Look no further for the top bets on UFC Vegas 50: Santos vs Ankalaev. For each of the fourteen professional fights we’ve built an expert betting pick and an MMA breakdown to help you make sense of what the fighters are bringing to the cage. Place your bets before March 12th, 2022 at 4:00 PM ET by pressing the green button below any fight pick.
UFC Vegas 50 Main Event: Thiago Santos vs Magomed Ankalaev
To get our in depth MMA breakdown of the Santos vs Ankalaev main event, check out our main event betting pick for UFC Vegas 50. Ankalaev is built with tools we’ve seen beat Santos before, a rangey grappler with good conditioning.
Tale of the Tape for Santos vs Ankalaev
| Fighter | Thiago ‘Marreta’ Santos | Magomed Ankalaev |
| Age | 38 | 29 |
| Height | 6’2’’ | 6’3’’ |
| Reach/Stance | 76’’ Orhtodox | 75’’ Orthodox |
| Record | 22-9 | 16-1 |
| Submissions/TKO in UFC | 0/11 | 0/4 |
| Fighter Training Camp | American Top Team | Gorets FT |
Magomed is nine years younger and Gorets is a team that’s on the rise when compared to the recent performance of ATT.
A rivalry you have to see to believe ?
[ @AnkalaevM | #UFCVegas50 | Saturday | LIVE on @ESPNPlus ] pic.twitter.com/8tra0nTZQm
— UFC (@ufc) March 10, 2022
Ankalaev is so fun to watch work. He’s as elusive as Machida in his early UFC career, but with the bodylock grappling of a Chechen. I expect Santos to want to back up to the fence the way he can against most wrestlers, but body lock focused fighters are more likely to take you down away from the cage, something Thiago may not be as trained for.
Betting Odds for Santos vs Ankalaev
| Bet Available at Betonline.ag | Odds |
| Santos Money Line | +410 |
| Ankalaev Money Line | -560 |
| Over 3 ½ Rounds | -115 |
| Under 3 ½ Rounds | -115 |
| Goes the Distance ‘yes’ | +130 |
| Goes the Distance ‘no’ | -160 |
| Ankalaev by Points | +135 |
| Ankalaev by TKO | +115 |
| Santos by Points | +1000 |
| Santos by TKO | +750 |
| Ankalaev in Round 2 By TKO | +600 |
| Santos in Round 1 By TKO | +2200 |
| Magomed Ankalaev -5.5 Points | -325 |
| Santos +5.5 Points | +250 |
Our final betting pick is the Magomed Ankalaev -5.5 Points Spread at -325. He’ll either finish or bring us a blow out decision win.
UFC Vegas 50 Main Card Betting Picks
The main card features five bouts including the exciting return of Alex Caceres and Alex Pereira, one of the only kickboxers to finish Izzy Adesanya in their Glory career.
Marlon Moraes vs Song Yadong
Marlon is one of the casualties of the losing streak at ATT. He’s lost his last three fights by knockout, and has been knocked out in four of his last five. Song Yadong has lost two UFC decisions, but has beaten members of the bantamweight underclass only. This is one of his biggest steps up in competition.
Tale of the Tape for Moraes vs Song at UFC Vegas 50
| Fighter | Marlon ‘Magic’ Moraes | Song Yadong |
| Age | 33 | 26 |
| Height | 5’6’’ | 5’8’’ |
| Reach/Stance | 67’’ Orthdox | 67’’ Orthodox |
| Record | 23-9-1 | 18-5-1 |
| Submissions/TKO in UFC | 1/2 | 1/3 |
| Fighter Training Camp | American Top Team | Team Alpha Male |
| Loses via Sub/TKO | 0/4 | 0/0 |
| Takedown Defense | 46% | 60% |
Yadong is the younger, larger fighter and has a better overall takedown defense. Inside the UFC, he’s given up less losses, though Moraes has lost to better fighters overall, including Assuncao, Sandhagen, Font, Dvalishvili, and Cejudo. That’s the who’s who of the bantamweight division, and for Song to join those ranks would be a powerful statement.
