UFC Vegas 22 main card betting predictions – Saturday 20/2/2021

UFC Vegas 22 betting preview

The co-main event of UFC Vegas 22 this Saturday night features two fighters with only one professional loss under their belt in Gregor Gillespie and Brad Riddell. That bout highlights an exciting batch of five fights leading up to this weekend’s main event between Kevin Holland and Derek Brunson.

Lightweight: Gregor Gillespie (-240) vs Brad Riddell (+205)

Gregor Gillespie (13-1-0) suffered his first career loss in his last trip to the Octagon back at UFC 244 in November of 2019 when he took a kick to the head from Kevin Lee. Fight fans were thrilled to see Gillespie added to the card for his first fight since that defeat; he is an exciting fighter who was 6-0 in the UFC with three knockouts and two submissions before the loss.

Brad Riddell (9-1-0) is on a six fight winning streak including a 3-0 start to his UFC career. Riddell came into the promotion with five knockout wins under his belt, but so far in the octagon he has settled for three decision wins. Gillespie’s experience and clear advantage in ability to stop fights before the cards should give him the edge in his return to action.

Bantamweight: Adrian Yanez (-210) vs Gustavo Lopez (+180)

Adrian Yanez (12-3-0) is on a five fight winning streak with four knockout wins over that stretch including one against Victor Rodriguez in his UFC debut last October. Gustavo Lopez (12-5-0) has won four of his last five fights, bouncing back from a loss in his UFC debut in June with a submission win over Anthony Birchak in November. Lopez has a shot at an upset if he can get this fight to the mat and take advantage of his submission skills, but the more likely result is that Yanez uses his advantages in reach and striking to pick Lopez apart.

Welterweight: Max Griffin (-195) vs Song Kenan (+170)

The betting odds are tough to figure out on this one. Max Griffin (16-8-0) has had an underwhelming career in the UFC with a 4-6 record including a 2-4 record over his last six fights. Song Kenan (16-5-0) is 4-1 in his first five fights in the UFC with three knockout wins. Yes, this fight is a step up in difficulty for Song, but this price seems way too good to pass up on.

Women’s Strawweight: Cheyanne Buys (-355) vs Montserrat Ruiz (+280)

Cheyanne Buys (5-1-0) and Montserrat Ruiz (9-1-0) both make their UFC debuts in this one. As indicated by the betting odds, Buys looks like one of the safest picks on the card this Saturday; her size advantage and superior ground game should help her to kick off her UFC career with a win.