This article is part of our UFC Picks series.
The UFC returns to Las Vegas, Nevada on Saturday, October 12 for UFC Vegas 98. In the main event, flyweight contenders throw down, as Brandon Royval takes on Tatsuro Taira.
Below, I'll share my UFC Vegas 98 predictions, including my favorite pick, an underdog, a prop and a two-fighter parlay. All UFC odds are via the DraftKings Sportsbook and are accurate as of the post date of this article.
Weight Class: Middleweight
Abdul Razak Alhassan (12-6) vs. Josh Fremd (11-6)
Abdul Razak Alhassan is a KO artist, and I like him to get his hand raised against Josh Fremd at UFC Vegas 98 as a short favorite.
Alhassan and Fremd are both primarily strikers, but Alhassan throws more volume and has more power. Fremd has struggled against good strikers like Roman Kopylov and Gregory Rodrigues in the past.
A concern for Alhassan has been his cardio, but Fremd isn't one to push the pace, so this should be a striking matchup. I expect Alhassan to land something big early.
UFC Vegas 98 Bet: Abdul Razak Alhassan (-162)
Weight Class: Welterweight
Alex Morono (24-10) vs. Daniel Rodriguez (17-5)
For my underdog pick, I'm backing Alex Morono to get back into the win column and hand Daniel Rodriguez his fourth straight loss.
Morono is coming off a terrible loss to Niko Price in a fight he told me he had a bad weight cut and bad rehydration, resulting in him having no energy in there. Despite that, he still was able to go three rounds and make it competitive.
Morono is a volume striker, as he averages 4.96 significant strikes per minute, which is less than Rodriguez's 7.42, but Rodriguez is also there to be hit. To me, this is a pick'em fight, so to get +170 on a fight I think will go to the scorecards and be close makes it a must-play for me.
UFC Vegas 98 Bet: Alex Morono (+170)
Weight Class: Lightweight
Grant Dawson (21-2-1) vs. Rafa Garcia (16-3)
For my prop at UFC Vegas 98, I'm taking Grant Dawson to beat Rafa Garcia by decision.
Dawson is a grinder in every sense, as he uses his wrestling to take his opponents down and hold the position. He was able to do that for 15 minutes last time out against Joe Solecki, but he doesn't pose much of a finishing threat.
Garcia, meanwhile, is also a grinder who likes to grapple, but I believe Dawson is the better wrestler and is stronger, so he will effectively be able to hold Garcia down.
It may not be the most exciting fight, but Dawson knows how to win, and he won't take any chances here.
UFC Vegas 98 Bet: Grant Dawson to win by decision (-160)
Weight Classes: Welterweight & Flyweight
Themba Gorimbo (13-4) vs. Niko Price (16-7)
Ramazan Temirov (17-2) vs. C.J. Vergara (12-5-1)
For my parlay, I'm backing Themba Gorimbo and Ramazan Temirov to get their hands raised at UFC Vegas 98.
Gorimbo takes on Niko Price, which is a good style matchup for him. Gorimbo will have the wrestling advantage in this fight, as he averages 4.04 takedowns per 15 minutes while Price has a takedown defense of 62 percent. Once Gorimbo gets it to the mat, he will have a big advantage with his grappling. Even if he doesn't get a finish, he will control the fight to win a decision.
Temirov takes on Vergara in his UFC debut, and this is a someone I'm super high on. Temirov was impressive in RIZIN, while Vergara has had his struggles, as he's 3-3 in the UFC and coming off a one-sided loss. Temirov has a ton of power in his hands, and he should be able to catch and KO Vergara early in this one.
UFC Vegas 98 Bet: Themba Gorimbo & Ramazan Temirov parlay (-152)
UFC Best Bets
Here is a recap of my best UFC picks for this weekend's UFC Vegas 98 card.
- Abdul Razak Alhassan (-162)
- Alex Morono (+170)
- Grant Dawson by decision (-160)
- Themba Gorimbo & Ramazan Temirov parlay (-152)
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