Recent RotoWire Articles Featuring Ode Osbourne
With five rounds to work and high-volume striking and grappling on his side, welterweight champion Kamaru Usman will likely be the best (and most popular) MVP selection on FanDuel for UFC 258.
Welcome to the MMA Mashup, where Chris Olson offers his favorite bets and DFS picks across a variety of platforms to help give you an edge on Fight Night, with in-depth previews to explain his selections.
AJ Schullo joins the RotoWire team to offer his captain, cash and GPP picks on FanDuel for Saturday's card, emphasizing the need to use main event favorite Alexander Volkov in cash games.
A heavyweight showdown between Alexander Volkov and Alistair Overeem headlines the UFC's return to Las Vegas on Saturday. Jon Litterine returns to break down the fights and make his picks.
Conor McGregor needed just 40 seconds to become one of the highest-scoring DFS choices in his triumphant return to the Octagon. Richard Mann breaks down UFC 246 by the numbers.
More Fantasy News
Opens card with 26-second victory
Osbourne defeated Jerome Rivera via KO (punch) at 0:26 of Round 1 at UFC Fight Night on Saturday in Las Vegas.
ANALYSIS
It was a much needed, dominant effort for Osbourne on the heels of his first-round submission defeat at the hands of Brian Kelleher a little over a year ago. He bounced back in a major way on Saturday, crushing Rivera with a straight left to the face that immediately caused referee Chris Tognoni to step in and call off the bout. It's not a great sign that Osbourne struggled against a much more talented opponent in Kelleher, but you can only fight who they put in front of you and "The Jamaican Sensation" passed this test with flying colors. It will be interesting to see how the 29-year-old fares his next time out.
It was a much needed, dominant effort for Osbourne on the heels of his first-round submission defeat at the hands of Brian Kelleher a little over a year ago. He bounced back in a major way on Saturday, crushing Rivera with a straight left to the face that immediately caused referee Chris Tognoni to step in and call off the bout. It's not a great sign that Osbourne struggled against a much more talented opponent in Kelleher, but you can only fight who they put in front of you and "The Jamaican Sensation" passed this test with flying colors. It will be interesting to see how the 29-year-old fares his next time out.
New matchup with Rivera
Osbourne will face Jerome Rivera in a featherweight bout at UFC Fight Night on Saturday.
ANALYSIS
The pair were originally slated for a flyweight fight Jan. 20 before Rivera was given a new opponent, while Osbourne was realigned to face Denys Bondar on Saturday. Rivera and Osbourne are now lined up to fight once again, only this time at featherweight. It will be a quick turnaround for Rivera, as he lost to Francisco Figueiredo in a flyweight bout less than three weeks ago.
The pair were originally slated for a flyweight fight Jan. 20 before Rivera was given a new opponent, while Osbourne was realigned to face Denys Bondar on Saturday. Rivera and Osbourne are now lined up to fight once again, only this time at featherweight. It will be a quick turnaround for Rivera, as he lost to Francisco Figueiredo in a flyweight bout less than three weeks ago.
Fighting Bondar in February
Osbourne will face Denys Bondar in a flyweight bout at the UFC event Feb. 6, Marcel Dorff of MMADNA.nl reports.
ANALYSIS
Osbourne was previously set to face Jerome Rivera at the Jan. 20 UFC event, but Rivera ended up being matched up with Francisco Figueiredo. Osbourne hasn't been in the Octagon since January 2020, when he lost via submission (guillotine choke) to Brian Kelleher. Bondar is 12-1 in his professional career and will be making his UFC debut.
Osbourne was previously set to face Jerome Rivera at the Jan. 20 UFC event, but Rivera ended up being matched up with Francisco Figueiredo. Osbourne hasn't been in the Octagon since January 2020, when he lost via submission (guillotine choke) to Brian Kelleher. Bondar is 12-1 in his professional career and will be making his UFC debut.
Next fight uncertain
Osbourne's targeted matchup against Jerome Rivera appears to be in jeopardy after Ana Hissa of Combate reported Thursday that Rivera would instead be taking on Francisco Figueiredo on Jan. 20.
ANALYSIS
No report of an injury or other issue has surfaced, so this merely appears to be conflicting accounts of planned fights in the UFC schedule. Figueiredo was just signed by the UFC a week ago and is quickly working his way on to the upcoming Fight Island slate of matchups.
No report of an injury or other issue has surfaced, so this merely appears to be conflicting accounts of planned fights in the UFC schedule. Figueiredo was just signed by the UFC a week ago and is quickly working his way on to the upcoming Fight Island slate of matchups.
Fighting Jerome Rivera in January
Osbourne (8-3-0, 1 NC) is slated to face Jerome Rivera (10-3-0) in a flyweight fight at the UFC's Jan. 30 event, Simon Head of USA Today reports.
ANALYSIS
Osbourne has most recently fought in the bantamweight division, but he'll drop down to the flyweight ranks to take on Rivera. The 28-year-old is returning to the Octagon for the first time in just over a year after tapping out to Brian Kelleher at UFC 246 last January.
Osbourne has most recently fought in the bantamweight division, but he'll drop down to the flyweight ranks to take on Rivera. The 28-year-old is returning to the Octagon for the first time in just over a year after tapping out to Brian Kelleher at UFC 246 last January.