UFC Vegas 26 prelim card odds & betting picks – Saturday, May 8

Despite the short-notice change to the main event for this Saturday’s UFC Fight Night, we still have a loaded schedule of 12 fights to dig in to. The prelim card is headlined by a clash of heavyweights, while there are two middleweight bouts that boast Fight of the Night potential. BettingPlanet.com has done the form for every fight in the UFC Vegas 26 prelims, with picks and odds courtesy of the best online bookmakers for gamblers in United States.

Christian Aguilera (+140) vs Carlston Harris (-180)

What a fight to start the prelim card. Two 170 pounders in Christian Aguilera (14-7, 1-1 UFC) and Carlston Harris (15-4, 0-0 UFC) are looking to make headway into the welterweight division. UFC debutant Harris is getting favorite odds here, and we wouldn’t be surprised if his head-to-head price hits -200 at online sportsbooks come Saturday morning. Aguilera is someone not to be taken lightly. The former LFA fighter with 11 professional knockouts is looking to get back on track after an August 2020 submission loss to the now top-15 ranked Sean Brady. He has a heavy right hand that can hit over the top or with a smooth uppercut. If he can connect, Harris could be in trouble. Harris is a former Brave FC welterweight champion who is riding a three-fight win streak coming into his UFC debut. He can KO you, submit you, or win by decision. There is a reason that he’s a favorite, but we believe that Aguilera can get right in this fight.

Tafon Nchuwki (-138) vs Jun Yong Park (+118)

The second prelim bout features the professionally undefeated Tafon Nchuwki (5-0, 1-0 UFC) taking on Jun Yong Park (12-4, 2-1 UFC). Prior to his UFC debut, Nchuwki was on a four-fight finish streak, with all being by KO/TKO. Park, however, has yet to be knocked out in his 16-fight professional career, so this could be a way to lean the underdog. Nchuwki is a large-looking middleweight even though he is the same size as Park, and he may be hard to handle up against the cage. Park, though, is not afraid to push forward as well, and we believe he has a slightly better ground game and a bigger tank than Nchuwki, which can give him the edge in this one.

Ryan Benoit (-127) vs Zarrukh Adashev (+107)

Both Ryan Benoit (10-7, 3-5 UFC) and Zarrukh Adashev (3-3, 0-2 UFC) are looking to stop a two-fight losing skid in this exciting flyweight matchup. Adashev specifically is looking to land his first win in the UFC promotion. He is a quick, aggressive fighter who will blitz his opponents in the middle of the octagon or against the cage. Benoit is a solid counter-puncher with a fast leg kick that could cause problems for Adashev’s style. We like Benoit in this spot.

Ludovit Klein (-255) vs Michael Trizano (+215)

Ludovit Klein (17-2, 1-0 UFC) and Michael Trizano (8-1, 1-1 UFC) will clash this Saturday in an intriguing featherweight bout. Klein is on an eight-fight winning streak entering this contest, while Trizano had his own eight-fight win streak stopped by Grant Dawson in May of 2019. Trizano has been away from the octagon professionally for going on two years now, so maybe ring rust combined with the record of Klein is accounting for these steeper odds. Klein is a patient and dangerous southpaw with a dangerous left leg, while Trizano is a former Ultimate Fighter winner who is only 29 years old. Trizano is a solid all-around fighter, and the time off could also make a difference for the better in terms of fitness, but we side with Klein by knockout in this one.

Philip Hawes (+108) vs Kyle Daukas (-128)

The second middleweight scrap of the night is a fun one featuring Phillip Hawes (10-2, 2-0 UFC) and Kyle Daukas (10-1, 1-1 UFC). These are two different types of fighters; Hawes wants to storm his opponent and finish them with punches, and Daukas wants to take his opponents down and submit them. Their resumes show this to be true, as Hawes has seven KO/TKOs on his record while Daukas has eight submissions. They say styles make fights, and this is a perfect recipe for a great one. We believe Daukas has the chin to take on Hawes and his power and can get the job done in the later rounds.

Ben Rothwell (-115) vs Philipe Lins (-105)

The top fight on the prelim card features Ben Rothwell (38-13, 8-7 UFC) taking on Philipe Lins (14-5, 0-2 UFC). Rothwell is the slight favorite here given his superior UFC experience and his opponent’s 0-2 record with the promotion. However, the odds are nearly at a pick em’, so either fighter is fair play straight-up. Rothwell will likely be the slightly bigger fighter as in his last heavyweight bout he weighed in at the 265-pound limit, while Lins will likely weigh in around 20-30 pounds lighter than his opponent. This, in our opinion, is a disadvantage in terms of grappling capability for Lins. If this is a striking match, and we see it going that way, we like Rothwell with more experience in this spot.