Team Alpha Male is making a case that it’s once again ready to be home to multiple champions with all the talent we’ve seen coming out of that gym recently. Moraes is #10, and a win could shuttle Yadong past O’Malley and Edgar from #14.
Betting Odds and Odds History
| Bet Available at Betonline.ag | Odds |
| Moraes Money Line | +220 |
| Song Money Line | -260 |
| Over 1 ½ Rounds | -145 |
| Under 1 ½ Rounds | +115 |
| Goes the Distance ‘No’ | -225 |
| Yadong Song by Points | +260 |
| Yadong Song by TKO | +105 |
| Maraes by TKO | +600 |
In Moraes’ last three he’s been the underdog twice, coming in at +125 to Sandhagen and +255 to Dvalishvili. He lost to both men by TKO. His last win over Jose Aldo was at -162 in 2019, 16 months ago. Song Yadong was the favorite over Arce and Vera at -130 and -194, but lost to Phillips and Stamann as the favorite, -163 and -222 respectively. Song’s two upset UFC losses were at favorite odds lower than his current -260 position.
Over/Under Analysis
The Under 1 ½ Rounds pays out well with only one of Song’s last four fights seeing a finish inside that prop bet. Three of the losses from Marlon’s last five fights fall into that prop bet. I’m more interested in the Goes the Distance ‘no’ prop. Many will say it’s a waste because Song Yadong can’t be finished, but Song has never faced a striker like Moraes. He’s knocked out Sterling and his submission game shouldn’t be underrated.
Our UFC Vegas 50 betting pick is the ‘Fight Doesn’t Go to Decision’ prop bet at -225. It’s a strong favorite and a $44 payout per $100 wagerd. Yadong could easily see his first loss on a returning knockout artist with something to prove, but Yadong’s power needs to be respected. Moraes’ chin is failing in the later stages of his career.
Alex Caceres vs Sodiq Yusuff
Caceres is back on the rise with five wins in a row. He faces Yusuff, a featherweight that lost his most recent UFC outing in his second ever loss. Fili is the best fighter Yusuff has faced, and I feel that Caceres is his greatest challenge to date.
Tale of the Tape for Caceres vs Yusuff
| Fighter | Alex ‘Bruce Leeroy’ Caceres | ‘Super’ Sodiq Yusuff |
| Age | 33 | 28 |
| Height | 5’10’’ | 5’9’’ |
| Reach/Stance | 73’’ Southpaw | 71’’ Orthodox |
| Record | 19-12 | 11-2 |
| Submissions/TKO in UFC | 4/1 | 0/2 |
| Fighter Training Camp | MMA Lab, Various | Lloyd Irving BJJ, Various |
Caceres has gathered ten of his losses through his UFC career, fighting twenty times since 2011. Two of his five finishes happened inside his last five fights, submitting Austin Springer and SeungWoo Choi. Yusuf is coming off his first UFC loss. He knocked out Benitez and Mokhtarian, both fighters with multiple knockout losses. I think Yusuff will need to win a decision over Caceres, so moving to Lloyd Irving BJJ was the right choice in preparation for this fight.
Betting Odds and Odds History
| Bet Available at Betonline.ag | Odds |
| Caceres Money Line | +220 |
| Yusuff Money Line | -260 |
| Over 2 ½ Rounds | -165 |
| Under 2 ½ Rounds | +135 |
| Yussuff by Points | +155 |
| Alex by Points | +375 |
| Alex by Submission | +700 |
| Alex Caceres +3.5Points | -110 |
Caceres has won his last five straight, upsetting Torres and Choi at +200 and +230 in his last two bouts. His last loss was to Kron Gracie in 2019 at +248, and Wang Guan at -130 in 2017.
