UFC Prelims Predictions & Odds – Expert Picks for Oki vs Sousa & More

• Saturday’s UFC Fight Night Prelims feature eight fights, including Bolaji Oki vs Manoel Sousa
• Oki is a very live underdog at +220, boasting a sizeable reach and significant strike advantage
• See my UFC Fight Night Prelims predictions, plus odds and expert picks for Oki vs Sousa and More

We’re gearing up for another UFC Fight Night in Las Vegas on Saturday, with eight fights on the Prelims card, followed by an additional six Main Card bouts on deck. The Bolaji Oki vs Manoel Sousa Prelims lightweight tilt has fight of the night written all over it, and I think Oki has an excellent chance to pull off the upset.

The UFC Fight Night Prelims are set to get underway at 2:15 pm PT, 5:15 pm ET on Paramount+, with the Main Card fights starting at 5:15 pm PT, 8:15 pm ET also on Paramount+.

Here are my UFC Fight Night prelims predictions, plus the latest odds and my expert picks for Oki vs Sousa and more.

UFC Fight Night Prelims Predictions: Bolaji Oki Moneyline

These two are going to decide this fight on their feet, as neither is typically interested in spending much time on the mat. Between the two, they average only 1 takedown per 15 minutes, and both have respectable takedown defense.

What’s far more likely is that this turns into an all-out brawl, and I love taking my chances with Oki in that situation. The Belgian boasts a three-inch arm and leg reach advantage, and he can use that length to thwart Sousa’s forward pressure. Oki has demonstrated a solid lean back counterattack in the past, while Sousa tends to be a bit too predictable and lets his hands drop prematurely.

Oki vs Sousa Tale of the Tape

The danger is that Oki can get a bit wild with his striking, but if he can stay composed, he can force his opponent to get impatient. Oki does an effective job of mixing in knees and kicks with his punches, and any one of those strikes has enough force to drop Sousa. The discrepancy in talent between these two fighters is nowhere near what the line suggests, making the underdog an easy bet to make.

• UFC Fight Night Expert Picks: Bolaji Oki Moneyline (+220 at Bet365)

Check out the best UFC betting apps for UFC Fight Night on Saturday.

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UFC Prelims Odds

Odds as of March 13 at DraftKings. Check out the best UFC betting apps for UFC 326 on Saturday.

UFC Fight Night Prelims Predictions: Elijah Smith Method of Victory

For my next selection, I’m taking Elijah Smith to finish SuYoung You in a bantamweight bout. Smith has extreme finishing power, as evident by his latest victory over Toshiomi Kazama, and has ended six of his nine wins inside the distance.

Smith’s latest victory was his seventh in a row, and now he gets to face a fighter he matches up very well against. You has a wrestling background and would prefer this bout stay on the mat. The problem is, Smith is an excellent grappler himself, and has an extreme advantage when it comes to striking.

He lands nearly 2.5 more significant strikes per minute, and comes to the Octagon with a six-inch reach advantage that is going to be too big to overcome.

• UFC Fight Night Expert Picks: Elijah Smith to Win by KO/TKO/DQ or Submission (+250 at DraftKings)

UFC Fight Night Prelims Predictions: Sam Hughes Moneyline

I’ll round out my UFC Fight Night Prelims predictions with one more plus-money wager. I’m on Sam Hughes over Piera Rodriguez in a women’s strawweight rematch, as the American has performed significantly better than her opponent since their first meeting.

Hughes is 4-1 in her last five fights and has dramatically upped her striking game. She’s landed over 75 significant strikes in each of her last three bouts that went the distance, while Rodriguez owns just a 55% defense versus opposing strikes.

Rodriguez wants to take her opponents down as often as possible, but when she does score takedowns, she doesn’t do much with them. In their last fight, she took down Hughes five times but landed only three blows on the ground.

If Hughes can keep the fight upright, she’ll outpoint Rodriguez, so I don’t hate also taking a sliver of Hughes by decision at even longer odds (+140).

• UFC Fight Night Expert Picks: Sam Hughes Moneyline (+125 at Bet365)