UFC returns to Vegas this Saturday, and we’ll witness a top-ranked women’s bantamweight main event as former champ Holly Holm takes on a rising contender in Mayra Bueno Silva.
Middleweight brutes Albert Duraev and Jun Yong Park exchange leather in the co-main event, both vying for rankings supremacy at 185 lbs.
Let’s waste no more time and dive right into the most noteworthy betting picks for the UFC Vegas 77 main and co-main event.
Top UFC Vegas 77 Picks:
- Holly Holm ML (-175) at Bet365
- Albert Duraev ML (+135) at Caesars Sportsbook
Holly Holm vs. Mayra Bueno Silva
UFC Vegas 77 Women’s Bantamweight Main Event Bout
Saturday, July 15, 2023 – 09:05 PM EDT at UFC Apex
At 41 years of age, former bantamweight champion Holly Holm (15-6-0 pro-MMA) sits atop the 135 lb women’s rankings and has refused to surrender her position to the next generation.
It’s a commendable feat to continue delivering elite-level performances at this level. Holm is the epitome of a veteran fighter, and another significant victory on her record could lead to yet another opportunity to reclaim the gold she once owned.
Holm’s weekend opponent, Mayra Bueno Silva (10-2-1), recently breached the top-10 rankings of the division after collecting a 5-2 promotional record. However, she’s yet to face opposition on Holm’s level, and Saturday’s bout will be a true test of whether she can compete with the best.
Holm vs. Silva: Fight Tape Analysis
Offensive grappling and ground control have been the main story of Silva’s UFC success to date. She isn’t lost in the striking realm, but versus Holm, she’ll want to avoid a fistfight as much as possible.
Unfortunately for the Brazilian, she’s matched with a fighter in Holm that’s presented excellent takedown defense and is equally impressive in clinch situations against the cage.
Silva will struggle to collect points from the judges without continuous success in the grappling realm. The experience and fight intelligence of Holm will likely prove too much for the underdog to overcome, specifically when she’s untested against fighters of this caliber.
UFC Vegas 77 Main Event Odds & Prediction
The UFC odds present Holm as the betting favorite, and it’s challenging to oppose this stance.
Holm has gone the distance in 5 of her previous 6 bouts and has won four of those contests. She’s one of the best point fighters in the division and has been incredibly difficult to submit or knock out. Versus a limited skillset Silva presents, Holly Holm is primed for another success in the octagon.
UFC Pick: Holly Holm ML (-175) at Bet365 [1.75u returns 1u profit]
Albert Duraev vs. Jun Yong Park
UFC Vegas 77 Middleweight Co-Main Event Bout
Saturday, July 15, 2023 – 09:05 PM EDT at UFC Apex
Albert Duraev (16-4-0) has only competed in the UFC on three occasions, but he entered the promotion riding a 10-fight win streak, and eight of those bouts were won via KO/TKO or submission.
Joaquin Buckley put a stop to his consecutive win streak. Still, a doctor’s stoppage isn’t necessarily viewed as a complete loss, and he returned to the win column last time before receiving this weekend’s opportunity in the co-main event position.
Duraev has a great opportunity to put his name on the map. Still, the Russian must first get past the experienced Jun Yong Park (16-5-0), who owns an almost identical record but significantly more experience at a UFC level (6-2).
Duraev vs. Park: Fight Tape Analysis
Park’s impressive record in the UFC is currently supported by a 3-fight win streak, including back-to-back rear-naked choke victories, which leads us to Park’s most utilized game plan – takedowns and heavy top control.
Park has now been matched with a strong wrestler in Duraev, and the past fighting blueprints that have assisted him will be difficult to use when the Russian is likely the best grappler Park has faced to date.
Duraev smoothers his opponents from top control; he’ll own a speed advantage in the striking department and should effortlessly set up his takedowns after disguising them with faster combinations.
UFC Vegas 77 Co-Main Event Odds & Prediction
The UFC prices at the top online sportsbooks have placed Duraev as the underdog, which is perfect for our long-term return on investment.
Park is no slouch, but his favored style will be eliminated when faced with an opponent that isn’t going to surrender takedowns and top control, as the underdog will be the successor in those situations.
UFC Pick: Albert Duraev ML (+135) at Caesars Sportsbook [1u returns 1.35u profit]