Yusuf was -120 in the opening odds against Arnold Allen, but Allen’s opening round knockdown of Yusuff changed the tide of the fight. Yusuff has been the favorite in all other UFC wins excluding his +200 showing at DWCS to Mike Davis in 2018.
UFC Vegas 50 Prop Betting
Caceres by submission and Yusuff by decision are two of my favorite prop bets on the card. The over under for both of these fighters is unpredictable, though the Over makes more sense given Yusuff’s tendency toward decision fights. Six of Alex’s last ten fights have ended by decision.
Fight Prediction and Breakdown for Caceres vs Yusuff
Andre Fili scored three takedowns over Yusuff. This fight revealed a weakness in Sodiq’s grappling game in terms of persistent pressure grappling. Sodiq gave up the third round, and arguably the first given Fili’s control time and heavy ground shots.
Caceres has left nothing for the judges to work with in his three decision wins over Peterson, Hooper and Croom. Each fight had him scoring far more strikes than his opponent, often 70-100% more strikes.
I don’t think he can finish Yusuff, but I think Yusuff is nervous about the submission game of Caceres.
Our final betting pick is Alex Caceres +220 money line. He’s got the momentum coming into this fight, he’s the better BJJ fighter, and his kickboxing is underrated.
PLACE YOUR BETS NOW!
Khalil Rountree vs Karl Roberson at UFC Vegas 50
This light heavyweight bout is a second chance at life for both fighters. Roberson is 0-2 in his last two fights, losing by submission twice. Rountree is 2-3 of his last five and has been knocked out twice in that time.
Both fighters can finish, but only one will end up back on the winning path.
Tale of the Tape for Rountree vs roberson
| Fighter | Khalil Rountree Jr. | Karl Roberson |
| Age | 32 | 31 |
| Height | 6’1’’ | 6’1’’ |
| Reach/Stance | 76’’ Southpaw | 74’’ Southpaw |
| Record | 10-5 | 9-4 |
| Submissions/TKO in UFC | 0/4 | 2/1 |
| Fighter Training Camp | Syndicate MMA | Glory MMA and Fitness |
Roberson is the smaller fighter, and he’s giving up reach to Rountree. Roberson has fought the champ Teixeira, and contenders Vettori and Allen. All four of his losses were inside the UFC. Six of Rountree’s losses were for the UFC (one loss overturned) and Rountree has finished four of his five UFC wins. Rountree’s losses to fighters like Walker and Cutelaba were his biggest steps up in competition.
Betting Odds and Odds History
| Bet Available at Betonline.ag | Odds |
| Rountree Money Line | +105 |
| Roberson Money Line | -125 |
| Over 2 ½ Rounds | +115 |
| Under 2 ½ Rounds | -145 |
| Goest the Distance ‘No’ | -185 |
| Goest the Distance ‘Yes’ | +150 |
Rountree was the underdog in his last win, a knockout in 2019. His losses to Prachnio, Walker, Cutelaba were all as the favorite, -357, -149 and -110. Then, he upset Eryk Anders in 2019 at +164, meaning that oddsmakers and bettors failed to call his last five five fights.
Roberson was the underdog in his losses to Vettori and Allen at +180 and +130. He upset Kopylov at +145 and defeated Turman at -210, so oddsmakers and betting lines called three of his last five fights.
Fight Prediction and MMA Breakdown
Rountree struggled against the grappling of Ion Cutelaba, losing four takedowns in a single round. He had a similar loss to Oleksiejzuk in 2017 and Andrew Sanchez in his DWCS debut. Rountree has historically struggled with wrestlers, and Eryk Anders may be the best wrestler he’s beaten.
Roberson is no takedown artist, and he prefers to out strike fighters to find the angle on submission finishes. I can’t help but feel like Roberson doesn’t have the takedowns to pull this off.
