UFC Vegas 29 main card preview & betting picks – June 18, 2021

Fresh off of a fantastic card at UFC 263, the promotion is right back at it with a strong bill leading up to Saturday night’s featherweight matchup of The Korean Zombie vs Dan Ige. Here are the best bets and top odds on offer for the five fights before the main event.

Heavyweight: Aleksei Oleinik (+190) vs Serghei Spivac (-225)

Serghei Spivac (12-2) has strung together two straight wins since opening his UFC career with a 1-2 record. Spivac’s last loss to Marcin Tybura has looked better with age, as Tybura has won each of his last five fights in the heavyweight division. Aleksei Oleinik (59-15-1) has lost each of his last two fights since winning his first two fights in 2020 and is now 2-4 in his last six with the promotion, with all four of those losses coming by way of knockout.

The 43-year-old Oleinik is 17 years older than his opponent in this fight. His last loss came via knockout against another young up-and-comer in Chris Daukaus. Spivac should pass this test as long as he can keep this fight off of the mat, where Oleinik could steal an upset with his dangerous submission skills.

Bantamweight: Marlon Vera (-202) vs Davey Grant (+172)

Marlon Vera (16-7-1) will have a shot at revenge in this bout, as he lost to Davey Grant (13-4-0) when the two first fought back in 2016. Grant has won three straight fights in the UFC since starting his spell in the promotion with a 1-3 record (with his win over Vera being the only win during that stretch). Vera has improved since 2016 and is the better fighter in this bout, but his recent form isn’t all that impressive; he is 1-2 over his last three fights, with his one win coming against an opponent who was injured in the first round. Grant is worth a stab at these odds.

Featherweight: Julian Erosa (+122) vs Seung Woo Choi (-142)

Seung Woo Choi (9-3) has bounced back from two straight losses at the start of his UFC career to win each of his last two fights. Similarly, Julian Erosa (25-8) has won three straight fights since losing his first three fights with the UFC. This should be an entertaining fight, as Erosa’s aggression will push the action. Choi’s takedown defense issues should open up a path to victory for the underdog in this spot.

Middleweight: Wellington Turman (+112) vs Bruno Silva (-132)

Bruno Silva (19-6-0) is set to make his UFC debut on Saturday, entering the promotion with a 14-1 record in his last 15 fights. Wellington Turman (16-4-0) is off to a slow start in the UFC with a 1-2 record, most recently losing to Andrew Sanchez in the first knockout loss of his career. Silva has not fought professionally since 2018, so expecting a successful UFC debut after that long of a layoff might be a bit ambitious.

Welterweight: Matt Brown (+145) vs Dhiego Lima (-170)

Dhiego Lima (15-8-0) had a three-fight winning streak snapped by Belal Muhammad in February. Lima will have a much less daunting opponent this Saturday in the 40-year-old Matt Brown (22-18-0). Brown once strung seven straight wins together in the UFC from 2012 through 2014, but since then he is just 3-7 in his last 10 fights. Lima should get back on track with a win.