Last Updated on August 4, 2022 2:07 pm by Erwin Noguera
One week after UFC 277 torched the American Airlines Arena in Dallas, Texas, where Amanda Nunes regained her division title in a tough bout against Juliana Pena.
Action returns to Las Vegas this weekend with another UFC Fight Night. The night of #UFCVegas59 arrives with Thiago Santos vs. Jamahal Hill as the main bout at light heavyweight. But this will not be just another edition of a Fight Night event as usual, because in addition to the normal fights every week we will have the finale of “The Ultimate Fighter 30” reality show.
In total, there will be 12 MMA fights that we will enjoy in this UFC Vegas 59 in the octagon of the UFC. The co-main event will be between Vicente Luque and Geoff Neal, in the welterweight division.
As for the grand finale of “The Ultimate Fighter 30”, Mohammed Usman, brother of UFC welterweight champion Kamaru, will look to be the heavyweight champion against Zac Pauga. While in the women’s flyweight division, Brogan Walker faces Juliana Miller.
UFC Vegas 59 will take place this Saturday, August 06, 2022, at the UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada.
UFC Vegas 59 – Thiago Santos vs. Jamahal Hill – Betting Odds and Free Pick – Info
When: Saturday, August 06 at 07:00 pm ET
Moneyline odds:
Thiago Santos +222 / Jamahal Hill -294
Vicente Luque -175 / Geoff Neal +150
Zac Pauga -230 / Mohammed Usman +195
Brogan Walker +105 / Juliana Miller -125
Augusto Sakai +180 / Sergey Spivak -210
Ariane Lipski -165 / Priscila Cachoeira +140
Sam Alvey +380 / Michał Oleksiejczuk -475
Takashi Sato +195 / Bryan Battle -230
Terrance McKinney -850 / Erick Gonzalez +600
Jason Witt +190 / Josh Quinlan -225
Miranda Granger +185 / Cory McKenna -215
Where Can I Watch? ESPN / Fox Sports / Star +.
Where Can Stream? ESPN Play / Star + / UFC Fight Night
UFC Vegas 59: Thiago Santos vs. Jamahal Hill
Why Bet on Santos
Brazilian veteran Thiago Santos (22-10) has already fought for the UFC title at UFC 239 against Jon Jones. In that fight, Santos lost by split decision, while dealing with different knee injuries, something that has taken its toll on him since his return to the octagon, as he has not been able to find the ideal rhythm.
Santos comes into this fight in a complicated situation, but with a lot of confidence to take the win. His last fight was a loss on March 12 against Magomed Ankalaev by unanimous decision.
Why Bet on Hill
On the other hand, Jamahal Hill (10-1) is looking to move to the top of the light heavyweight division for the first time in his career. Jamahal Hill, nicknamed “Sweet Dreams”, has looked spectacular in his last few fights, defeating Jimmy Crute and Johnny Walker by TKO.
As a result, Hill is positioning himself as one of the top rising talents in the division.
Final Betting Analysis: Thiago Santos vs. Jamahal Hill
With only 2 years since his debut in the UFC octagon, Jamahal Hill starts as the clear favorite in this fight against veteran Thiago Santos.
Santos, one of the most feared strikers in the UFC light heavyweight division, has notable octagon victories over Jan Blachowicz and Anthony Smith. However, he appears to have lost a step in recent fights, and his run as an elite light heavyweight may finally be over after several years at the top of the division.
While it is true that in the UFC octagon anything can happen, we believe that in this UFC Vegas 59, Jamahal Hill will assert his status as a favorite and will take an excellent victory.
UFC Vegas 59: Vicente Luque vs. Geoff Neal
Why Bet on Luque
The 31-year-old Brazilian Vicente Luque (21-8-1) will try to bounce back at this UFC Vegas 59, as he is coming off a loss to Belal Muhammad by unanimous decision on April 16, 2022, and it was his first loss over the last 3 years. Now we have to wait and see how Luque behaves and recomposes himself from this loss.
Luque, nicknamed “The Silent Assassin”, is ranked #6 in the welterweight division. Statistics show that Luque has a 53% accuracy rate in his punches and, a 50% accuracy rate in grappling.
The Brazilian has developed a reputation as a fearsome submission specialist after forcing tap-outs in the first round in his two previous outings, against Michael Chiesa and Tyron Woodley.
Why Bet on Neal
Like Vicente Luque, Neal has pure power. He has 8 wins by technical knockout, 2 wins by submission, and 6 first-round finishes. His stats show 50% punching accuracy as well as 50% grappling accuracy.
