UFC on ESPN 1: Ngannou vs. Velasquez Odds, Tickets and Pre-Weigh-in Predictions

Francis Ngannou and Cain Velasquez will officially usher in the new UFC on ESPN era as the headliners of the first main card to be aired on the network. 

Much like the first card to air on Fox back in 2011, the promotion has opted to put the heavyweight division on display for their first prime-time main with the channel. Velasquez and Junior dos Santos fought back then for the heavyweight championship. 

There's no belt on the line this time, but Velasquez will be making an appearance again. It's the first time the former champion will be gracing the Octagon since July 2016, when he dismantled Travis Browne in the opening round at UFC 200. 

It's an intriguing storyline as one of the UFC's biggest "what ifs?" comes back to the cage in a big spot.

Main Card (ESPN at 9 p.m. ET)

• 265 lbs.: Francis Ngannou (+135; $100 bet wins $135) vs. Cain Velasquez (-165; $165 bet wins $100)
• 155 lbs.: Paul Felder (-125) vs. James Vick (-105)
• 115 lbs.: Cynthia Calvillo (-325)  vs. Cortney Casey (+250)
• 145 lbs.: Alex Caceres (+240) vs. Kron Gracie (-310)
• 170 lbs.: Bryan Barberena (+300) vs. Vicente Luque (-400)
• 145 lbs.: Andre Fili (+125) vs. Myles Jury (-155)

Undercard (ESPN at 7 p.m. ET)

• 135 lbs.: Jimmie Rivera (-155) vs. Aljamain Sterling (+125)
• 135 lbs.: Manny Bermudez (-205) vs. Benito Lopez (+165)
• 125 lbs.: Ashlee Evans-Smith (+145) vs. Andrea Lee (-175)
• 155 lbs.: Scott Holtzman (-175) vs. Nik Lentz (+145)

Undercard (ESPN+ at 5 p.m. ET)

• 115 lbs. Jodie Esquibel (+120) vs. Jessica Penne (-150)
• 135 lbs.: Renan Barao (+150) vs. Luke Sanders (-185)
• 115 lbs.: Alexandra Albu (-135) vs. Emily Whitmire (+105)

All odds via OddsShark

Tickets: StubHub

Cain Velasquez vs. Francis Ngannou

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The entire heavyweight division will be paying attention to the main event. Velasquez hasn't fought in years, but a win here would have to put him right back into title contention. He's only lost to JDS and Fabricio Werdum, and it's been injuries that have kept him from holding the title more than anything. 

Being a two-time champ, he could have sat on his laurels, but he's excited to be back and prove that he's still the best in the world. 

"What I've done in the past isn't good enough," Velasquez said, per Brett Okamoto of ESPN. "I'm capable of more. I've always been capable of more, but given my circumstances, I wasn't able to prove it. I can do it now. I can still do it. I have a lot to prove."

For Ngannou, this is a comeback, but not in the same way it is for Velasquez. 

It isn't that the Cameroonian has been away from the cage, it's just that he's been lackluster inside of it. After setting the division on fire with six straight finishes to start his UFC career, he lost two in a row. 

The first exposed his ability to handle elite wrestlers. Stipe Miocic did whatever he wanted to him for the better part of five rounds. The next—a decision loss to Derrick Lewis—may have been the most boring fight of all time. 

Then, in 45 seconds he reminded everyone why the hype was there to begin with. He took on a strong wrestler in Curtis Blaydes and knocked him out before the fight could really get started. 

Now, he believes that the two losses and his fast-track to stardom were all a lesson learned. 

"It was a mistake, then I learned from it. I know how to handle it for the next time," Shaun Al-Shatti of MMA Fighting. "Because for me, I was just happy to have the opportunity. I didn't see differently or otherwise, and I didn't want to be the bad guy. I care about people."

The pick here comes down to what Velasquez has left after a few years away from the cage. If he's the same mauling pressure wrestler that he once was, it's his fight to lose. If he's a step slower and the chin has deteriorated, Ngannou can melt him at any point in the fight. 

Prediction: Velasquez via third-round TKO

Jimmie Rivera vs. Aljamain Sterling

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This isn't one of those cards where the co-main event serves as the second biggest fight of the night. That honor would belong to a battle of two top 10 bantamweights in Jimmie Rivera and Aljamain Sterling. 

The two will do battle to close out the ESPN prelim portion of the evening. Both will be looking to climb up the ladder as they gun for a title shot. 

Rivera has fought some big names in the division. He holds a decision victory over Urijah Faber and has another decision win over John Dodson as well, but Sterling thinks that a conservative style will cost Rivera in this fight. 

"It's just my honest opinion and my honest assessment of Rivera. I respect his skill set, but at the end of the day, I know what he's trying to do. He's trying to point fight," Sterling said, per Damon Martin of MMA Weekly. "There's no way in hell I'm going to let this guy get comfortable point fighting me."

Rivera hasn't finished a fight since 2015, so the criticism has some merit. However, Sterling only has one finish in the same time frame, so it isn't as though he's an electric finisher. 

If Sterling can get this to the ground, it will get interesting. His slick submission game could cause problems for Rivera, but he's the more well-rounded fighter with a more complex boxing game. 

It figures to be a great fight with two guys with roughly the same stock in the division right now. Rivera's experience against higher quality opponents and overall skill-set make him the slight favorite, though. 

Prediction: Rivera via decision