This article is part of our UFC Picks series.
The UFC is back after a week off and they remain at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada on Saturday, October 15 with a women's flyweight bout headlining the card as Alexa Grasso takes on Viviane Araujo.
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
Mana Martinez (9-3) vs. Brandon Davis (14-9)
Opening up the main card is an intriguing bantamweight bout, as Mana Martinez takes on Brandon Davis. I like Martinez to get the win as a small favorite. Martinez is coming off a decision loss to Ronnie Lawrence in a fight he was just outwrestled, but in the final round, he nearly knocked out Lawrence. Against Davis, I don't think he will have to worry about the takedowns.
On the feet, Davis does throw more volume, but he also absorbs more shots. At bantamweight, his chin is a concern. He was quickly knocked out in his last fight, and Martinez has a ton of power, which is why I like him here. He's the better striker and should be able to find the KO shot as Batgerel did.
UFC Vegas 62 Best Bet: Mana Martinez (-155)
Weight Class: Middleweight
Jacob Malkoun (6-2) vs. Nick Maximov (8-1)
This will likely not be a very exciting fight, but I like Jacob Malkoun as the underdog here.
Malkoun is a wrestler who likes to hold his opponents up against the fence and on the ground to grind out a win. Maximov, meanwhile, is a Diaz protege and a grappler who will look for the submission. Yet, in his last fight, we saw a hole in his game. He leaves his neck out, while his striking is also a concern.
Neither Malkoun nor Maximov are good strikers, but I think Malkoun should be able to just press Maximov up against the fence and win a very lackluster decision. It won't be the most exciting fight, but at plus money, it's worth a shot on Malkoun.
UFC Vegas 62 Best Bet: Jacob Malkoun (+115)
Weight Class: Light heavyweight
Alonzo Menifield (12-3) vs. Misha Cirkunov (15-8)
Misha Cirkunov is returning to light heavyweight and has a very tough matchup in front of him, as he faces knockout artist Alonzo Menifield. Throughout Cirkunov's career, his chin and fighting power punchers has been his Achilles heels, as four of his six losses in the UFC have come by KO. All four have come in the first round, which is when Menifield at his most explosive.
Menifield's cardio has been a concern throughout his career, but has shown improvements as of late. Yet, in this fight, I expect Menifield to blitz Cirkunov early, just like his teammate Ryan Spann was able to do, and get the first-round KO.
Menifield lands 3.88 significant strikes per minute while Cirkunov absorbs 3.00, while Menifield also has a takedown defense of 83 percent. He'll be able to keep this fight standing and likely get the KO in the first round.
UFC Vegas 62 Best Bet: Alonzo Menifield by KO/TKO/DQ (+100)
Weight Class: Bantamweight
Victor Henry (22-5) vs. Raphael Assuncao (27-9)
Jonathan Martinez (16-4) vs. Cub Swanson (28-12)
For my parlay, I'm backing Victor Henry and Jonathan Martinez to get their hands raised at UFC Vegas 62.
Henry is coming off a short-notice upset win over Raoni Barcelos in January and now gets to face Raphael Assuncao, who has not looked like himself in the past few years. The Brazilian is on a four-fight losing skid and has been finished in three of those losses, as his chin is not the same. Although Henry is not a big power puncher, his volume and cardio are a major benefit. In the fight against Barcelos, he averaged 12.07 significant strikes per minute (which is insane) -- and he did that over 15 minutes. Even if Henry can't get the finish, his speed and volume will be the difference here, as he should be able to get the decision.
To close out the parlay, I'm backing Martinez against Cub Swanson, who's dropping down to bantamweight. I don't like the move in weight for Swanson, as dropping a weight class at the age of 38 is never a good thing.
With Swanson cutting more weight, his chin will be a concern. Martinez has a ton of power, but I do believe his speed will also be the difference. Martinez should be able to piece up Swanson for three rounds to get the decision if he doesn't find the KO.
UFC Vegas 62 Best Bet: Victor Henry & Jonathan Martinez parlay (+121)
UFC Vegas 62 Best Bets:
Here is a recap of my best UFC picks for this weekend's UFC Vegas 62 event:
- Mana Martinez (-155)
- Jacob Malkoun (+115)
- Alonzo Menifield by KO/TKO/DQ (+100)
- Victor Henry & Jonathan Martinez parlay (+121)
For up-to-date information on the latest odds and props from multiple sportsbooks, check out the UFC odds page on RotoWire.
