The Insane Prop Bets of UFC on ESPN 2

UFC on ESPN 2 was an unusual event, as seven underdogs came through with wins on Saturday at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. More often than not, a number of profitable prob bets cash when there are so many upsets. That was certainly the case in the “City of Brotherly Love,” and some of those bets supply the material for this installment of Insane Prop Bets.

Justin Gaethje Wins in Round 1 (+525)

The main event promised to be a war between lightweight strikers, as Gaethje fought Edson Barboza; and for two-plus minutes, it lived up to those expectations. The two leg kick artists exchange strikes with their lower extremities to begin the fight before Gaethje started throwing fists, managed to catch Barboza with his hands down and knocked him out with a right hook. The prop on Gaethje winning in the first round hit at +525.

Jack Hermansson Wins by Submission (+700)

The co-headliner was over in a hurry, as Hermansson needed just 49 seconds to finish former two-division World Series of Fighting champion David Branch with a guillotine choke. A massive middleweight from Sweden, he has now won three straight fights by finish, and this latest win over Branch -- a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt whose only previous submission loss resulted from a Rousimar Palhares kneebar -- showed that he is a legitimate Top 15 fighter at 185 pounds. The prop on Hermansson winning by submission hit at +700.

Josh Emmett Wins in Round 3 (+1550)

Emmett was well on his way to losing a decision to fellow featherweight Michael Johnson, but he managed to catch lightning in a bottle and landed a massive straight right that put out Johnson’s lights late in the third round. Emmett seemed bound for a 30-27 defeat on the scorecards but wound up recording one of the most significant wins of his career. The prop on Emmett winning by knockout hit at +575, but even better was the prop on his winning in the third round, which hit at +1550.

Paul Craig Wins in Round 3 (+1225)

Craig has pulled off miracle submissions before. He set the record for the latest submission in a three-round UFC fight when he tapped Magomed Ankalaev with a triangle choke at 4:59 of the third round in March 2018. At UFC on ESPN 2, he pulled a rabbit out of his hat yet again, as he came back and submitted Kennedy Nzechukwu with another triangle choke at 4:20 of the third round. The amazing comeback also earned Craig his latest “Performance of the Night” bonus. The prop on his winning in the third round cashed at massive +1225 odds.

Desmond Green Wins in Round 1 (+775)

Knocked as a fighter who grinds out decisions, Green earned his first finish inside the Octagon with a first-round technical knockout of “The Ultimate Fighter 9” winner Ross Pearson. Most figured the two lightweights would go the full three rounds, but Green made short work of Pearson and pocketed the most impressive victory of his UFC career so far. The prop on Green winning by knockout at +485 was good enough, but even better was the prop on his winning in the first round, which cashed at +775.

Adam Martin is a mixed martial arts journalist who has been covering the sport since 2011. He is currently the lead odds analyst for Sherdog.com, as well as the lead staff writer for MMAOddsbreaker.com. Adam is also the co-host of “The Parting Shot Podcast” on iTunes. His favorite fight of all-time is Dan Henderson-Mauricio Rua, and he wishes Pride Fighting Championships never died. Adam is based out of Toronto, and he is a graduate of the University of Toronto and Centennial College. Get in touch with him on Twitter at @MMAdamMartin.