UFC Kansas City Perfect Prop Picks for April 26: Bet on Smith vs Zhang and Elder vs Young

Don’t worry; your resident BetUS UFC expert is back, and I’ll share my best picks to bet on UFC for this weekend’s UFC Kansas City fight card, headlined by welterweight contenders Ian Garry and Carlos Prates.

Let’s get into it!

#UFCKansasCity bout order (with a few updated photos) pic.twitter.com/gf4eRYlFXX

— Marcel Dorff 🇳🇱🇮🇩 (@BigMarcel24) April 25, 2025

Top 2 Prop Picks for UFC Kansas City

1. Anthony Smith vs Mingyang Zhang Under 1.5 Rounds (-175)

Following nine years of service for Dana White’s UFC promotion, Anthony ‘Lionheart’ Smith will enter his 60th and final pro-MMA bout this weekend in Kansas City. With one foot out the door and a position on the UFC broadcast team, he’s already been involved with it for some time. Does the Texan native have one more credible performance left in the tank?

Historically, pre-announced retirement fights haven’t fared well for the retiree, especially when a hungry up-and-coming prospect is the scheduled opponent. Sure, we have the odd exception, like Robbie Lawler, but for the most part, the majority of fighters announce their retirement and leave the octagon for one last time in defeat.

Unfortunately for Smith, whose durability has been a concern throughout his UFC tenure, he’s facing a young and powerful Chinese fierce in Mingyang Zhang in Kansas City, a light heavyweight newcomer who has blasted through both of his opponents inside round one since joining the promotion in 2024.

Bet on Smith vs Zhang Under 1.5 Rounds (-175)

Zhang Minyang is a MONSTER 🤯

He’s back in the Octagon Saturday night at #UFCKansasCity! pic.twitter.com/9b9IDTMFYT

— UFC (@ufc) April 25, 2025

Early Finish on the Cards

Despite a seemingly uphill battle for Smith in the form of Zhang, he’s a company man, and the UFC could be throwing him an “easy win” here. With such a gap in experience level, Smith should have the fight IQ and a more well-rounded skill set to school his inexperienced foe.

However, that’s a lot easier said than done, especially since Smith’s durability has been declining for some time and is detrimental to our UFC betting. We’re looking at the oldest, slowest version of Smith to date, who’s returning from recent and brutal KO/TKO losses (Ankalaev, Rountree Jr, & Reyes) to face a fast knockout artist on the rise.

Whether Zhang can overcome the veteran expertise is yet to be seen. Last year, Smith exposed an inexperienced foe, Vitor Petrino, with a round one submission. Either way, we shouldn’t expect this to go long, as it’ll be a complete mismatch of skills, favoring Smith or Zhang will show how retirement is the right option for his foe.

Smith has finished 11 of his 13 UFC wins by KO/TKO or submission, while Zhang has won 11 consecutive MMA bouts in round one! The under ½ is slightly juiced, but it’s worth the punt for our UFC prop picks!

Smith vs. Zhang Betting Trends:

• Smith has avoided the judges in 17 UFC bouts
• Zhang has won 11 consecutive pro-MMA bouts in round one
• All 18 of Zhang’s pro career wins were by KO/TKO or submission

𝑳𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕🦁🫀

Anthony Smith returns for one last time in the UFC Octagon tomorrow night 🔥#UFCKansasCity | Saturday, Midnight | LIVE on TNT Sports and discovery+ pic.twitter.com/z8j2RGCUMo

— UFC on TNT Sports (@ufcontnt) April 25, 2025

2. Evan Elder vs Gauge Young: Elder by KO/TKO or Decision (-160)

This lightweight tandem was announced on short notice, and it features Evan Elder welcoming Gauge Young, a previous contestant on Dana White’s Contender Series (DWCS), to the Octagon.

After losing his first two UFC fights, the 28-year-old Elder has won back-to-back, with his most recent victory coming in July of last year in Denver, Colorado, by second-round knockout of Darrius Flowers. Stepping in for Ahmad Hassanzada, Young aims to improve on his second-round stoppage victory under the FAC banner in December. Last September, at the UFC APEX, he fell to Australian prospect Quillan Salkilld.

Bet on Elder by KO/TKO or Decision (-160)

GOT IT DONE IN THE SECOND ROUND 😱

Evan Elder adds another win to his resume after #UFCDenver! pic.twitter.com/fkLWDEm8yA

— UFC (@ufc) July 13, 2024

Experience & Short Notice

I’ll cut to the chase here; with a card filled with juiced odds, I believe Elder is one of the most valuable plays and underrated UFC expert picks on the card. This is no disrespect to Young’s name, but when evaluating their skill sets, I see comparable traits. However, Elder is just a level or two above in all areas with an opponent that’s had less than a week to prepare.

More specifically, Elder will have a significant experience, wrestling, size, and fight IQ advantage here. I can honestly see a knockout happening, but the most likely outcome is by unanimous decision. Therefore, backing the KO/TKO or decision prop feels like a perfect way to approach this contest for a great price.

Happy to see Evan Elder get a fight this weekend. He’s one of those super underrated guys you’d easily confuse with the standard APEX-era filler talent. He’s sneaky good. Look at this insane kick-catch counter he pulled off early in his last fight. Explosive and creative. pic.twitter.com/cGkbwtMCul

— Omni-Man’s MMA Burner (@zachharknessmma) July 11, 2024

Our Favorite UFC Kansas City Proposition Wagers

• Smith/Zhang Under 1.5 Rounds (-175)
•  Elder by KO/TKO or Decision (-160)

UFC Kansas City How to Watch

• Date & Time: Saturday, April 26, 2025 – 06:00 p.m. ET
• Location: T-Mobile Center, Kansas City, Missouri
• How to Watch: UFC Fight Pass
• Main Event Bout: Ian Machado Garry vs. Carlos Prates
• Co-Main Event Bout: Anthony Smith vs. Mingyang Zhang
• Scheduled Fights: 14
• Biggest UFC Kansas City Betting Favorite: Jacqueline Amorim @ -900
• Biggest UFC Kansas City Betting Underdog: Polyana Viana @ +575

Odds and information are accurate at the time of writing. Please check with official sources for the latest updates before placing any bets.

Question of the Day