We’re back with our favorite selection of UFC main card best bets. The UFC Vegas 50: Santos vs. Ankalaev main card UFC odds are available.
Read on for our complete betting guide and preview on this week’s favorite main card UFC betting picks, including updated odds and free expert UFC Fight Night betting predictions.
Thiago Santos vs. Magomed Ankalaev
UFC Light Heavyweight Main Event Bout
Saturday, March 12, 2022 – 09:15 PM EST at UFC Apex
Thiago Santos
- – Professional MMA Record: 21-9-0
- – Knockout Record: 15-3
- – Submission Record: 1-3
- – SIG Strikes Landed Per Minute: 3.95
- – SIG Strike Accuracy: 52.97%
- – Takedown Average: 0.61
- – Takedown Accuracy: 36.36%
- – Submission Average: 0.08
After nine long years competing versus the world’s most elite mixed martial artists, 38-year-old Thiago Santos remains amongst the top-10 rankings and refuses to slow down for anybody.
A 2-3 record throughout his previous 5 fights isn’t the most appealing run. Still, when you factor in the level of competition he’s faced (Jon Jones, Glover Teixeira, Aleksandar Rakic), you’ll notice the current champion, and arguably the greatest to ever do it will appear on that list.
Magomed Ankalaev
- – Professional MMA Record: 29-12-1
- – Knockout Record: 9-0
- – Submission Record: 0-1
- – SIG Strikes Landed Per Minute: 5.93
- – SIG Strike Accuracy: 54.76%
- – Takedown Average: 1.36
- – Takedown Accuracy: 38.98%
- – Submission Average: 0.30
The new generation of MMA athletes is on the rise, and the 29-year-old Magomed Ankalaev is fully involved in the movement – boasting a 16-1 professional MMA career (7-1 UFC).
Ankalaev was unfortunate to suffer a loss upon his UFC debut; after winning all 3 rounds, he fell victim to a Paul Craig submission with seconds remaining on the clock. This set a fire underneath the Russian, as he’s since run through the competition to propel himself amongst the light heavyweight elite.
Santos vs. Ankalaev Fight Analysis and Betting Odds
Top sportsbooks across the board support Ankalaev; as he headlines this Saturday’s Vegas event, he’ll own the largest price tag.
The odds are understandable, but they aren’t worth 5.5 units of your bankroll. Fortunately, Santos proved he doesn’t fare well across 5 rounds when forced to work (See Texeira bout). I sense that Ankalaev will overwhelm the former title challenger and continue to establish his position as a serious championship-worthy contender.
UFC Pick: Ankalaev Wins Inside Distance (+110) at Caesars Sportsbook
Marlon Moraes vs. Song Yadong
UFC Bantamweight Bout
Saturday, March 12, 2022 – 08:50 PM EST at UFC Apex
Marlon Moraes
- – Professional MMA Record: 22-9-0
- – Knockout Record: 10-6
- – Submission Record: 6-2
- – SIG Strikes Landed Per Minute: 3.34
- – SIG Strike Accuracy: 41.99%
- – Takedown Average: 0.89
- – Takedown Accuracy: 41.67%
- – Submission Average: 0.36
Brazil’s Marlon Moraes returns to the UFC octagon following his professional career’s first 3-fight losing streak. Although this shouldn’t come as a surprise when evaluating his resume, which includes some of the most notable fighters to stem from the bantamweight division.
Aged 33, Moraes isn’t old per se. Still, the amount of damage he’s accumulated during his 15-year professional tenure has evidently left its mark – as he’s barely made it to the second round in recent years.
Song Yadong
- – Professional MMA Record: 18-5-1
- – Knockout Record: 7-1
- – Submission Record: 3-0
- – SIG Strikes Landed Per Minute: 4.88
- – SIG Strike Accuracy: 47.31%
- – Takedown Average: 0.46
- – Takedown Accuracy: 42.86%
- – Submission Average: 0.31
Much like the man to fight after him in the main event, Song Yadong has flourished whilst evolving in a new generation of MMA fighters that are learning quicker and adapting faster than ever.
Aged just 24-years-old, the Team Alpha Male prospect has received the fight intelligence of Urijah Faber and company. Said assistance has assisted Yadong’s ability to perform like a veteran, and the future is undoubtedly bright for the most talented Chinese fighter on the UFC roster.
Moraes vs. Yadong Fight Analysis and Betting Odds
The available UFC odds are siding with Yadong, but the price is too steep. However, it’s unlikely that Moraes will survive 15-minutes of incoming power strikes his opponent is renowned for.
Yadong to win inside the distance isn’t the price I’d want it to be, but again, the durability of Moraes has become alarming, and after 5-minutes, we’re going to watch him deplete.
UFC Pick: Yadong to Win (-110) at Caesars Sportsbook
