These UFC St. Louis: Lewis vs. Nascimento card preview & prelim picks and best bets are brought to you by BetOnline. BetOnline is a market leader in sportsbooks, offering a variety of options from UFC odds to the NFL and everything in between.
After a successful pay-per-view over the weekend, the Ultimate Fighting Champion returns to St. Louis on Saturday for UFC on ESPN 56. The thrilling night will be headlined by a massive heavyweight main event between Derrick Lewis and Rodrigo Nascimento.
St. Louis, WE ARE HERE 🚨
Fight week in The Lou has just begun #UFCStLouis pic.twitter.com/q3o0pKnCzD
— UFC (@ufc) May 6, 2024
Not only are the upcoming fights exciting, but so are the plethora of MMA betting opportunities that await this weekend. Fortunately, you’ve come to the right place to begin that journey.
Let’s take a look at the latest odds for the full UFC St. Louis: Lewis vs. Nascimento card, as well as my early predictions for each preliminary bout.
UFC St. Louis Main Card Fights & Odds
All UFC St. Louis: Lewis vs. Nascimento odds are courtesy of BetOnline as of Wednesday, May 8 at 11:21 a.m.
UFC on ESPN 56: Derrick Lewis vs. Rodrigo Nascimento — Heavyweight
- Record: Derrick Lewis (27-12, 1 NC) vs. Rodrigo Nascimento (11-1, 1 NC)
- Moneyline: Derrick Lewis (-161) | Rodrigo Nascimento (+141)
- Round total: 1.5 — Over (+120) | Under (-150)
- Most likely method of victory: Lewis via KO/TKO (-135)
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UFC St. Louis Co-Main Event: Joaquin Buckley vs. Jose Aldo — Welterweight
- Record: Joaquin Buckley (18-6) vs. Nursulton Ruziboev (34-8-2, 2 NC)
- Moneyline: Joaquin Buckley (-134) | Nursulton Ruziboev (+114)
- Round total: 1.5 — Over (-150) | Under (+120)
- Most likely method of victory: Buckley via KO/TKO (+110)
Alonzo Menifield vs. Carlos Ulberg — Light Heavyweight
- Record: Alonzo Menifield (15-3-1) vs. Carlos Ulberg (9-1)
- Moneyline: Alonzo Menifield (+230) | Carlos Ulberg (-270)
- Round total: 1.5 — Over (-145) | Under (+115)
- Most likely method of victory: Ulberg via KO/TKO (-115)
Carlos Diego Ferreira vs. Mateusz Rębecki — Lightweight
- Record: Carlos Diego Ferreira (18-5) vs. Mateusz Rębecki (19-1)
- Moneyline: Carlos Diego Ferreira (+300) | Mateusz Rębecki (-400)
- Round total: 2.5 — Over (+140) | Under (-170)
- Most likely method of victory: Rębecki via KO/TKO (+140)
Alex Caceres vs. Sean Woodson — Featherweight
- Record: Alex Caceres (21-14, 1 NC) vs. Sean Woodson (11-1-1)
- Moneyline: Alex Caceres (+185) | Sean Woodson (-220)
- Round total: 2.5 — Over (-280) | Under (+220)
- Most likely method of victory: Woodson via Points (+105)
Waldo Cortes-Acosta vs. Robelis Despaigne — Heavyweight
- Record: Waldo Cortes-Acosta (11-1) vs. Robelis Despaigne (5-0)
- Moneyline: Waldo Cortes-Acosta (+195) | Robelis Despaigne (-230)
- Round total: 1.5 — Over (+160) | Under (-200)
- Most likely method of victory: Despaigne via KO/TKO (-175)
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UFC St. Louis Preliminary Card Odds & Picks
UFC 301 Prelim Fight Record: 8-0
UFC 301 Prelim Best Bet Record: 6-2
Chase Hooper vs. Viacheslav Borshchev — Lightweight
- Record: Chase Hooper (13-3-1) vs. Viacheslav Borshchev (7-3-1)
- Moneyline: Chase Hooper (+116) | Viacheslav Borshchev (-136)
- Round total: 1.5 — Over (-130) | Under (+100)
Although he’s the underdog in this fight, I’m backing Chase Hooper to defeat Viacheslav Borshchev this weekend. Borshchev is a tough customer, no doubt, but I don’t like the fact that he’s won just one of his last four fights. Meanwhile, Hooper has won back-to-back fights since returning to the lightweight division and isn’t showing signs of slowing down.
Considering how three of Borshchev’s last four fights went the distance while five of Hooper’s last seven outings went beyond 1.5 rounds, take the Over as the best bet.
Hooper vs. Borshchev Prediction: Chase Hooper
Hooper vs. Borshchev Best Bet: o1.5 Total Rounds (-130)
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Terrance McKinney vs. Esteban Ribovics — Lightweight
- Record: Terrance McKinney (15-6) vs. Esteban Ribovics (12-1)
- Moneyline: Terrance McKinney (+141) | Esteban Ribovics (-161)
- Round total: 1.5 — Over (+195) | Under (-235)
MMA fans can expect a hard-hitting matchup between two lightweights with 13 knockout wins between them. Having said that, I see Terrance McKinney winning on Saturday. We’ve only seen Esteban Ribovics fight twice at the UFC level, leading to a 1-1 split. Meanwhile, McKinney is coming off back-to-back first-round TKO wins over Mike Breeden and Brendan Marotte.
This fight is a bit unpredictable for my liking, though, so let’s keep it simple by taking an outright upset.
