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We're set for another betting prediction and pick for UFC Vegas 96: Cannonier vs. Borralho as we turn our attention towards this next prelim in the Middleweight (185) Division. Zach Reese of Texas will take on Bolivia's Jose Medina in an exciting scrap early into the action. Check out our UFC odds series for our Reese-Medina prediction and pick.
Zach Reese (7-1) has gone 1-1 in the UFC since debuting last year. Suffering a debut loss to a very inspired Cody Brundage, Reese bounced back in a huge way against Julian Marquez with an uppercut knockout late in the first round. He'll look to continue his streak of knockouts as the big betting favorite. Reese stands 6'4″ with a 77-inch reach.
Jose Medina (11-3) will make his UFC debut following a contract from Dana White's Contender Series. While Medina lost his audition fight to Magomed Gadzhiyasulov, he displayed extreme toughness and made it an exciting fight despite being the massive underdog. Listed as such once again, he'll look for another exciting performance here. Medina stands 6'0″ with a 74.5-inch reach.
Here are the UFC Vegas 96 Odds, courtesy of DraftKings.
UFC Vegas 96 Odds: Zach Reese-Jose Medina Odds
Zach Reese: -575
Jose Medina: +425
Over 1.5 rounds: +130
Under 1.5 rounds: -160
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Why Zach Reese Will Win
Zach Reese comes into his third UFC bout following a sensational knockout win in his last fight. Finding the stoppage in Round 1, Zach Reese has now ended all eight of his professional MMA fights within the first round. While he was humbled against Cody Brundage in his debut, he didn't lose any confidence in doing what he does and chasing the finish right from the opening bell. He has a no-frills style and will walk straight into his opponent with no regard for his own safety. He's very physically imposing and he'll have a noticeable size advantage over his opponent in this one.
Despite never making it out of the first round, you'd have to imagine Zach Reese is fit to go the distance given the physical shape he's in. However, we have yet to see him fight for more than five minutes, so it'll be interesting to see what kind of fighter he turns into once he's pushed further. His opponent has a very solid chin and is clearly tough, so Reese should be prepared to enter the second round in this one. Still, watch for him to be most dangerous during the opening minutes of this fight.
Why Jose Medina Will Win
During his DWCS audition, Jose Medina was billed as a +520 underdog and wasn't expected to make it out of the first round. Instead, he stood toe-to-toe with a clearly outmatched opponent and didn't waver in his efforts one bit. Despite the loss, the display of grit and toughness was enough to impress Dana White, later calling Medina back to award him a contract. It's worth noting he fought that bout at Light Heavyweight and has done so for most of his career, so it'll be interesting what he looks like on the scales dropping down to 185 for this one. Nevertheless, we can expect the same toughness and fight we saw out of him during Contender Series.
Jose Medina is used to taking shots from powerful light heavyweight fighters, so you'd have to imagine he'll be able to stand in there and take shots from middleweight opposition. Medina may be at a disadvantage physically in this fight, but we can't forget his head movement during his last bout and how he was able to land his own shots as well. It'll also be interesting to see how his power transfers over into this new division as he tries for the upset in his debut.
Final Zach Reese-Jose Medina Prediction & Pick
We've got another banger on the UFC Vegas 96 Prelims and given both fighters' history of exciting finishes, we may not need the judges' scorecards during this one. Zach Reese comes in as the heavy betting favorite and has yet to fight past the first round in his professional career. All the betting lines are favoring that he gets the job done within the first round.
However, the fight we saw from Jose Medina during his DWCS fight was truly inspiring and I expect him to give Reese his first fight past Round 1. It's also a benefit to him in dropping down in weight as his power and chin will transfer well from fighting at Light Heavyweight for some time.
Since there's not much value on betting Zach Reese to win, we'll take an underdog shot to see Jose Medina get this win. He may be overlooked by his opponent and I don't see him going down easily in the first round. If he can take Reese's best shots early, we could stand a chance to turn the tide of this first in the later rounds. Let's take a small chance on Medina here.
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Final Zach Reese-Jose Medina Prediction & Pick: Jose Medina (+425)
