UFC Denver Punching Parlay
- Christian Rodriguez ML (-200)
- Joshua Van ML (-210)
UFC Pick: Two-Legged Parlay (+122) at BetOnline (visit our BetOnline Review)
A returning Ultimate Fighting Championship schedule hits the Rocky Mountains this weekend when UFC Denver arrives in the scenic state of Colorado. We aren’t here for views and photo opportunities, however, as the rough terrain and high altitude of the Mile-High City are gearing up for twenty-four blood-hungry fighters who can hopefully provide us with some money-making moments through the top sportsbooks.
Rose Namajunas and Tracy Cortez headline this weekend’s MMA festivities. Still, more importantly, we have a wide selection of UFC odds and parlay betting cannon fodder to create everyone’s favorite two-legger, ‘The Weekly Punching Parlay’.
Let’s get into it!
UFC Denver Information
- Date & Time: Saturday, July 13, 2024 – 07:00 PM ET
- Location: Ball Arena, Denver, Colorado
- Scheduled Fights: 11
- Main Event: Rose Namajunas vs. Tracy Cortez (UFC Women’s Flyweight Bout)
Christian Rodriguez vs. Julian Erosa
UFC Denver Featherweight Bout
CeeRod: The Story So Far
The “Prospect Killer,” Christian Rodriguez, is now attempting to switch things up and become the “Veteran Killer”, with his first experienced opponent in Julian Erosa.
With a 4-1 UFC record, this Roufus Sports prospect enters Colorado behind three consecutive victories over fellow up-and-coming prospects. In each of those fights, he’s been a considerable underdog.
Regarding early tenure results, Raul Rosas Jr, Cameron Saaiman, and Isaac Dulgarian present a record we have to respect! He’s 4-1 for the UFC overall, and outside of his debut loss (octagon jitters?), the 26-year-old has been on fire!
- CeeRod Pro MMA Record: 11-1-0
- CeeRod Knockout Wins: 3
- CeeRod Submission Wins: 4
Erosa: The Story So Far
Aged 34 with fourteen UFC bouts to his name, “Juicy J” Julian Erosa, for his pitfalls, has never been involved in a boring fight. He doesn’t own the prettiest record under the UFC banner (7-7), but when we MMA diehards are looking for entertainment, we always know he will deliver.
- Erosa Pro MMA Record: 29-11-0
- Erosa Knockout Wins: 11
- Erosa Submission Wins: 13
UFC Denver CeeRod vs. Erosa: Skillset Breakdown
CeeRod is so talented, considering his young age of 26. His self-belief and confidence shine, and he has excellent striking. Despite the weight-bullying claims, he moved from 135 to 145 last time out and took the dub over a seriously talented prospect in Dulgarian.
Erosa puts the mixed in mixed martial arts, but notably, he’s a jack of all trades but a master of none. Many of Juicy J’s past bouts have relied on his cardio, in which he’s overwhelmed the opposition once their gas tank has wilted. This won’t be the case with CeeRod, so what’s his path to victory?
Undoubtedly, Erosa can take advantage of weak chins and subpar grappling skills; unfortunately, CeeRod isn’t that guy. The young prospect is significantly cleaner and more precise in the striking realm, and his grappling defense has been excellent to date.
Rodriguez Moneyline Reasoning
CeeRod is still looking for his first knockout win in the UFC, and I wouldn’t be surprised if it arrived this weekend. Erosa will entertain us, but as we’ve seen several times, he becomes defensively vulnerable in these moments, and for a man holding seven KO/TKO losses to date, this doesn’t bode well.
The available UFC odds favor Rodriguez for once, and I’m highly confident he’ll make the -200 seem like an absolute steal post-fight.
Outside of a flukey submission, I cannot envision Erosa gaining the upper hand in any area, and the veteran’s questionable durability will be tested by “CeeRod,” who’ll either dominate every round or take a knockout win.
UFC Parlay Leg 1: Rodriguez Moneyline (-200) at BetOnline
Joshua Van vs. Charles Johnson
UFC Denver Flyweight Bout
Van: The Story So Far
Three fights in the UFC, three wins, and two knockouts: Octagon life for Joshua Van has been a positive run thus far, and at the tender age of 22, this kid will only evolve fight by fight.
Just four years ago, the Myanmar native was accepting his first amateur fight. Fast-forward 48 months, and he’s competing at the highest professional level and running through the opposition. If you aren’t paying attention already, it’s time to wake up.
- Van Pro MMA Record: 10-1-0
- Van Knockout Wins: 6
- Van Submission Wins: 2
Johnson: The Story So Far
Charles Johnson’s UFC career has been, well, meh. He’s 4-4 for the promotion, and consistency just hasn’t been within his grasp. Last year, he lost three straight bouts and was one fight shy of being cut, but fortunately, he’s kicked off 2024 with two wins, albeit versus an average level of competition.
- Johnson Pro MMA Record: 10-0-0
- Johnson Knockout Wins: 5
- Johnson Submission Wins: 4
UFC Denver Van vs. Johnson: Skillset Breakdown
Much like Erosa, Johnson’s victories to date have been reliant on him taking over late in fights. He’s a slow starter, but he can score points and win in these scenarios once his opponents begin to fade, e.g., Jake Hadley and Zhalgas Zhumagulov.
The difference between Van and Johnson’s past opponents is that Van will present a high-tempo and striking opponent across all three rounds (if it lasts that long). While Johnson’s known for his boxing background and notably holds a significant reach advantage in this bout, he just hasn’t put up numbers like Van, nor does he have the reflexes or speed to match.
Van Moneyline Reasoning
Van’s one career loss was to a grappling-based opponent, and since then, he’s notably evolved in this area with wins over strong wrestlers such as Zhumagulov. However, Johnson isn’t going to be grappling-heavy anyway, so we can expect a striking battle for the most part.
The current UFC odds favor Van. With that said, how can we not back the fighter who delivers a significantly higher striking output across three rounds, is also younger, faster, and is riding some serious momentum? It might be a slow start, but ultimately, Van has the slick footwork, combinations, and statistics to back him winning a kickboxing exchange.
UFC Parlay Leg 2: Van Moneyline (-210) at BetOnline
The Parlay
- Christian Rodriguez ML (-200)
- Joshua Van ML (-210)
UFC Pick: Two-Legged Parlay (+122) at BetOnline
*The line and/or odds on picks in this article might have moved since the content was commissioned. For updated line movements, visit BMR’s free betting odds product.
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