There are plenty of high-quality fights scheduled in the UFC in Las Vegas on Saturday at UFC Apex.
The Cory vs T.J. Dillashaw undercard has five excellent fights, including the highly anticipated co-main between Aspen Ladd vs Macy Chiasson.
Also on the cards is Phillips vs Paiva, Elkins vs Minner, Maverick vs Barber and Gall vs Williams. Online sports betting is available for every UFC fight at Fight Night and we have found the best value picks.
Aspen Ladd vs Macy Chiasson
Ladd is a rising star in the women’s bantamweight division and she comes off a bounce-back win over Yana Kunitskaya.
The 26-year-old was given a dose of reality when losing to Germaine de Randamie in 16 seconds at UFC Fight Night 155 in 2019. However, she was thrown into the deep end early, and facing Macy Chiasson is a good matchup.
Chiasson hasn’t fought anyone close to the level Ladd has been fighting. She comes off a decision win over Marion Reneau and we’re not sure that’s the best form guide for this fight.
“There’s something to be said about someone who’s a vet and someone who has fought really good girls; it’s composure. For me, can I portray composure under pressure? Can I be composed and execute my game plans? I think that’s what I’m really trying to focus on, not being so stressful in there,” Chiasson told UFC.com. “Because I know I can fight, but can I be composed when I do it? I think that’s going to be a really big factor for this fight.”
Next week marks the return of Aspen Ladd🙌 tough matchup for her comeback fight. But we Team Aspen all day over here😁 pic.twitter.com/Dej9cMd7jM
TheOnlyWayisMMA (@TellMesuuup) July 16, 2021
UFC odds have Ladd at -185 to win, but there is better value in total rounds markets. The fight to go under 2½ rounds is +175, and we’re expecting Ladd to finish the fight early.
Stoppages aren’t as common in women’s MMA, but Ladd is talented although injuries have kept her out of the game since 2019, she’s ready for her return.
Pick: Under 2½ rounds (+175)
Kyler Phillips vs Raulian Paiva
Phillips is the overwhelming favorite. The American scored a decision victory over Song Yadong, which is a high-ranking win.
He knocked out Cameron Else in October and it put “The Matrix” on the map in the bantamweight division. A potential fight is in his future, but he needs to get past Paiva first.
The Brazillian got past a tough opponent at UFC 251 last year and although he’s a +210 outsider with UFC betting markets, he is a much better fighter than that reflects.
We give the edge to Phillips based on his potential, but he wouldn’t want to take this fight lightly. Paiva has power and the experience edge, so we wouldn’t be surprised to see this fight go the distance.
Pick: Kyler Phillips -280
Darren Elkins vs Darrick Minner
Experienced featherweights battle as 37-year-old Elkins fights 31-year-old Minner.
Elkins is 26-9-0 following a submission victory over Luiz Eduardo Garagorri in November. It was a much-needed victory for the veteran, who had lost his past four fights.
However, he fought future UFC champion Alexander Volkanovski and the awkward Ryan Hall during that stretch, so they weren’t easy fights.
Darrick Minner is the definition of “violence” #UFCVegas32
25/37 fights ended in round 1 (68%)
28/37 fights ended under 1.5 (77%)
32/37 fights have NOT started round 3 (86%)10 finish losses (8 by submission)
23 finish wins (22 by submission)DFS By The Numbers (@dfs_numbers) July 19, 2021
Minner scored a three-round decision win over Charles Rosa in February. He came off a submission win over TJ Laramie in September, so his recent form has been excellent.
He has the speed edge over Elkins but he hasn’t fought the same quality of opponent. We expect the fight to go the distance, which helps Minner, who is the busier fighter.
There won’t be much between them and Minner is paying short odds of -175, but he’s worth including in selections.
Pick: Darrick Minner -175
Miranda Maverick vs Maycee Barber
The women’s flyweight division is in good hands with Maverick and Barber, who are promising fighters.
Maverick is 11-2-0 following consecutive wins to Liana Jojua and Gillian Robertson. They’re not exactly the biggest names in the sport, but the 24-year-old is making her way through the ranks.
Maycee Barber comes off back-to-back defeats, so this is an important fight. She was defeated by veteran and The Ultimate Fighter contestant Roxanne Modafferi before losing to Alexa Grasso in February.
Despite the losses, Barber is still highly regarded in the division and she is good enough to cause a minor upset against Miranda Maverick.
Bookmakers have Maverick as the slight favorite at -125, but we’ll happily take the value with Barber.
Pick: Maybee Barber -105
Mickey Gall vs Jordan Williams
Gall has found himself on another main card despite being given plenty of chances to impress.
The New Jersey native lost to Mike Perry last year and we haven’t been impressed with what he’s had to offer throughout his career.
The same goes for Williams, who is 9-4-0 after losing to Nassourdine Imanov, but he should be better suited to fighting Gall.
Mickey Gall is the shorter fighter and he’s also giving away weight to Williams. That won’t help his cause and we’re expecting another loss for Gall.
Williams is the -170 favorite and we’re not surprised at the betting support.
