The UFC Fight Night Main Card will be live from Las Vegas as we continue our odds, pick, and predictions with this next bout in the Welterweight (170 lb) Division. New prospect Josh Quinlan will welcome the debuting Trey Waters. This has the potential to be a banger! Check out our UFC odds series for our Quinlan-Waters prediction and pick.
Josh Quinlan is undefeated at 6-0 as a fighter and won his debut UFC appearance his last time out. His DWCS win was ruled a “No Contest” when there were performance-enhancing substances found in his system during the fight. Still, Quinlan earned a contract and ran through Jason Witt in his debut with a stunning KO hook in his debut. He'll look to replicate a highlight-reel knockout against Waters. Quinlan stands 6'0″ and has a 72-inch reach.
Trey Waters is 7-1 as a professional and will be making his UFC debut in this fight. Waters appeared on DWCS, where he lost his bout the Gabriel Bonfim. From there, he returned to LFA and won his main event bout at LFA 156 against Jalin Fuller just two weeks ago. He'll have exactly 15 days before stepping into the octagon here against his toughest competition yet. Waters stands 6'5″ and has a 77-inch reach.
Here are the UFC Odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
UFC Las Vegas Odds: Josh Quinlan-Trey Waters Odds
Josh Quinlan: -184
Trey Waters: +148
Over (1.5) rounds: +108
Under (1.5) rounds: -138
How to Watch Josh Quinlan vs. Trey Waters
TV: ESPN+
Stream: ESPN App
Time: 7:00 p.m. ET/ 4:00 p.m. PT (Main Card)
Why Josh Quinlan Will Win
While Quinlan doesn't have a ton of experience in MMA, he has a wealth of knowledge in other disciplines like boxing, muay thai, and jiu jitsu. He's been able to make the transition seamlessly and has finished all of his six fights behind his crazy power. Quinlan throws tight combinations and has seriously heavy hands. He's sometimes leaving himself open during his big exchanges, but more than makes up for it with his boxing-like head movement. He'll have a big power advantage in this one and should look to get physical with the much taller Waters.
To win this fight, Quinlan will have to mix his game up and avoid relying on his striking. While he's got a ton of confidence in his hands, it may be hard finding the range against a tall guy like Waters. Quinlan should look to get in-close and utilize his elbows in the clinch. If he can get Waters on the fence, he'll have many opportunities to work his wrestling where he's got an advantage. If Quinlan can be the aggressor while not over-extending, he should get another finish win here.
Why Trey Waters Will Win
Trey Waters put up a good fight in his DWCS audition, but the reality is that his opponent Gabriel Bonfim was miles ahead of him and is now evidently making a splash in the UFC. In his last fight, a headliner for LFA 156, he was losing the first two rounds to Jalin Fuller, but came back with a huge KO punch in the third round. The performance seemingly caught the attention of Dana White and the UFC as they bring Waters in for his debut in a main card spot. This could be a fight highlighted more by Quinlan, but the odds indicate that Waters will be no easy task for the favorite here.
Waters is extremely long for this division at 6'5″ and should use every bit of his height advantage to keep distance from Quinlan. It's hard to tell if Waters will have to use his wrestling in this one, but stopping the takedowns should nonetheless be a conscious thought in his mind. Waters should utilize his long legs to jab at Quinlan's mobility and slow him down. If Waters can pick-and-pop from range, he could get a decision win here.
Final Josh Quinlan-Trey Waters Prediction & Pick
Waters will be a tough opponent to figure out at first. His long limbs and striking at range could cause Quinlan some problems early, so look for both fighters to come out patiently. The prediction here is that Quinlan will eventually find his range and land the more damaging shots. Quinlan's more used to this big stage and will be much calmer than the debuting Waters. Let's take Quinlan to get the victory here. It wouldn't be a bad idea to hop on his KO-prop as well; all he knows is finishing fights.
Final Josh Quinlan-Trey Waters Prediction & Pick: Josh Quinlan (-184); by KO/TKO (+125)
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