UFC Fight Night 176: Woodley v Burns Odds - 27/05/20

Dana White has made it clear that he intends to move all UFC cards to their groundbreaking UFC APEX, with their state-of-the-art facility capable of hosting all major events. The APEX opened up last July, and whilst no fans are able to attend events, White and the UFC will be able to televise each fight over in Las Vegas.

The upcoming UFC 250: Nunes v Spencer on June 7 may also be hosted at the APEX, whilst future bouts for the next few months could do the same.

Now, Tyron Woodley will clash with Gilbert Burns in the hectic welterweight division in what is set to be an almighty bout for the future of the division. Here, we take a look ahead to this crucial fight and all the odds to look out for.

Tyron Woodley has not stepped into the octagon since his title loss to Kamaru Usman over a year ago, where 'The Chosen One' has since moved outside of the top 10 in the pound for pound rankings. Woodley is still the number one contender and a win over Burns on May 31 may throw a spanner in the works in this hectic weight class.

Champion Usman has reportedly eyed up a mega bout with former two-division champion Conor McGregor, although, Jorge Masvidal's astronomical rise keeps him in the loop for a title shot also. However, a win for the 38-year-old and a rematch might be set in stone - he is now priced at 1/2 to beat Burns at this UFC Fight Night.

Before the American's title loss, Woodley held the welterweight crown for three years and registered memorable wins over Stephen Thompson, Darren Till, Demian Maia and, of course, that title win over the legendary Robbie Lawler.

Burns comes into this one with a five-fight win streak, registering submission wins, decision victories and TKO finishes within this time. The Brazilian has become somewhat of a forgotten figure in the welterweight division and a win for him might throw his name into the title contenders - Burns is 6/4 to have his hand raised at the end.

With Leon Edwards unable to face Woodley at UFC London, the Englishman will have to sit back and wait even longer for a shot at the belt he so desperately deserves. However, a win for Burns and the entire welterweight division could be blown wide open, with up to five fighters staking a claim for a shot at Usman's crown.

Woodley has moved from a submission specialist over in Strikeforce to become more a decision and knockout artist in the UFC. Before experiencing his first loss in his 11th bout, Woodley claimed four victories from his first 10 via submission and has since forced the tap from only one opponent when he beat Till with a Brabo choke.

Now in his seventh UFC year, Woodley has nine wins and just three losses with all of them coming through decision or TKO/KO wins, besides that win over the Liverpudlian. Against the submission specialist, Woodley may want to keep this fight on the feet and he is priced at 7/4 to win within round 1-5 and 9/4 to claim his eighth decision victory.

On the other hand, the Brazilian has 18 wins in his MMA career and has just four wins through a decision in his 14 fights in the UFC octagon. Burns is now 11/2 to see out another points victory and become only the third man to beat Woodley in this manner.

As for winning within rounds 1-5, the in-form 33-year-old is priced at 5/2 and a win in this fashion would be the 11th of his career. It's also important to note that within Burns' three losses, only one of them has come within the distance when he lost to Dan Hooker at lightweight back in 2018.

The former welterweight champion has a healthy mix in his magnificent mixed martial arts CV, collecting a range of submission wins, TKO/KO finishes and decision victories over a stellar 11-year career.

Through those 19 wins, Woodley has amassed seven TKO/KO victories, most notably over Lawler to win the welterweight crown inside the first round. As mentioned, the experienced fighter will want to keep this one on the feet as much as he can to use his superior striking and strength to his advantage. As a result, Woodley by TKO/KO Stoppage at 21/10 is the official Oddschanger tip for this bout.

The ex-champ has also put together quite the submission catalogue, although, his win over Till in 2018 remains his only victory in this fashion in 10 years - Woodley is now rightfully so priced at 16/1 to force the tap from the submission specalist.

As for Burns, his TKO/KO CV is almost equal to that of his opponent's, finishing six of his 18 wins in this manner, which equals to a TKO/KO record of 33%. Woodley hasn't been stopped in his UFC career, with Nate Marquardt the last man to win via TKO/KO over him back in Strikeforce. As a result, Burns is a high price of 7/1 to beat Woodley through a TKO/KO.

If the Brazilian is to move up the rankings and stake a claim for a title shot, naturally, his best route is to win via submission. The 33-year-old has claimed eight of his 18 wins in this fashion (44%) and he is now priced at 4/1 to win through a submission, which is his lowest method of victory price.