Our Betting pick is the Over 2 ½ Rounds prop at +115. Rountree is a dangerous striker and he could sprawl and brawl his way to a point victory. Roberson has fantastic submission finishes, but without takedowns, I can see him attempting to pull bottom position and going for high risk moves against such an accomplished knockout striker.
Parlay Pick: Drew Dober vs Terrance McKinney
Dober lost his last two outings to rising stars Riddell and Makhachev. He had gone 8-2 of his last ten, and was on a three fight knockout streak. He’s not stepping down the intensity, I’ll give him that, but Dober has his hands full with McKinney, a fighter on a two fight, two finish winning streak with a seven second TKO. McKinney defeated Fares Ziam in the first round just two weeks ago.
Tale of the Tape for Dober vs McKinney
| Fighter | Drew Dober | Terrance ‘T.Wrecks’ McKinney |
| Age | 33 | 27 |
| Height | 5’8’’ | 5’10’’ |
| Reach/Stance | 70’’ Southpaw | 73’’ Switch |
| Record | 23-11, 1 NC | 12-3 |
| Submissions/TKO in UFC | 1/6 | 1/1 |
| Fighter Training Camp | Muay Thai of Colorado | Warrior Camp, UFC Apex |
McKinney is a six day replacement fighter. He’s the bigger, younger man and has taken less career damage. Dober has a much lower finishing percentage overall considering McKinney has finished both UFC bouts.
Warrior Camp is growing in popularity and we’ve seen plenty of UFC new blood from that gym. Muay Thai of Colorado has plenty of kickboxers training out of the gym, but fewer MMA fighters. I couldn’t find any other high level professionals at Dober’s camp, which is troubling.
Betting Odds and Odds History
| Bet Available at Betonline.ag | Odds |
| McKinney Money Line | +146 |
| Dober Money Line | -171 |
| Over 1 ½ Rounds | -135 |
| Under 1 ½ Rounds | +105 |
| Fight Goes the Distance ‘No’ | -230 |
| Drew by Points | +270 |
| McKinney Inside the Distance, goes the distance= No action | +110 |
| Dober Inside the Distance, goes the distance= No action | -140 |
I’m surprised at how strong of a favorite Dober is. He’s -140 of a finish with no scorecard action, It’s shocking. McKinney was the underdog against Ziam and Frevola, finishing them both. He was a star for LFA and the favorite in his DWCS debut that he lost to Woodson.
Dober was the favorite in his Riddell loss and a big underdog versus Makhachev. His last loss before that was the +187 bout with Beneil Dariush in 2019. His original UFC Vegas 50 opponent was Ricky Glen, where Dober was the favorite at -210.
Fight Prediction and MMA Breakdown
Dober has a faltering takedown defense and has given up eleven in his last three fights. It doesn’t look like he’s training grappling at this time and is focused on his kickboxing, but even if you’re a quality wrestler, that will catch up to you quickly. McKinney’s last submission win was a shock to fans and fighters alike. His sudden takedown inside the first ten seconds wasn’t predicted by me or anyone else. McKinney is dynamic and has all the tools to beat Dober. My betting pick is McKinney money line at +146. I think he’ll dethrone one of the old guards and pave the way for a new kind of featherweight athlete.
Bruno Silva vs Alex Pereira
Our main card opens with two middleweights that are undefeated in the UFC. Bruno Silva is a knockout artist with plenty of firepower who’s knocked out all three of his UFC opponents. He faces Pereira whose claim to fame is being one of the only kickboxers to finish Israel Adesanya in pro kickboxing. His flying knee UFC win was a stunning entry to the MMA main stage.
