The action is heating up at UFC Vegas 93: Perez vs. Taira as we’re set to bring you a betting prediction and pick for a high-level Prelim on the card, taking place in the Flyweight (125) Division. No. 12-ranked Tagir Ulanbekov of Russia will take on the fast-rising prospect of Joshua Van. Check out our UFC odds series for our Ulanbekov-Van prediction and pick.

Tagir Ulanbekov (15-2) comes into this bout with a 4-1 record through his first five bouts in the UFC. He’s risen quickly to his top-15 ranking, beating solid UFC vets like Allan Nascimento and Cody Durden in the process. He’s won his last two fights via knockout and he’s eager to take down another hyped prospect in Van. Ulanbekov stands 5’7″ with a 70-inch reach.

Joshua Van (10-1) has gone a perfect 3-0 through his first few UFC fights. An electric 7-1 prospect out of FURY FC, Joshua Van has made big in his UFC appearances, notching two decision wins and a knockout most recently. He seems to only be getting better each time out, so this will be a huge test early in his career to see if he’s the real deal. Van stands 5’5″ with a 65-inch reach.

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

UFC Vegas 93 Odds: Tagir Ulanbekov-Joshua Van Odds

Tagir Ulanbekov: -225

Joshua Van: +190

Over 2.5 rounds: -125

Under 2.5 rounds: -105

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Why Tagir Ulanbekov Will Win

Tagir Ulanbekov has had a great start to his UFC career and his trajectory indicates he’ll be a problem in the division for quite some time. Aside from getting out-classed by a veteran like Tim Elliott, Ulanbekov has been able to make it look easy through his wins, combining his pressure striking with his relentless wrestling. Unlike other traditional Russian wrestlers in the UFC, Ulanbekov likes to let his hands fly just as much and will not shy away from a brawl. He mainly uses the striking to open the takedowns, but he’s more than capable of standing up with Van and exchanging shots to prove his striking skills.

Once Tagir Ulanbekov is able to get his opponent down, he does a tremendous job of locking down his their wrist and slowly making his way towards a mounted position. From there, he has a suffocating game and can quickly transition to the back or into side control, constantly threatening with submissions throughout the process. He’s also caught opponents in submissions when they try to shoot on him for a takedown, so look for Joshua Van to try and keep this fight standing. Either way, Ulanbekov is likely to land the takedown if he tries for it.

Why Joshua Van Will Win

Joshua Van’s first two UFC fights against Zhalgas Zhumagulov and Kevin Borjas didn’t come easy and they both took a full three-round effort from Van to barely win on the judges’ scorecards. The biggest performance of his life came in his last fight when he finished Felipe Bunes and effectively proved himself as the next rising fighter in the division. This will undoubtedly be his toughest test yet, but his skills and mindset seem to be primed for the moment. Van is a very electric kickboxer and can throw an array of strikes at his opponent. He’s also very good with his head movement and doesn’t typically take too much damage.

Joshua Van has looked increasingly impressive through each fight and he’s still evolving at just 22 years of age. His skills seem to be sharper each fight and he’s shown major improvements both in his wrestling defense and his wrestling transitions. This will be crucial against Ulanbekov as he’ll have to stuff the first few takedowns and discourage Ulanbekov from shooting on him. If Van can keep this fight standing, get up quickly when he gets taken down, and land the bigger shots, he should be able to win as the underdog.

Final Tagir Ulanbekov-Joshua Van Prediction & Pick

This is a great fight to cap-off the Prelims and lead us into the Main Card as both men have a combined record of 7-1 against their UFC competition. Tagir Ulanbekov has the slight edge in experience and has looked more dominant throughout his wins. Joshua Van, on the other hand, is rising extremely quickly and his stock has only gone up since his debut.

Ulanbekov will certainly have the grappling advantage here and it’ll be interesting to see how long he chooses to stand and strike with his opponent. Joshua Van is capable of landing the bigger shots in the pocket, but he needs to make sure he doesn’t over-extend and leave himself open to be taken down.

Tagi Ulanbekov is the rightful favorite here behind his dominant wrestling. However, Joshua Van has shown great improvements in his defensive grappling and should be able to fend his opponent off a number of times during this bout. With his wildly fast development, let’s take an underdog shot here on Joshua Van as he grows his game and comes away with this win.

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Final Tagir Ulanbekov-Joshua Van Prediction & Pick: Joshua Van (+190)