This article is part of our UFC Picks series.
After weeks of being in front of sold-out arenas, the promotion returns to the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada, with a bantamweight bout between Cory Sandhagen and Yadong Song headlining the card.
Below I'll share my favorite play, an underdog, a prop and a two-fighter parlay. All odds are via the DraftKings Sportsbook and are accurate as of the post date of this article.
Weight Class: Bantamweight
Javid Basharat (12-0) vs. Tony Gravely (23-7)
Javid Basharat is set for his second UFC fight, and I really like him in this spot against Tony Gravely. Basharat is an excellent grappler despite only averaging 1.54 takedowns per 15 minutes in his DWCS fight and UFC debut.
Early on, I expect Gravely to shoot for takedowns, as he averages 6.65, yet Basharat has a perfect 100 percent takedown defense. On the feet, the undefeated fighter lands 5.45 significant strikes per minute.
Gravely does have more power than Basharat, but I expect the undefeated fighter to avoid the power shots and just out-land the American. Gravely also has a problem of gassing out in fights, and Basharat will win the second and third rounds to win a decision or get a late stoppage here. To me, Basharat should be above -200, so I like the price on him.
UFC Vegas 60 Best Bet: Javid Basharat (-165)
Weight Class: Featherweight
Bill Algeo (16-6) vs. Andre Fili (21-9)
Bill Algeo is making a quick turnaround on Saturday, and I like him at plus-money against Andre Fili, who seems like he is on the decline of his career.
Algeo is riding a two-fight winning streak and coming off a stoppage win over Herbert Burns. He also beat Joanderson Brito by decision. He has had mixed results in the UFC, as he's 3-2, while Fili is 0-2 with one No Contest in his last three fights.
Fili has been known for his durability, but he was quickly knocked out by Brito in 41 seconds back in April. The chin is now a concern for the Team Alpha Male fighter, as even if he doesn't get knocked out, Algeo puts on an incredible pace and can mix in the wrestling to just out-work Fili and win a decision.
UFC Vegas 60 Best Bet: Bill Algeo (+100)
Weight Class: Featherweight
Pat Sabatini (17-3) vs. Damon Jackson (21-4-1)
Pat Sabatini vs. Damon Jackson is one of the best fights on the card, as both Sabatini and Jackson are two of the more underrated featherweights on the roster.
Sabatini and Jackson are very similar styles, as both are heavy grapplers, but neither of them have shown much on their feet. I expect Sabatini to get this fight to the mat, as he averages 3.84 takedowns per 15 minutes, while Jackson only has a 40 percent takedown defense.
Although Sabatini gets the fight to the mat a lot, he holds on to opponents and grinds out wins, which is what I expect her. Sabatini's moneyline is also worth a look, but I'd rather play Sabatini by decision here.
UFC Vegas 60 Best Bet: Pat Sabatini by decision (+130)
Weight Class: Lightweight & Bantamweight
Daniel Zellhuber (12-0) vs. Trey Ogden (15-5)
Cory Sandhagen (14-4) vs. Yadong Song (19-6-1)
For my parlay, I'm taking Daniel Zellhuber and Cory Sandhagen to get wins here.
Zellhuber is making his UFC debut and is coming off a win over Lucas Almeida, who has since gone on to TKO Mike Trizano in his promotional debut. Although the Mexican-born fighter hasn't competed since September 28 of last year, he still is only 23 years old, and the time off could be beneficial for him. Ogden, meanwhile, lost his debut to Jordan Leavitt, and he did not look good at all, but I expect him to be better here.
However, Zellhuber should be able to keep this standing and just piece up Ogden to win a decision or possibly get a late TKO.
The other leg is the main event, as I like Cory Sandhagen to beat Song Yadong, as this is a massive step up in competition for Yadong. Although Sandhagen has lost two in a row, those were to Petr Yan and TJ Dillashaw, who are among the best. We have seen Yadong gas badly in three-round fights, and he arguably lost to both Cody Stamann and Marlon Vera because of that. I expect Yadong to have success early on, but Sandhagen will take over late and either get a TKO win in the championship rounds or a clear-cut decision.
UFC Vegas 60 Best Bet: Daniel Zellhuber & Cory Sandhagen (+102)
UFC Vegas 60 Best Bets:
Here is a recap of my best UFC picks for this weekend's UFC Vegas 60 event:
- Javid Basharat (-165)
- Bill Algeo (+100)
- Pat Sabatini by decision (+130)
- Daniel Zellhuber & Cory Sandhagen parlay (+102)
For up-to-date information on the latest odds and props from multiple sportsbooks, check out the UFC odds page on RotoWire.