Tale of the Tape for Silva vs Pereira
| Fighter | Bruno ‘Blindado’ Silva | Alex Pereira |
| Age | 32 | 34 |
| Height | 6’0’’ | 6’4’’ |
| Reach/Stance | 74’’ Orthodox | 79’’ Orthodox |
| Record | 22-6 | 4-1 |
| Submissions/TKO in UFC | 0/3 | 0/1 |
| Fighter Training Camp | Evolução Thai MMA | Teixeira MMA and Fitness |
Alex is the more physically imposing fighter, with five inches of reach. Silva does have grappling experience but hasn’t used it in the UFC. In fact, he’s never gone for a takedown in his three fights or the ten prior to his UFC debut.
Both fighters train at quality gyms, with Teixeira’s MMA focusing more on the grappling and BJJ arts. Pereira’s kickboxing experience is going to put him head and shoulders above Silva in striking technique.
Betting Odds and Odds History
| Bet Available at Betonline.ag | Odds |
| Silva Money Line | +167 |
| Pereira Money Line | -192 |
| Over 2 ½ Rounds | +140 |
| Under 2 ½ Rounds | -170 |
| Pereira by TKO | -145 |
| Silva by TKO | +220 |
| Silva by TKO in Round 1 | +500 |
| Pereira by TKO in Round 1 | +170 |
Pereira won his UFC debut at -256, Bruno has defeated his last three opponents as the favorite ranging from -120 to -290. His two other career bouts as the underdog were Artem Frolov at +450 and Alex Shlemenko at +490, he defeated both fighters with knockouts.
Fight Prediction and MMA Breakdown
Both fighters are knockout strikers and Bruno simply won’t back down. Periera uses range to stifle with jabs on the outside, but loves to get in close for hooks and uppercuts on shorter fighters. Bruno moves forward at all costs. He’s been on a knockout streak for his last seven bouts.I’m getting reminders of my bet on Kattar vs Chikadze. MMA fighters are catching up to kickboxers at the highest levels. For that, I’m betting the Under 2 ½ Rounds at -170. Both fighters come to win quickly, and neither man is going to back down from a slug fest. This could be the fight of the night, or a very early lights out for anyone.
UFC Vegas 50 Prelim Betting Picks
This prelim card includes eight UFC fights and a few parlay picks. Steer clear of round calls and method of victory bets on UFC fighters on the comeback trail or those returning from long absences.
Aj Fletcher vs Matt Semelsberger
Semelsberger has knocked out two of his UFC opponents and now faces AJ Fletcher, a DWCS winner via flying knee. Fletcher is young at 24, but his fight pace is slower and doesn’t match the 6.1 significant strikes landed per minute of Semelsberger. Aj’s grappling is well timed, and used to wear down fighter defenses.
Betting Odds and Fight Pick
| Bet Available at Betonline.ag | Odds |
| Fletcher Money Line | +175 |
| Semelsberger Money Line | -205 |
| Over 1½ Rounds | -155 |
| Under 1 ½ Rounds | +125 |
| Semelsberger by KO | +105 |
| Fletcher by KO | +650 |
| Matt Semelsberger -3.5 points | -150 |
| Goes the Distance | +200 |
Fletcher’s takedowns will struggle against Semelsberger’s 100% takedown defense ratio. I see this fight being a slow build into a late finish for Semelsberger or a decision win for Fletcher, despite their power. Look at Semelberger’s fight with Minus, a decision win over a striking centered fighter that couldn’t find his range. AJ is giving up eight inches of reach and will need to threaten the takedown to get the win, something that will take time versus Semelsberger.
Gillian Robertson vs JJ Aldrich
Aldrich is on a three fight winning streak after a loss to Mazo. She faces Robertson, a fighter that either loses or gets the finish. Robertson has only won a single decision across her seven UFC wins.
Betting Odds and Fight Pick
| Bet Available at Betonline.ag | Odds |
| Robertson Money Line | -130 |
| Aldrich Money Line | +110 |
| Over 2 ½ Rounds | -145 |
| Under 2 ½ Rounds | +115 |
| Goes the Distance ‘Yes’ | -115 |
The prop bets are a little useless here. If it goes the distance, JJ is the winner, if Robertson catches an early finish, she’s the winner. Robertson has a conditioning issue, but she also loses fights if she isn’t the better grappler. Robertson struggles to win decisions with striking, so the big question is, can JJ Aldrich defend her takedowns?