Geoff Neal snapped a two-fight losing skid with a narrow three-round split decision victory over Santiago Ponzinibbio at UFC 269. Despite not getting consistent approvals from the judges in his last few fights, Neal has shown impressive stamina of late, with his punch count steadily increasing throughout his recent contests.
Final Betting Analysis: Vicente Luque vs. Geoff Neal
This will likely be a back-and-forth fight between two of the most prolific fighters in the welterweight division. Luque has more power between the two, while Neal likes to keep distance and constant pressure, making him a volume striker.
While both fighters have solid takedown defense, neither will be too worried about getting knocked down in this fight. However, if the fight does go to the ground, Luque is well equipped to use his grappling to maneuver and get submissions.
If he can close the distance and turn the fight into a brawl, Luque is likely to win.
UFC Vegas 59: Zac Pauga vs Mohammed Usman
Why Bet on Pauga
Zac Pauga is an excellent athlete who is making his UFC debut after going 5-0 on the regional circuit. Pauga, a former NFL player for the Houston Texans, caught the attention of UFC scouts and was signed to compete on TUF 30.
In the two fights he contested in the reality show he got the victories, first against Nyle Bartling by unanimous decision and then crushed Jordan Heiderman via TKO, showing a complete fighting style, with excellent striking skills and very good physical conditioning.
Why Bet on Usman
Usman, on the other hand, is the brother of UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman. He also had an excellent performance in his two fights contested at TUF 30, earning victories over Eduardo Perez and Mitchell Sipe by unanimous decision.
We can also highlight that Usman has much more experience than Pauga in MMA, as he has a professional record of 7-2.
Final Betting Analysis: Zac Pauga vs. Mohammed Usman
Both fighters know each other well because they have trained together on several occasions in the past. Pauga is a wrestler who uses a strong jab and overhand to set up takedowns. While Usman does not have a well-defined wrestling style but has extraordinary power in his strikes.
Usman also appears to be someone who tires as the fight progresses, something that could play against him against a tireless athlete like Pauga.
That said, Pauga is arguably the more complete fighter of the two. If he can avoid getting hit, Pauga is likely to take the fight to the ground and establish his dominance.
UFC Vegas 59: Brogan Walker vs. Juliana Miller
Why Bet on Walker
Brogan Walker is the most experienced fighter in this bout, at 33 years old, and has contested 9 professional MMA fights, with a record of 7-2.
Walker comes into this fight on a 3 fight win streak, with wins over Laura Gallardo by unanimous decision, Hannah Guy by split decision, and Emilee King via first-round choke.
While Walker is a strong fighter, it is her experience and fighting sense that has taken her this far in her career.
Why Bet on Miller
On the other hand, Juliana Miller may have an advantage in terms of reflexes and speed, as she is 7 years younger than Walker, but she is a young fighter who has only fought 3 professional MMA fights.
Miller is an expert in ju-jitsu, so taking the fight to the mat will be her main goal, as, this is her forte. Miller has achieved rear naked choke, three armbar submissions, and a kimura.
Final Betting Analysis: Brogan Walker vs. Juliana Miller
Both are two very complete fighters, with experience in both wrestling and striking. Miller is very aggressive inside the octagon and tries to be on top of her opponents from the beginning of the fight.
Despite this, as mentioned she has only three pro fights under her belt and is facing a fighter who has been competing professionally for eight years and has fought against the elite in the MMA octagon. Experience is likely to be an important factor in this bout, so Walker is expected to get the win.
UFC Vegas 59: Augusto Sakai vs. Sergey Spivak
Why Bet on Sakai
Brazilian Augusto Sakai made his UFC debut in 2018 and surprised everyone by winning the first 4 fights he contested in the UFC octagon. When we all thought Sakai would have a prominent career, after this initial streak, he has fallen in three straight opportunities and by way of TKO, so, his performances have been more than disappointing since then.
Sakai has to fight himself and Spivak in this fight to get the win.
Why Bet on Spivak
Spivak, who has been competing in the UFC octagon since 2019, has a 5-3 record with three wins by stoppage, including a notable submission victory over top contender Tai Tuivasa. “Polar Bear” has used his grappling a lot to win fights as he is excellent and often takes his opponents to the canvas and then smothers them on the ground before finishing.
In his last fight, Spivak took an extraordinary victory by knocking out former NFL star Greg Hardy in one of the biggest moments of his MMA career to date.
Final Betting Analysis: Augusto Sakai vs. Sergey Spivak
Sakai coming from Muay Thai will have an advantage in the clinch and will want to keep the fight on its feet for the duration.
