UFC Vegas 77 Best Bets
At UFC 290, the UFC put together one of the best cards in recent memory; however, the falloff is massive. At UFC Vegas 77, we have to sift through some bad fights in search of solid bets. It was not easy, but there are a few spots that are worth placing a bet.
*All lines have been taken from BetMGM and are accurate as of 12:30 p.m. on Friday, July 14, 2023.*
Mayra Bueno Silva +145
The main event of UFC Vegas 77 features a women’s bantamweight bout between Holly Holm and Mayra Bueno Silva. Holm sits as a -175 favorite while Bueno Silva is a +145 underdog. I am playing the underdog in this fight.
At 41-years-old, I am concerned about Holm. I am not saying she is washed and needs to retire, but I do think she is beginning to slow down. In her most recent bouts, she has used clinch control to overcome her striking regression. That is an outstanding way for Holm to prolong her career. I do not think that the game plan will be easy against Bueno Silva, however.
Bueno Silva is a powerful striker that can hurt opponents with her hands. Additionally, she can use leg kicks and body kicks to hamper her opponents’ movement and cardio. The power that Bueno Silva holds can present Holm with problems.
In the clinch, Bueno Silva throws elbows and knees. That should help her land damage as Holm looks to control the fight and will eventually dissuade Holm from utilizing the clinch.
I am concerned that Holm can land takedowns and use top control to win rounds. Bueno Silva does have solid submissions that she can use to work submissions from her back. The submission skills are not the main reason for the play, but they will probably be useful in this fight.
I am willing to take the shot on the younger fighter with more finishing upside. Bueno Silva at +145 will be on my bet slip at UFC Vegas 77.
Francisco Prado -115
At UFC Vegas 77, Francisco Prado and Ottman Azaitar will throw down. The bout is closely lined, but Frado currently sits as a -115 favorite while Azaitar is a -105 underdog. For the only time on this card, I am willing to lay some chalk to bet on the favorite.
This bout is a battle of power punchers. These two lightweights should throw heavy leather until someone lands a clean knockout blow. That simplified description, suggests the fight should be closely lined as each fighter has a chance to be the one that lands the knockout. I believe Prado has many underlying advantages, however.
Firstly, Azaitar is coming off a brutal knockout loss. In his last fight, Frevola knocked him out cold. Azaitar did take the necessary time off to recover, but that does not absolve all the potential issues.
In terms of skill, I think Prado’s striking is much cleaner. Azaitar tends to throw wild shots which will give Prado a lot of counter opportunities. On top of that, Prado simply has better defense. If that was not enough, Prado will be quicker. All in all, those factors all make me more confident in Prado being the fighter to land the knockout blow.
Lastly, Prado has age on his side as he is only 21-years-old, while Azaitar is 33.
I understand the concept of making this type of fight close to even money; however, I see a ton of reasons to lean toward a Prado victory. I think Prado should be a wider favorite which makes him a fighter to bet on at UFC Vegas 77.
Nazim Sadykov ITD +100
At UFC Vegas 77, Nazm Sadykov will fight Terrance McKinney. Sadykov currently sits as a -140 favorite while McKinney is a +115 underdog. I am not interested in a money line. Instead, I will play Sadykov to win inside the distance at +100.
The betting thought process should begin with clearing the potential of betting either fighter to win on the money line. McKinney has been in 18 professional MMA fights and has not seen the judge’s scorecards once. That is a strong enough reason already, but Sadykov has only gone to the judges once in his nine-fight career. Regardless of if they win or lose, these two fighters are involved in finishes.
With that out of the way, I am taking Sadykov to win the fight. The main reason is cardio. McKinney’s cardio massively impairs his game. Yes, he can find finishes, but he can barely sustain his energy to get out of round one let alone round three.
In terms of skills, Sadykov does get hit a little too much. That said, that has taught us he has a pretty good chin. Additionally, he should be able to counter McKinney’s big actions and Sadykov is a good enough grappler to fend off early submission attempts.
In my mind, Sadykov wins. At UFC Vegas 77, a bet on Sadykov to win inside the distance lets us squeeze a little extra juice out of a bet as we move the -140 favorite to a +100 pricetag.
***
CLICK HERE for more of our UFC/MMA content
Check out the Vendetta Shop
Subscribe to Vendetta’s YouTube
