compete with the best middleweights in the sport.

What to Expect

This is probably the hardest fight to predict on the entire card. If the Kelvin Gastelum that fought Israel Adesanya shows up, Ian might be in big trouble. I just don’t think that will happen. Heinisch will mix up his wrestling and striking to earn a decision victory over the former title challenger in this one.

#5: Gilbert Burns (+210)

The main event of UFC 258 is obviously getting the most attention heading into tomorrow’s fights. It’s a fascinating clash of styles between two former training partners. Analysts seem torn on how the action will play out.

It was a tough decision, yet in the end, I came to the conclusion that Burns will get the victory in this bout. He is better on the mat and standing up and has a deep understanding of Usman’s game. That will prove to be the difference here.

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Looking to become the first Brazilian welterweight to earn UFC gold… 🇧🇷 @GilbertDurinho #UFC258 pic.twitter.com/Ah2AMwkSQH

— UFC (@ufc) February 11, 2021

Kamaru has been an solid champion for the UFC. He is an extremely tough challenge for any man he faces. If he can land takedowns while avoiding the submission threat of Burns, he has a chance to earn a victory in this fight.

What to Expect

Gilbert Burns is a different fighter at welterweight. His striking has been on-point during his run at 170 pounds and that will play a huge factor in this fight against Usman. Expect him to land a hard shot at some point in the early rounds before transitioning into his grappling game to earn a submission victory.

Conclusion

Fight fans are in for a fun night tomorrow. There are many exciting matchups scheduled to take place throughout the card. Bettors may also end up winning big on some of the best underdog fighters for UFC 258.

Make sure to head over to Bovada today to see all of the odds available on the card! Let me know who you think wins in the main event in the comments section below.