Aldrich has a 68% takedown define and has only been defeated by strikers to date. She’s racked up five takedowns in her past two fights and her style of working just a little bit harder than her opponent is perfect against Robertson.
Our betting pick is the JJ Aldrich money line at +110.
PLACE YOUR BETS NOW!
Trevin Jones vs Javid Basharat
Jones is the first fighter to face Basharat in the UFC. He struggled against moderate grappler Kakhramonov in his last bout and was stripped of his win over Timur Vallev due to Cannabis.
Basharat had a great DWCS showing with three takedowns. Jones struggled getting out of any of Kakharmonov’s grappling positions, and we could see a very similar fight. Basharat gave Oron Kahlon his first loss via guillotine at DWCS, moving him to 16-1.
Betting Odds and Fight Pick
| Bet Available at Betonline.ag | Odds |
| Jones Money Line | +123 |
| Basharat Money Line | -143 |
| Over 2 ½ Rounds | -110 |
| Under 2 ½ Rounds | -120 |
| Basharat by Points | +250 |
| Jones by TKO | +450 |
| Basharat inside the distance | +155 |
I’m not banking on a Basharat submission win, but it’s no secret that’s his plan. Jones has less than optimal submission defense but I’m sure it’s something he’s developing at Drysdale BJJ. Basharat is undefeated for a reason. This Xtreme COuture fighter has eleven wins and eleven finishes, all via ground strikes or submission.
Our betting pick is Basharat Inside the Distance at +155.
He’s a better grappler and Jones has little time to improve his wrestling defense enough to count against this rising star.
Damon Jackson vs Kamuela Kirk
The Leech is now 2-2-1 with 1 NC in the UFC, not a good start for Damon Jackson. Kirk won his first UFC bout after losing in DWCS. It was a razor close fight where Kirk gave up five takedowns, and Damon Jackson has a similar game plan of putting Kirk on the canvas as often as possible.
Betting Odds and Fight Pick
| Bet Available at Betonline.ag | Odds |
| Jackson Money Line | -113 |
| Kirk Money Line | -107 |
| Over 2 ½ Rounds | -165 |
| Under 2 ½ Rounds | +135 |
| Jackson by points | +200 |
| Kirk by Points | +240 |
Jackson has one round three submission, Kirk goes for submission attempts often, three in his last loss to Makwan. I could see an early submission finish between these two fighters, given that both have been finished, and both are looking for bottom and top submission wins.
More likely is the fight going the distance, with both fighters canceling one another out.
In a battle between grapplers, you have to go with the better wrestler. My money is on Damon Jackson at a -113 money line.
Sabina Mazo vs Miranda Maverick
Mazo is on a two fight skid after winning three straight. She faces Maverick, a fighter who’s lost her last two fights putting her at 2-2 in the UFC.
Betting Odds and Fight Pick
| Bet Available at Betonline.ag | Odds |
| Mazo Money Line | +250 |
| Maverick Money Line | -300 |
| Over 2 ½ Rounds | -260 |
| Under 2 ½ Rounds | +200 |
I’m not seeing why Maverick is such a strong favorite. Mazo has faced better fighters and they have the same number of finishes. Maverick has moderate takedowns at best, and her first round KO over Jojua isn’t something she’s going to recreate this weekend. Our bett is on the Over 2 ½ Rounds prop, matching all but one fight on both fighters records, 80% of the fighters UFC bouts. For your UFC Vegas 50 ticket, I’m seeing plenty of reasons to focus on the Over/Under, these fights are all close.