McKinney vs. Ribovics Prediction: Terrance McKinney
McKinney vs. Ribovics Best Bet: McKinney ML (+141)
Tabatha Ricci vs. Tecia Pennington — Women’s Strawweight
- Record: Tabatha Ricci (9-2) vs. Tecia Pennington (13-6)
- Moneyline: Tabatha Ricci (-142) | Tecia Pennington (+122)
- Round total: 2.5 — Over (-400) | Under (+300)
It’s hard to trust Tecia Pennington as the massive underdog — especially after dropping five of her last eight fights. I see her struggling against Tabatha Ricci, who’s going 4-1 since making her strawweight return. Considering how Ricci won four fights in a row before losing to Loopy Godinez at UFC 295, I see the heavy favorite returning to her winning ways.
Neither woman is known for her finishing ability, so look for Ricci to win via points.
Ricci vs. Pennington Prediction: Tabatha Ricci
Ricci vs. Pennington Best Bet: Ricci via Points (+100)
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Billy Goff vs. Trey Waters — Welterweight
- Record: Billy Goff (9-2) vs. Trey Waters (8-1)
- Moneyline: Billy Goff (+136) | Trey Waters (-156)
- Round total: 2.5 — Over (+135) | Under (-165)
Here’s a UFC St. Louis fight between two fighters with much to prove. Trey Waters, the favorite, scored a unanimous decision win over Josh Quinlan in his debut last April while Billy Goff TKO’d Yusaku Kinoshita in August to win his seventh fight in a row.
In a fight that could go either way, I predict that Goff will have the edge due to his massive momentum wave. I fully expect these heavy hitters to end this fight inside the distance, so look for Goff to pick up the KO/TKO victory for the eighth time in his first 12 outings.
Goff vs. Waters Prediction: Billy Goff
Goff vs. Waters Best Bet: Goff via KO/TKO (+360)
Charles Johnson vs. Jake Hadley — Flyweight
- Record: Charles Johnson (14-6) vs. Jake Hadley (10-2)
- Moneyline: Charles Johnson (+121) | Jake Hadley (-141)
- Round total: 2.5 — Over (-260) | Under (+200)
After losing three fights in a row, Charles Johnson returned to the win column in February with a unanimous decision win over Azat Maksum. On the flip side, Jake Hadley dropped to 2-2 during his UFC run with a UD loss to Cody Durden nine months ago.
Johnson might have the experience and size edges, but Hadley is younger with better grappling. Johnson is also tough to trust given his recent inconsistent performances. I see the latter wearing down the underdog before eventually scoring enough points to earn the win via decision.
Johnson vs. Hadley Prediction: Jake Hadley
Johnson vs. Hadley Best Bet: Hadley via Points (+125)
Charles Johnson has endured the ups and downs of being a UFC fighter willing to accept any opportunity
He's now riding momentum after taking out Azat Maksum, leading to a fight against Jake Hadley at #UFCStLouis
Do you see Johnson as a potential title contender down the road? pic.twitter.com/bCckaFZnbU
— Jake Foley🇺🇸🥋 (@JFoMMATalk) May 8, 2024
Jared Gooden vs. Kevin Jousset — Welterweight
- Record: Jared Gooden (23-9) vs. Kevin Jousset (10-2)
- Moneyline: Jared Gooden (+184) | Kevin Jousset (-214)
- Round total: 1.5 — Over (-220) | Under (+180)
Even though Jared Gooden has more UFC experience, I don’t see Kevin Joussett losing in St. Louis. The former HEX Welterweight Champion is on a five-fight winning streak and has won eight of his last nine outings. He’s also 2-0 at the UFC level whereas Gooden has lost four of his last six outings under the promotion’s umbrella.
Considering how Gooden is good at avoiding being finished, I see Joussett winning via points.
Gooden vs. Jousset Prediction: Kevin Jousset
Gooden vs. Jousset Best Bet: Jousset via Points (+165)
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JJ Aldrich vs. Veronica Hardy — Women’s Flyweight
- Record: JJ Aldrich (13-6) vs. Veronica Hardy (8-4-1)
- Moneyline: JJ Aldrich (+121) | Veronica Hardy (-141)
- Round total: 2.5 — Over (-450) | Under (+350)
When I look at the odds for this UFC on ESPN 56 bout, I immediately notice how the Over on the 2.5-round total is heavily favored. It isn’t too surprising, though, given that JJ Aldrich and Veronica Hardy have gone the distance in 20 of their 32 combined fights.
With that in mind, I will back Aldrich to win. Although this is a relatively even matchup on paper, Aldrich boasts a 10-3 record when her fights end with a decision while Hardy has won just two of her last five outings that went the distance.
Aldrich vs. Hardy Prediction: JJ Aldrich
Aldrich vs. Hardy Best Bet: Aldrich via Points (+160)
UFC St. Louis: Lewis vs. Nascimento Information & FAQ
When is UFC St. Louis?
- UFC St. Louis will take place on Saturday, May 11, 2024.
Where is UFC St. Louis?
- UFC on ESPN 56 airs live from Enterprise Center in St. Louis, Missouri.
What time does UFC St. Louis start?
- UFC St. Louis Preliminary Card Start Time: 4 p.m. ET
- UFC St. Louis Main Card Start Time: 7 p.m. ET
How to Watch UFC St. Louis
- UFC St. Louis Preliminary Card Channel: ESPN/ESPN+
- UFC St. Louis Main Card Channel: ESPN/ESPN+
How to Bet on UFC St. Louis
- All of the top online sports betting sites will have UFC St. Louis odds, but here are some of the sites we recommend most for UFC betting enthusiasts.
