Beating the Books: UFC Fight Night 151

UFC Fight Night 151 on Saturday was one of the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s weakest cards of 2019 thus far, but there were still a few favorites who felt the sting of the upset. Four underdogs had their hands raised at the Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, Ontario, and they supply the material for this installment of Beating the Books.

Donald Cerrone (+110)

The main event went off as advertised, as Cerrone and Al Iaquinta put on a barnburner of a lightweight scrap that won “Fight of the Night” honors. Although Iaquinta was favored by the sportsbooks, Cerrone continued his resurgence at 155 pounds, as he outstruck “Raging Al” over the course of five rounds to pick up a dominant unanimous decision. Credit to Iaquinta for making it the full 25 minutes, but Cerrone battered him across the final three rounds and earned the clear-cut nod on the judges’ scorecards. Cerrone cashed as a +110 underdog.

Vince Morales (+155)

Morales engaged Aiemann Zahabi in one of the least entertaining fights on the card but ultimately managed to snag his first UFC victory with a narrow unanimous decision. Morales was a bit more aggressive and did more in the striking department than his Tristar Gym-trained counterpart, who may look back on the bout as a case of what might have been. As such, Zahabi could find himself at risk of being cut by the UFC. Moralaes cashed as a +155 underdog.

Arjan Singh Bhullar (+115)

Bhullar managed to outwrestle the previously unbeaten Juan Adams and left the cage with a unanimous decision in tow. Two of the three Sherdog judges scored it for Adams, but Bhullar did enough to curry favor with those who mattered most. Adams outstruck Bhullar on the feet, but his poor takedown defense cost him the fight. Bhullar cashed as a +115 underdog.

Cole Smith (+100)

The curtain jerker resulted in a highly competitive bantamweight battle between fellow Canadians, as Smith took on Mitch Gagnon. Although Gagnon mounted a lack comeback and nearly choked out Smith with his patented guillotine, the organizational newcomer managed to survive the late submission attempt and take home the win on the judges’ scorecards. Smith appeared to grind out the first two rounds with his superior striking and grappling. He scored as a +100 underdog.

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.