Cody Brundage vs Daicha Lungiambula
Brundage is yet to get a win in the UFC. He was rocked by William Knight at DWCS and lost to Nick Maximov in a close decision in September. He’s facing the 2-2 in the UFC Daicha Lungiambula, a fighter who got caught in the path of Magomed Ankalaev in 2019 and had a fantastic showing against Marc-Andre Barriault in September 2021.
Betting Odds and Fight Pick
| Bet Available at Betonline.ag | Odds |
| Brundage Money Line | +110 |
| Lungiambula Money Line | -130 |
| Over 2 ½ Rounds | -115 |
| Under 2 ½ Rounds | -115 |
Lungiambula is only a slight favorite, but I feel he’s the much better fighter. Brundage hasn’t really fought anyone of note. He’s 6-2, losing only in the UFC, but the majority of his fights have been wins over losing record fighters. Lungiambula is a knockout striker who has proven at the UFC level. I’d love to see Brundage take a little more time to develop his skills. Until then, we’ll bank on a Daicha Lungiambula win at -130.
Guido Cannetti vs Kris Moutinho
Kris was the guy who came into the UFC on short notice and took an otherworldly beating from Sean O’Malley. 230 punches absorbed in three rounds. Moutinho has lost five of his seven UFC outings, including being finished three times. He’s not bad on the feet, and kept up with Marlon Vera before his submission loss. Moutinho has the better chin, let’s see if he can march down Guido Cannetti.
Betting Odds and Fight Pick
| Bet Available at Betonline.ag | Odds |
| Moutinho Money Line | -150 |
| Cannetti Money Line | +130 |
| Over 2 ½ Rounds | -140 |
| Under 2 ½ Rounds | +110 |
Guido doesn’t love getting hit, not that anyone does other than Kris Moutinho. In Guido’s best showings he controls the pace of the match, winning two fights with under 50 strikes total from both fighters in unanimous decision wins. Moutinho fights the opposite game. He’s coming to put hands in your face early and often. None of Guido’s fights have more than 130 strikes, and I believe Moutinho will simply out pace Cannetti. Our betting pick is the Kris Moutinho money line at -150.
Tafon Nchukwi vs Azamat Murzakanov
Nchukwi has won three of his last four fights and is coming off a definitive decision over Mike Rodriguez. He’s up against another undefeated Russian, Azamat Murzakanov. This bout is at light heavyweight and Azamat is coming down from his DWCS debut at heavyweight to make it happen. He knocked his opponent out with nine strikes.
Nchukwi is a volume fighter, and I think he’ll struggle to land shots against the classic ‘outside striking range’ style that Murzakanov brings.
Betting Odds and Fight Pick
| Bet Available at Betonline.ag | Odds |
| Murzakanov Money Line | -175 |
| Nchukwi Money Line | +150 |
| Over 2 ½ Rounds | -165 |
| Under 2 ½ Rounds | +135 |
Nchukwi is undefeated outside the UFC, and Park was his first loss. Outside the UFC, he had four straight knockout wins. The Team Lloyd Irvin fighter is a blue belt in BJJ. Murzakanov comes out of K Dojo Warrior Tribe, an up and coming gym with dozens of immigrant professionals.
Murzakanov fight tape shows his laser-like KO striking. His takedown game is surprisingly apt, and I see a ground strikes finish for the newcomer. Still, Nchukwi is dangerous and very strong for a light heavy. This is Murzakanov’s first weight cut of his professional career and there is no telling how it will affect his power.
Picture perfect headkick ?
[ @TafonDaDon | #UFCVegas50 | Saturday | LIVE on @ESPNPlus ] pic.twitter.com/pvaVwhHFxC
— UFC (@ufc) March 11, 2022
You can see why I might be nervous. Tafon’s skills aren’t just athletics or flukes. He’s sharp and he hits very hard with hands and wheel kicks.
Our betting pick is the Under 2 ½ Rounds prop at +135. Both men are coming to finish, and Nchukwi’s decision wins are due to pacing issues from the other fighters.
