The Insane Prop Bets of UFC 238

The ordering process for Ultimate Fighting Championship pay-per-views has changed: UFC 238 is only available on ESPN+ in the U.S.

UFC 238 was a memorable offering from the Ultimate Fighting Championship on Saturday in Chicago, and it resulted in a number of highlight-reel finishes, some of the upset variety. There were a number of profitable prop bets to cash at the sportsbooks, with the five best providing the material for this installment of Insane Prop Bets.

Henry Cejudo Wins in Round 3 (+1700)

The main event saw Cejudo capture the vacant UFC bantamweight championship, as he finished Marlon Moraes with third-round ground-and-pound. Already in possession of the flyweight crown, he became a rare simultaneous two-division titleholder in the process. Moraes started off strong but tired as the fight moved along -- a development on which Cejudo capitalized with his superior conditioning. In the third round, Cejudo managed to batter Moraes with knees in the clinch before taking the fight to the mat. Once there, he finished off Moraes with unanswered strikes. The prop on Cejudo winning in the third round cashed at a massive +1700 number. Meanwhile, the prop on Cejudo winning by TKO hit at +590, while his winning inside the distance cashed at +455.

Valentina Shevchenko Wins in Round 2 (+525)

The co-headliner resulted in one of the most brutal knockouts in women’s MMA history, as Shevchenko leveled Jessica Eye with a head kick. “Bullet” dominated Eye on the ground in the first round before unleashing her striking skills in the second. When shin met skull 26 seconds into Round 2, an unconscious Eye hit the deck out cold. The prop on Shevchenko winning in the second round cashed at +525, and the prop on her winning by knockout hit at +294.

Tony Ferguson Wins in Round 2 (+700)

In the “People’s Main Event,” Ferguson put on a striking clinic and assaulted Donald Cerrone with punches, kicks, knees and elbows on his way to a second-round doctor stoppage. The two lightweights stood toe-to-toe for 10 minutes and earned “Fight of the Night” honors. However, Ferguson’s striking was on point and his efforts swelled Cerrone’s right eye shut. There was some controversy due to a punch after the second-round bell, but replays showed it did not impact Cerrone’s injury. The prop on Ferguson winning in the second round cashed at +700, and the prop on his winning by TKO hit at +257.

Darren Stewart Wins by Decision (+625)

Stewart did what he had to do to take home a unanimous decision over Jackson-Wink MMA middleweight prospect Bevon Lewis on the undercard. In what was an ugly fight, Stewart got the job done posted his third win in four appearances. Scores were 29-28, 29-28 and 30-27, all for “The Dentist.” The prop on Stewart winning by decision cashed at +625.

Eddie Wineland Wins in Round 2 (+725)

In a preliminary bantamweight pairing that flew under the radar, former World Extreme Cagefighting champion Eddie Wineland knocked out Grigory Popov in the second round. It was pure striking-based fight, with both men landing some solid shots on each other over the course of their encounter. However, late in the second round, Wineland found his groove and started to find Popov’s chin, ultimately flooring the Octagon newcomer and finishing him with punches. The prop on Wineland winning in the second round cashed at a hearty +725 number, and the prop on his winning by knockout cashed at +421.

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.