We’re back with another betting prediction and pick as we begin our coverage of the UFC Vegas 93 Main Card from The UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The opening bout takes place in the Bantamweight (135) Division as Ultimate Fighter alum Brady Hiestand takes on Marathon MMA’s Garrett Armfield. Check out our UFC odds series for our Hiestand-Armfield prediction and pick.

Brady Hiestand (7-2) comes into this fight with a 2-1 UFC record since 2021. He was a finalist during his season of The Ultimate Fighter and while he lost during the finale, still got his shot in the UFC. He’s gone 2-0 since that loss and has had a number of fights fall through, but he’s ready to get back and prove himself against another proven fighter. Hiestand stands 5’8″ with a 71-inch reach.

Garrett Armfield (10-3) has also gone 2-1 in the UFC. He lost his debut fight to David Onama, but answered with back-to-back wins over Toshiomi Kazama and Brad Katona. With six of his wins coming by way of knockout, he’ll be looking to do the same here and propel his career forward with a third-straight win. Armfield stands 5’6″ with a 70-inch reach.

Here are the UFC Vegas 93 Odds, courtesy of BetOnline. 

UFC Vegas 93 Odds: Brady Hiestand-Garrett Armfield Odds

Brady Hiestand: +155

Garrett Armfield: -180

Over 2.5 rounds: -170

Under 2.5 rounds: +140

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Why Brady Hiestand Will Win

Brady Hiestand was one of the more consistent fighters during The Ultimate Fighter 29 and his run to the finale was marked by a unanimous decision and a TKO-win. He came out flat against the inspired Ricky Turcios, but Hiestand has since proven his worth with two wins in his first official UFC bouts. He’s had to withdraw from his last two scheduled bouts, so we’re hoping he’s fully healthy and rested ahead of this matchup. Hiestand is a very fundamentally technical striker and has a ton of grappling experience in his back pocket. He works with great grapplers like Michael Chiesa up in Washington state and he’ll have a solid camp behind him heading into this one.

Brady Hiestand has trouble gauging opponents in the opening stages of the fight, so he’ll have to start fast here and immediately gain the respect of Armfield in the striking. We’ve seen his output waver at points as he tries to manage his gas tank, but he’ll need a consistent flow of activity to deter an aggressive fighter like Armfield. Hiestand should look to take this fight to the mat and steal a round with his superior jiu jitsu control.

Why Garrett Armfield Will Win

Garrett Armfield saw a disappointing end to his debut as he was choked-out by David Onama in the second round, but he’s only come back stronger following the loss and his last two bouts are evidence of such. His most recent win over Brad Katona was his best performance yet as he took control and clearly won the bout as the underdog. His striking was the difference against Katona as he landed harder and faster. He could see success employing the same tactics here as Hiestand doesn’t nearly match his offensive output.

Garrett Armfield isn’t one to initiate the grappling exchanges as much as Hiestand does, so this may be about stuffing the takedown and controlling the striking if Armfield wants to be successful in this fight. Armfield should look to initiate the clinch situation and come after Hiestand with his dirty boxing and elbows inside. If he can drag this fight out and control the striking like he did against Katona, he should come away with a similar looking win.

Final Brady Hiestand-Garrett Armfield Prediction & Pick

We’ll have an interesting bout on our hands as both Garrett Armfield and Brady Hiestand come in off two-straight wins and open up the Main Card action from Vegas. Brady Hiestand has been extremely consistent since bursting onto the scene and he’ll be looking to control this fight with his grappling. Garrett Armfield is the more dangerous striker of the two and can shut the lights off in an instant if he lands clean.

Armfield comes in as the betting favorite and he’s fully-confident in his abilities against Hiestand. With a 64% takedown defense, we’ll see how well Armfield stuffs the takedowns and keeps this fight standing. On the feet, he’s got the better chance to win this one.

Brady Hiestand has seen a pause in his activity through recent pull-outs and we’re waiting to see what kind of form he enters this fight in. Still, he’s the much better grappler and could threaten with submissions if these two hit the mat.

For our final prediction, we’ll roll with Brady Hiestand as the underdog to get this win. His grappling should be the difference here and while I expect him to be down on the scorecards heading into the third round, let’s roll with him to find an unlikely submission late as he wins this fight.

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Final Brady Hiestand-Garrett Armfield Prediction & Pick: Brady Hiestand (+155)