UFC Vegas 101 Gambling Preview: Best bets for the first UFC event of 2025

The UFC is again!

2025 is right here and for the primary time this yr, so is the UFC, when the world’s main MMA promotion holds UFC Vegas 101 this Saturday. Headlined by a strawweight rematch between Amanda Ribas and Mackenzie Dern, this weekend’s UFC vehicles isn’t the best, nevertheless it’s the primary one in practically a month and there are some good bets to be made, so let’s have some enjoyable!

All odds are courtesy of our associates at FanDuel Sportsbook.

Single Performs

Mackenzie Dern (+154)

Sure, Ribas received their first fights with relative ease and Dern has not precisely been on a killer run of late, however I simply can’t stop her.

Dern is a deeply flawed fighter however she has a superpower, which is exceedingly uncommon within the strawweight division. If you find yourself on the ground with Dern, it’s mortal peril, and whereas she’s not an incredible wrestler, she does appear to seek out methods to get issues to the mat. The difficulty for Dern has at all times been her willingness to trigger injury when she does get to the ground and her lack of ability to wrestle successfully. She’s getting higher concerning the former and on this battle, I consider she’ll be a bit improved concerning the latter.

Dern made the case that their first battle was so one-sided as a result of she was getting back from having a toddler and wasn’t actually in the perfect place for the battle, and I’ll take the BJJ world champion at her phrase. This time round issues must be extra aggressive so give me the underdog.

Chris Curtis (+210)

Curtis faces Roman Kopylov in a principal card middleweight bout on Saturday and he’s being decently undervalued.

Kopylov is an efficient fighter however he’s removed from a world-beater and his present run of kind comes largely in opposition to middling or restricted opposition. In the meantime, Curtis is battle-tested in opposition to a few of the greatest fighters within the middleweight division, and although he hasn’t received all of them, he at all times offers an excellent accounting of himself. Many individuals even consider he ought to have gotten the choice over Brendan Allen of their rematch final April, and had he, this line is perhaps completely different. Curtis can defend takedowns and use his savvy and craft on the toes to outpoint Kopylov over three rounds.

Nicolle Caliari (+225)

A pair of Contender Sequence signees meet up when Caliari faces Ernesta Kareckaite in a preliminary ladies’s flyweight bout. And I’m going to offer this the kiss of demise once I say this however I can’t assist it: I don’t know what Vegas is seeing right here.

Kareckaite was not a very spectacular prospect on her season of Contender Sequence, successful a break up choice over Carli Judice, after which she misplaced her debut to Dione Barbosa. In distinction, Caliari additionally hails from a kickboxing/karate background however has proven some means as a wrestler and grappler and far more physicality. Positive, Kareckaite has a giant dimension benefit, however she has not proven the abilities to be this massive of a favourite so take a price wager on Caliari.

Photograph by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC

Parlay

A brand new yr normally coincides with a complete new crop of Contender Sequence prospects actually stepping into the thick of issues contained in the UFC, and that holds true this weekend as nicely. 5 fighters competing this weekend got here from the newest season of Contender Sequence and whereas I count on all 5 to win, there are two I like greater than the remaining.

Austin Bashi (-290)

Bashi was considered one of my favourite prospects on Season 8 of Contender Sequence. He’s 23 years outdated, an incredible athlete, and an completed grappler, who can also be prepared to scrap on the toes. I likened his recreation to Henry Cejudo or Aaron Pico, to offer you some concept of his expertise. Bashi will get a tricky debut battle in Christian Rodriguez, however he’s much more gifted and I consider he will get the win.

Jacobe Smith (-520)

Smith is a three-time All-American wrestler and an incredible athlete who continues to be a bit uncooked when it comes to MMA. That being stated, he has the pure instruments and he’s proven some creativity in his recreation already. Preston Parsons is a serviceable fighter however the worse wrestler and never the identical stage of athlete as Smith, so I like him to win.

General, my favourite prospects from Contender Sequence are 19-2 within the UFC (and a kind of was a theft), so I’m driving the new hand for this parlay.

Parlay these two bets collectively for -166 odds.

Wrap Up

Alright, y’all, it’s the primary week again within the swing of issues so let’s have some enjoyable. Calendar resets and hopefully this yr we’ll do higher than final yr.

Till subsequent week, benefit from the fights, good luck, and gamble responsibly!

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