Spivak, on the other hand, is a world-class wrestler and will no doubt try to take the fight to the ground against a dangerous striker like Sakai.
Although Sakai has a solid takedown defense, it is highly unlikely that he will be able to withstand the pressure he will put on Spivak for all fifteen minutes.
Spivak will head into the fight with momentum on his side from a big win over Greg Hardy last time around.
UFC Vegas 59: Ariane Lipski vs. Priscila Cachoeira
Why Bet on Lipski
Ariane “Queen of Violence” Lipski, 28, has a professional MMA record of 14-7-0, and since her UFC debut is 3-4. In terms of wrestling, Lipski is less skilled, as she rarely takes her opponents to the mat.
Lipski, a former KSW champion, has had mixed results since joining the UFC roster in 2019. In her last bout, she faced Mandy Bohm, where she earned an excellent unanimous decision victory and snapped a streak of two consecutive losses and her UFC record currently stands at 3-4.
Why Bet on Cachoeira
While Priscila “Zombie Girl” Cachoeira is a 33-year-old Brazilian fighter with a professional MMA record of 11-4-0. Cachoeira has 11 wins with a 55% completion rate, including 6 by knockout and 5 by decision.
Cachoeira’s last win was against Ji Yeon Kim at UFC Fight Night on Saturday, February 26, 2022, by unanimous decision. In addition to this, both fighters got an additional post-fight bonus for taking the fight of the night.
Final Betting Analysis: Ariane Lipski vs Priscila Cachoeira
This bout promises to be a duel between two very good strikers. Lipski is the cleaner of the two, while Cachoeira is prone to being vulnerable when trying to land fight-ending strikes.
Cachoeira has more power between the two fighters, but Lipski is likely to exploit holes in her striking game.
She is also the better fighter between the two and could do a lot of damage from the top position if she can take Cachoeira down. Lipski is likely to win this bout.
UFC Vegas 59: Sam Alvey vs. Michał Oleksiejczuk
Why Bet on Alvey
Winless in his last eight octagon appearances, Alvey will look to pick up his first victory since June 2018. The season 16 “Ultimate Fighter” alum was submitted by Brendan Allen at UFC Fight Night Las Vegas 47 in February in two rounds and has one fight left on his UFC contract. That’s why this could be his last chance to continue in the UFC world.
The Team Quest member has one draw and seven losses to his name.
Why Bet on Oleksiejczuk
Meanwhile, Poland’s Oleksiejczuk will drop back down to middleweight for the first time since his professional MMA debut. After earning back-to-back wins over Modestas Bukauskas and Shamil Gamzatov in 2021, the 27-year-old lost by unanimous decision to Dustin Jacoby at UFC 272 this past March.
Oleksiejczuk has a record of 16-5-1 in MMA and 4-3-1 in the UFC.
Final Betting Analysis: Sam Alvey vs. Michał Oleksiejczuk
Sam Alvey walks into the octagon for the 24th and (hopefully) final time. He’s put on some dull exhibitions and hasn’t had success in four years. In his last eight fights, he has a record of 0-7-1. Amazingly, he’s been able to keep putting on UFC fights.
Whereas, Michal Olsiejczuk is a very crisp fighter whose results have solely reflected the level of competition he has faced in every given fight. He has fought good fighters, but it remains to be seen if he will shine once again against a lower-level opponent.
UFC Vegas 59: Takashi Sato vs. Bryan Battle
Why Bet on Sato
Takashi “Ten” Sato is a 32-year-old Japanese fighter with 16 professional wins and 5 losses. While Sato has had a good career as a professional, he has not had good fights in the last 3 years, where he accumulates a record of 2 wins and 3 losses.
The Japanese come into this fight with two consecutive defeats, in November 2020 by submission against Miguel Baeza and last March 19 against Gunnar Nelson by unanimous decision.
Why Bet on Battle
Bryan “Pooh Bear” Battle is a 27-year-old male wrestler from the United States who boasts 7 professional wins and 1 loss. From fighting in relative obscurity to being able to completely rearrange his life to unlock the best athlete he can be, Battle has completely changed his life following his excellent victory on season 29 of The Ultimate Fighter earlier this year.
Battle hopes to test himself against international talent for the first time to see if he belongs in the next level of UFC fighters.
Final Betting Analysis: Takashi Sato vs. Bryan Battle
Battle has a large arsenal of strikes while standing, with punches and kicks that are powerful and accurate. In addition, in the clinch, he applies many knees and hooks that noticeably affect the opponent’s health. However, ground fighting is also his strong point, so much so that he won four times by submission.
