UFC San Antonio Best Bets
UFC San Antonio is a great fight night with a ton of fun fights. The only problem is that a lot of the fights are not the type of fight that you should be betting on. Still, there are a handful of spots that can make a strong bet. Here are five of the best bets you can make for UFC San Antonio.
*All lines are taken from BetMGM and are accurate as of 1:30 p.m. ET on Friday, March 24.*
Holly Holm over Yana Santos by decision (-115)
In the co-main event of UFC San Antonio, former UFC champion Holly Holm is set to take on Yana Santos. Holm is a reasonable favorite at -250 while Santos sits at +200. The money line is way too wide to play. Instead, the play is Holm by decision at -115.
I love Holly Holm by decision. Holm is known as a great striker, which she is, but in her more recent fights, she has worked to control her opponent in the clinch. In this fight, I think she looks to hold Santos up against the fence. If that is the game plan, Holm by decision is a great bet.
The stats are supportive of this play too. In the UFC, Holm has seven wins — five have come by decision. Plus, she has not finished a fight since she knocked out Bethe Correia in 2017. The only issue is that all three of Santos’ UFC losses have come viz finish. Still, if Holm pins her up against the cage for three rounds that would not yield a finish.
Chidi Njokuani vs. Albert Duraev u1.5 Rounds (-115)
At UFC San Antonio styles are set to clash as dynamic striker Chidi Njokuani takes on wrestler Albert Duraev. Njokuani is lined as the favorite, as he sits at -165, while the price on Duraev comes back at +135. I am not a fan of picking a side; instead, I will take the under which is set at a round-and-a-half, lined at -115.
I think the stylistic clash in this fight will result in an early finish. Njokuani is a precision striker with lethal knockout power. While the fight is standing, he is very live to finish Duraev. If the fight goes to the ground, Njokuani is liable to be finished. That is not a good trait to have when going into a bout with Duraev, who will attack submissions on the ground. Plus, Njokuani has shown some positive submission skills. All in all, I think this adds up to an early finish. I will take the under when that is the case.
Vitor Altamirano over Vinicius Salvador (-105)
On the prelims of UFC San Antonio, flyweights Victor Altamirano and Vinicius Salvador are set to throw down. Salvador is a favorite by a slim margin as he sits at -115 while Altamirano is the -105 underdog. I like Altamirano in this fight.
I am taking Altamirano in this fight because he is far more technical than Salvador. Salvador has a lot of really good skills: He sets a really strong pace, throws powerful hooks and mixes in solid kicks. I think Altamirano can win this fight by attacking with straight punches down the middle as Salvador pressures. I also like his ability to mix in body shots and kicks. That should help him in this fight too. While I expect this fight to take place on the feet, if it goes to the ground Altamirano is a well-rounded grappler that should be able to hold his own in that regard.
I think taking more technical fighters at this level is smart in the long term. There is the risk that a flashy fighter that pressures can catch them, but I prefer a fighter with more technique and consistency. For that reason, I will take Altamirano.
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