UFC Fight Night Prelims Features Lopsided Tilts

The UFC returns to the Apex for a fight card that looks like a Bellator night. By that, we mean some uneven matchups with some being hilariously lopsided. The promotion clearly favors half of the fighters here as the UFC betting odds indicate some easy wins for at least some of them. Can any of the underdogs bust the betting lines though?

Let’s check the latest UFC News, stats, injury reports, and UFC Odds for UFC Fight Night. We’ve plenty of UFC Picks and Predictions for you to consider.

UFC Fight Night Preliminary Picks

Oleksiejczuk (-650) vs Alvey (+425)

Round Totals: Over 1½ (-165), Under 1½ (+135)
Weight Class (Rounds): Middleweight (185 lbs) (3 Rounds)

The UFC keeps “Smilin” Sam Alvey (33-17-1, 1 NC) around because he’s the perfect jobber: he’s here to lose. Michal Oleksiejczuk (16-5-0) is coming off a loss but still has promise. That’s why the UFC is feeding him Alvey, who has not won a fight since 2018. Oleksiejczuk isn’t anything special so instead of betting online on him, bet the “over” as he may take a while to beat Alvey.

Pick: Over 1½ (-165)

McKinney (-950) vs Gonzalez (+575)

Round Totals: Over 1½ (+195), Under 1½ (-245)
Weight Class (Rounds): Lightweight (155 lbs) (3 Rounds)

A squash fight straight out of the boxing playbook. Terrance McKinney (12-4-0) should make short work of Erick Gonzalez (14-6-0). McKinney is one of the hardest hitters in the division. He has a seven-second KO and even dropped the invincible Drew Dober. Gonzalez got knocked out by 38-year-old Jim Miller. Bet McKinney to get it done quickly.

Got the KO in SEVEN SECONDS 😳

Terrance McKinney wasted no time in his UFC debut.

🎥 @ufc pic.twitter.com/vazq3fyXHa

— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) June 12, 2021

Pick: Under 1½ (-245)

Sato (+210) vs Battle (-280)

Round Totals: Over 2½ (-150), Under 2½ (+120)
Weight Class (Rounds): Welterweight (170 lbs) (3 Rounds)

Bryan Battle (7-1-0) is not the fanciest fighter but he’s tough and scrappy. Takashi Sato (16-5-0) hits hard but faces a significant size advantage here against Battle. The bigger Battle should be able to outwork Sato and beat him at some point. A prop bet on this fight to not go to the judges is one of the best UFC bets here.

Pick: Bryan Battle -280

Witt (+180) vs Quinlan (-230)

Round Totals: Over 1½ (-160), Under 1½ (+130)
Weight Class (Rounds): Welterweight (170 lbs) (3 Rounds)

A Contender Series prodigy, Josh Quinlan (5-0-0, 1 NC) returns from his USADA suspension with a tailormade fight against Jason Witt (19-8-0). Even if Quinlan is off the “sauce”, he’s still versatile enough of a fighter to deal with Witt. But at +130, it’s worth a shot at the sportsbook for Quinlan to dust the chinny Witt early.

Pick: Under 1½ (+130)

McKenna (-235) vs Granger (+185)

Round Totals: Over 2½ (-265), Under 2½ (+205)
Weight Class (Rounds): Women’s Strawweight (185 lbs) (3 Rounds)

Miranda Granger (7-2-0) should not be this big of a dog considering she is two weight classes above Cory McKenna (6-2-0). Now, size isn’t everything. McKenna is a better grappler and more technical overall. But she’s built as an atom weight with a ten-inch reach disadvantage. Bet on Granger or pass.

Pick: Miranda Granger +185

Bueno Silva (+105) vs Egger (-135)

Round Totals: Over 2½ (-225), Under 2½ (+180
Weight Class (Rounds): Women’s Bantamweight (135 lbs) (3 Rounds)

Another women’s MMA bout where the lines seem off. We get the love for Stephanie Egger (7-2-0) as she is on a roll. But Mayra Bueno Silva (8-2-1) has a big striking edge here and has fought tougher opponents. She drew Montana De La Rosa and went the distance with Manon Fiorot, who could be the next title challenger at 125 pounds. Bet Bueno Silva or pass.

Pick: Mayra Bueno Silva +105