UFC Vegas 22 Odds, Picks & Betting Preview – Brunson vs Holland
- Kevin Holland looks to become a legit middleweight contender
- Gregor Gillespie makes his long-awaited return in the co-main event
- See the odds, picks, and betting preview for the full UFC Vegas 22 main card, below
The UFC remains at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada for UFC Vegas 22, which goes down on Saturday, March 20, 2021. The main event sees a very intriguing middleweight bout between Derek Brunson and Kevin Holland.
Although it is not the best card, it is a nice lead-in to the stacked UFC 260 card which goes down next weekend. It is also a chance to see if the hype around Kevin Holland is real or not. In the co-main event, lightweight contender Gregor Gillespie makes his return to face Brad Riddell.
UFC Vegas 22 airs live on ESPN at 10 PM EST. The table below shows odds for the main card at FanDuel and DraftKings, followed by best bets for the event.
UFC Vegas 22 Odds
| Fighter | Odds at FanDuel | Odds at DraftKings |
|---|---|---|
| Derek Brunson | +132 | +140 |
| Kevin Holland | -162 | -177 |
| Fighter | Odds | Odds |
| Gregor Gillespie | -230 | -240 |
| Brad Riddell | +184 | +170 |
| Fighter | Odds | Odds |
| Tai Tuivasa | -265 | -250 |
| Don’Tale Mayes | +210 | +200 |
| Fighter | Odds | Odds |
| Adrian Yanez | -210 | -200 |
| Gustavo Lopez | +168 | +160 |
| Fighter | Odds | Odds |
| Max Griffin | -184 | -162 |
| Kenan Song | +148 | +130 |
| Fighter | Odds | Odds |
| Cheyanne Buys | N/A | -375 |
| Montserrat Ruiz | N/A | +275 |
All odds as of March 15
Does Brunson Derail Another Hype Train?
Kevin Holland was one of the biggest stars in 2020 going 5-0 in the year and capping it off with a highlight-reel KO win over Jacare Souza in December. However, he is set for a massive test against the always dangerous and perennial contender in Derek Brunson.
Brunson & Holland Recent Fights
| Edmen Shahbazyan, win by TKO | Fight 1 | Jacare Souza, win by KO |
| Ian Heinisch, win by decision | Fight 2 | Charlie Ontiveros, win by TKO |
| Elias Theodorou, win by decision | Fight 3 | Darren Stewart, win by split decision |
| Israel Adesanya, loss by TKO | Fight 4 | Joaquin Buckley, win by KO |
Holland is the newest hype train at middleweight that Brunson has a chance to derail. Throughout his career, Brunson has been a gatekeeper fighting the up-and-coming middleweight contenders. The ones who have gone on to beat him became world champs or were former champions, minus Jacare Souza. Recently, he has only lost to Souza, Anderson Silva, Israel Adesanya, and Robert Whittaker. He also stopped the momentum of Theodorou, Heinisch, and most recently Edmen Shahbazyan.
Brunson vs Holland Stats
| 37 | Age | 28 |
| 6’1″ | Height | 6’3″ |
| 77″ | Reach | 81″ |
| 8 | UFC finishes | 4 |
This is another fight where the public is backing the hype rather than the better fighter. Brunson opened as a small favorite when the line first came out, but immediately the public backed Holland and flipped the line before the rest of the books even had a chance to put out Holland as the underdog.
However, I do agree with the opening line as Derek Brunson should be able to win this fight as he has more paths to victory. There is no question Holland has legit KO power, but his cardio is a major concern. This is his first five-round fight, and just last September he gassed out in a three-round fight. Against Brunson, who is known for his cardio, that won’t do him well. Holland’s takedown defense and ground game is another concern.
Ultimately, I expect Brunson to be able to close the distance, wear on Holland and tire him out and eventually get the ground and pound TKO win. I think this fight looks very similar to the Edmen Shahbazyan fight where Edmen looked good in the first but gassed out, and Brunson took over.
Pick: Derek Brunson (+140)
Does Gillespie Get Back on Track at UFC Vegas 22?
Gregor Gillespie had all the momentum entering his UFC 244 fight against Kevin Lee as he was undefeated, and it was a shot to enter the top-10 of the division. Unfortunately, he suffered a brutal head kick KO loss and has been out since November of 2019 but gets a favorable matchup here against Brad Riddell.
Gillespie & Riddell Recent Fights
| Kevin Lee, loss by KO | Fight 1 | Alex da Silva, win by decision |
| Yancy Medeiros, win by TKO | Fight 2 | Magomed Mustafaev, win by split decision |
| Vinc Pichel, win by submission | Fight 3 | Jamie Mullarkey, win by decision |
| Jordan Rinaldi, win by TKO | Fight 4 | Mikey Vaotuaa, win by decision |
Gillespie should be able to do what he always does in this fight and that is wrestle and hold his opponent down.
Riddell is a dangerous striker, however, he doesn’t have the KO power to put Gillespie out with one shot. I expect Gillespie to grapple early and often and succeed on a lot of the takedowns and eventually get some sort of finish, whether it is a ground and pound TKO or a submission win.
Pick: Gregor Gillespie (-230)
Other UFC Vegas 22 Picks:
- Tai Tuivasa (-250): Tuivasa is the better striker and will be able to pick apart Mayes for a decision win.
- Adrian Yanez (-200): Yanez is legit and will get to show the world once again he is a problem as he should be able to score another KO win.
- Max Griffin (-162): Griffin is the better striker and should be able to land the better shots and win a decision.
- Cheyanne Buys (-375): Buys is a great boxer and will stuff the takedowns and pick apart Ruiz for a decision win.
Cole graduated from Sheridan College in April of 2019 with a diploma in journalism. He now is a full-time freelance writer, focusing on MMA for sites like BJPENN, while also covering the Toronto Blue Jays as a credentialed media member. At SBD, Cole covers the four major sports and MMA.