Unlike the American, Tahashi Sato focuses more on stand-up fighting, so he has powerful punches, fast movement, and a lot of stamina. In this sense, he avoids ground fighting as much as possible, as he is not very familiar with grappling.
UFC Vegas 59: Terrance McKinney vs. Erick Gonzalez
Why Bet on McKinney
Terrance “T-Wrecks” McKinney returns to the octagon after one of the most exciting, action-packed, high-octane fights of the year. In that fight, McKinney was knocked out in the first round, but came close to finishing his opponent early in the bout. Nearly all of McKinney’s professional fights have gone the same way, with plenty of action and early finishes.
McKinney, 27, has a record of 12-4 as a pro and 2-1 in the UFC. All of his fights, both wins, and losses, have ended by finish, and only once has he entered the third round.
Why Bet on Gonzalez
Erick “The Ghost Pepper” Gonzalez, 30, has a professional record of 14-6 and is 0-1 in the UFC. Gonzalez has eight knockouts, one submission, and five wins by decision.
Gonzalez has a fighting style that doesn’t work in his favor, given the division he is currently in. In the lightweight division, most fighters are athletic and fast. Gonzalez is usually a one-punch counter puncher who looks for the perfect opportunity to connect with a hard punch for the finish.
Final Betting Analysis: Terrance McKinney vs. Erick Gonzalez
McKinney is the clear favorite to take the win in this fight, and the only possible outlier is his stamina, as we haven’t seen him fight more than one round. That’s because McKinney starts fights very aggressively to look for a win early in the fight.
Given McKinney’s style and Gonzalez’s slower approach on the feet, expect McKinney to, once again, take an aggressive approach in this fight and run up his final count in the first round.
UFC Vegas 59: Jason Witt vs. Josh Quinlan
Why Bet on Witt
Witt (19-8) is not only a great wrestler but a very powerful wrestler; his takedowns tend to include slams and blast doubles, with the impact causing damage in itself and shaking his opponents enough to allow him to assert a position to an even greater degree.
One of Witt’s problems in his last fight was that he was so preoccupied with keeping Phil Rowe on the ground that he wasted opportunities to strike and finish the fight; however, patience is key against Quinlan.
Why Bet on Quinlan
Josh Quinlan is a very explosive, fast twitch, and aggressive fighter. He has trained with the Wand Fight Team started by Wanderlei Silva and even teaches Muay Thai for the training organization.
Quinlan has a somewhat nervous fighting style, with a low stance and tight guard, and has quick, explosive flurries and stance changes. His best punches tend to be short hooks, brutal leg kicks, or a wickedly fast right-cross right.
Final Betting Analysis: Jason Witt vs. Josh Quinlan
This fight can go two ways. Witt drags Quinlan into his patient game with his wrestling and tests Quinlan’s conditioning and composure.
Or make it a fight where Quinlan’s aggressive, quick punches can connect with Witt’s humanity several times, while Witt will try to find a way to look for a takedown to take the fight to the canvas. Quinlan’s takedown defense will likely force Witt to take multiple takedown attempts.
We think Quinlan is too explosive and sharp for Witt, and with more accurate punches and he will beat him in all three rounds.
UFC Vegas 59: Miranda Granger vs Cory McKenna
Why Bet on Granger
Miranda Granger, 30 years old, has been fighting as a professional mixed martial arts fighter for 5 years. Since then, she has fought 9 times accumulating 7 wins (5 by submission, 1 by TKO, and another by decision) and 2 losses.
Her big debut came in UFC on ESPN: Covington vs. Lawler, fighting Hannah Goldy and winning by unanimous decision. Her last fight was in 2020 when she faced Ashley Yoder and lost by unanimous decision.
Why Bet on McKenna
Cory McKenna is only 23 years old and is considered a great prodigy in mixed martial arts. Thus, he has six victories in the octagon and only two defeats. Also known as “The Hobbit”, she has defeated 2 opponents by TKO, 3 by decision, and 1 by submission.
As an amateur, she fought when she was just 15 years old until she turned 18 she managed to accumulate 7 wins in a row. As a striker, Cory does not have much technical refinement, acting with spontaneity and a lot of aggressiveness.
Final Betting Analysis: Miranda Granger vs. Cory McKenna
Miranda Granger has not participated in official UFC fights for two years, in addition to that, she suffered two losses in her last fights. On the other hand, the wonder Cory McKenna is only 23 years old, but he fights like he has a lot of experience.
Despite having lost in the most recent fight, The Hobbit comes as a big favorite for having very good punches and grappling.
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