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The UFC is back at the Apex in Las Vegas for yet another Fight Night card from the combat sports capital of the world. We'll bring you a betting prediction and pick for this next bout as China's Yizha will take on Brazil's Gabriel Santos in an early Prelim banger in the Featherweight (145) Division. Check out our UFC odds series for our Yizha-Santos prediction and pick.
Yizha (25-4) will be making his second walk to the UFC octagon following a debut loss to Jeong Yeong Lee back in 2023. Since then, he's won three consecutive fights during Asia's Road to the UFC tournament and he's earned a contract by notching two of those three wins by armbar. He'll look to establish himself as a UFC talent once again. Yizha stands 5'7″ with a 70.5-inch reach.
Gabriel Santos (10-2) will make his third UFC appearance following back-to-back losses in his first two stints. He dropped a tough split decision to Lerone Murphy in his debut and subsequently got KO'd in his following fight against David Onama. As a touted prospect, he'll be looking for his first taste of a UFC win. Santos stands 5'9″ with a 70-inch reach.
Here are the UFC Vegas 97 Odds, courtesy of DraftKings.
UFC Vegas 97 Odds: Yizha-Gabriel Santos Odds
Yizha: +215
Gabriel Santos: -265
Over 2.5 rounds: -160
Under 2.5 rounds: +124
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Why Yizha Will Win
Yizha made it all the way to the Road to the UFC tournament final against Jeong Yeong Lee and ultimately lost a heartbreaking split decision, forcing him to take a second chance at the competition and try to repeat his success. Once again, he won all three of his Road to the UFC tournament fights and will now have his back against the wall as he tries for a UFC contract once again. This will be the 30th fight of his pro career and at just 27 years old, he's had a wealth of mixed martial arts experience already. He went 14-1 in his previous organization and he's more than capable of handling entry-level UFC competition.
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Of his 25 wins, Yizha has notched 14 of those by submission and has a very effective armbar from his back. He's most dangerous on the ground and he does a great job of reversing position and finding angles on his opponents' arms and legs. He's also very effective when taking the back, so fully expect him to work his wrestling and jiu jitsu during this fight. He's shown a very solid chin throughout his career, suffering only one knockout loss and generally being very tough to put away on the feet. If he's able to stand in and take the punches from Santos while initiating the grappling exchanges, he should stand a solid chance to win as the underdog here.
Why Gabriel Santos Will Win
Gabriel Santos came into the UFC undefeated and has since gotten a taste of what it's like to face tough competition within the best fighting organization on the planet. Still, that doesn't take away from Santos' striking ability as it's moreso a testament to the competition he's had to face through his first two fights. He faced Lerone Murphy and David Onama, both very capable strikers and veterans who also had their backs against the wall. Santos will be dealing with a similar animal here as this could be Yizha's last opportunity to make the UFC roster. Still, Gabriel Santos is the betting favorite for good reason and he comes in as the more well-rounded martial artist.
Gabriel Santos is a dangerous finisher and can get the job done both on the ground and on the feet, splitting his finishes by submission and knockout. He's also been finished just once and he's definitely seen less damage throughout his career than his opponent. To be successful here, Santos should be the one pressing the striking action and forcing Yizha onto his back foot. Once he has momentum moving forward, Santos is relentless in finding the knockout and is willing to absorb damage on his end to find it. Expect him to be the one pressing the action and marching forward during this one.
Final Yizha-Gabriel Santos Prediction & Pick
This should be an interesting matchup as both fighters are still searching for their first official UFC win. Both men are very green when it comes to facing UFC competition, but they've both shown a capability to hang with the standard and could come together to create fireworks during this matchup.
Yizha is certainly the better grappler and he'll be extremely dangerous from any position on the ground. While Santos in no slouch himself, we have to give the slight edge to Yizha with how aggressively he chases the submission opportunities.
However, our final pick lies with Gabriel Santos as he's seen the better competition through his first two UFC appearances. He's also the much better striker and we should see him find some clean shots against Yizha in this one.
Final Yizha-Gabriel Santos Prediction & Pick: Gabriel Santos (-258); OVER 2.5 Rounds (-160)
