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The UFC action continues on Saturday with Fight Night Prelims when two light heavyweights take the stage to do battle. UFC veteran Ovince Saint Preux will look for another career win against rising Brazilian talent Philipe Lins. These two are eager to stand and bang! Check out our UFC odds series for our Saint Preux-Lins prediction and pick.
Ovince Saint Preux is 26-16 in his career and has been a staple on the UFC roster since 2010 and his days back in StrikeForce. He comes in at 2-3 in his last five fights, most recently with a win over Shogun Rua his last time out. The aging veteran will once again look to turn back the clock and seek one of his signature “Von Preux” chokes en route to a win over a tough Philipe Lins. OSP stands 6’3″ and has an 80-inch reach.
Philipe Lins is 15-5 in his professional career and has gone 1-2 in his fights with the UFC. He suffered two losses in his first two fights to Andrei Arlovski and Tanner Boser, respectively, but was able to secure a win by unanimous decision in his last fight against Marcin Prachnio. His last win will be a huge confidence boost heading into this one as he faces another game opponent in OSP. Philipe Lins stands 6’2″ with a 78-inch reach.
Here are the UFC Odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
UFC Odds: Ovince Saint Preux-Philipe Lins Odds
Ovince Saint Preux: +180
Philipe Lins: -225
Over (2.5) rounds: -134
Under (2.5) rounds: +104
How to Watch Ovince Saint Preux vs. Philipe Lins
TV: ESPN+
Stream: ESPN+
Time: 4:00 p.m. ET/ 1:00 p.m. PT (Prelims)
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Why Ovince Saint Preux Will Win
Ovince Saint Preux has become a tough fighter to analyze with his recent performances. When he’s on his game, OSP is able to back his opponents up with heavy counter striking and eventually wrestle them to the ground. From there, he has suffocating top pressure and will almost immediately begin to seek the Von Flue choke, a move he’s finished so many times that MMA fans have renamed it the “Von Preux” choke. When he’s off his game, however, OSP lacks output in the striking and begins to bring his hands down as lazy defense.
Saint Preux admitted that he has a tendency to start slow. He likes to read his opponents during the first round before making any moves during the fight. This often lends itself to OSP being down on the scoring totals early, forcing him to make up ground in the second and third rounds. He won’t be able to start slow against Lins as he’ll certainly be bringing the fight to him. Look for OSP to tie Lins up in the clinches and try to control him on the cage.
Why Philipe Lins Will Win
Philipe Lins has a talented skill set but will have to first decide which weight class he feels more comfortable in. His first two UFC came with losses at heavyweight, so Lins is trying his hand at the lighter division hoping to have the same success he had in his last fight to Prachnio. Lins has good hands and will walk his opponent down through the entirety of the fight. He has a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and is very comfortable if the fight hits the ground. His BJJ defense will serve him well in avoiding OSP’s choke attempts.
The issues for Lins here are his recent knockouts and damage sustained in previous fights. His chin has proved to be compromised in previous fights and will have to hold up in this one if he wants to survive the counter striking of OSP. For Lins to be successful, he’ll have to keep a constant pressure on OSP and get him on his heels to win the striking exchanges.
Final Ovince Saint Preux-Philipe Lins Prediction & Pick
Both fighters are in tough spots and hungry for a win. I predict Philipe Lins to be the more talented fight in there, but it’s hard to bet against a crafty veteran like Saint Preux. I suspect OSP to avoid the ground given Lins’ BJJ ability. If this fight stays standing, Lins will have an advantage if he is able to provide more output. I wouldn’t bet on this fight, but if I had to, I’d side with Lins.
Final Ovince Saint Preux-Philipe Lins Prediction & Pick: Philipe Lins (-225)