The Octagon heads to The Theater at Virgin Hotels in Las Vegas this weekend for UFC Las Vegas: Yan vs. Dvalishvili. The headliner features top-ranked bantamweights Petr Yan and Merab Dvalishvili going at it for five rounds or less, along with 13 other fights on the undercard. 

We will give our pick for the main event along with two undercard bouts right here in our latest edition of UFC picks.

Bet $5, Get $150 Instantly

Tap for Promo Activated! Visit site

Used 61 Times Today

21+ and present in most states. (18+ DC/KY/NH/WY). Void in IA/KS/KY/LA/MD/MI/NJ/NY/TN/VA/VT/ONT. Eligibility restrictions apply. On behalf of Boot Hill Casino & Resort (KS). 1 per new customer. Min. $5 deposit. Min. $5 bet. Max. $150 issued as non-withdrawable Bonus Bets that expire in 7 days (168 hours). Stake removed from payout. Terms: dkng.co/bball. Ends 1/5/25 at 11:59 PM ET. Sponsored by DraftKings. GAMBLING PROBLEM? CALL 1-800-GAMBLER, (800) 327-5050 or visit gamblinghelplinema.org (MA). Call 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY). Please Gamble Responsibly. 888-789-7777/visit ccpg.org (CT), or visit www.mdgamblinghelp.org (MD).

UFC Las Vegas Main Event Best Bet

Petr Yan (-250) vs. Merab Dvalishvili (+190)

The main event of UFC Las Vegas sees Petr Yan taking on Merab Dvalishvili. Yan is a -250 betting favorite on sports betting sites, and he’s my pick to win this headlining bout.

Yan is the former UFC bantamweight champion. The 30-year-old Russian has been in the UFC since 2018 and he has an 8-3 record in the promotion during that time, with notable wins over Cory Sandhagen, Jose Aldo, and Urijah Faber. 

For the longest time, he was the best bantamweight fighter in the world, but he has lost three of his last four fights overall. However, if you look closer at those losses, two were by split decision and one was by DQ. Despite his losing skid, Yan is still absolutely one of the best fighters in the world in his weight class. If he gets by Dvalishvili in this fight, there is no reason he can’t make another run for the title.

Dvalishvili is also one of the best fighters at 135 lbs. The 32-year-old Georgian has been in the UFC since 2017 and he has a 8-2 record since, including his current eight-fight win streak. Some of his most notable victories include the aforementioned Aldo, plus Marlon Moraes and Cody Stamann.

He is one of the best wrestlers in the division and he has a great gas tank. However, it remains to be seen what will happen when he fights someone like Yan who should have the defensive wrestling skills to keep the fight standing. If Dvalishvili can’t get Yan to the ground or push him against the fence, he could be in trouble when it comes to the striking.

Dvalishvili has been red-hot as of late, but Yan is a different beast. I expect Yan to be able to stop Dvalishvili’s takedowns, keep it standing, and win on points. Go with Yan to get the win as a -250 betting favorite, and you can take him to win by decision if you want to bet on a prop.

UFC Las Vegas Best Bet: Petr Yan wins at -250 at DraftKings Sportsbook

UFC Las Vegas Best Prop Bet: Petr Yan wins by decision at DraftKings Sportsbook

Up to $1,500 in Bonus Bets if Your First Bet Loses Promo Code: BOOKIES

Tap for Promo Activated! Visit site

Used 30 Times Today

Bonus Bets Expire in 7 Days. One New Customer Offer Only. Must be 21+ to participate & present in OH. In partnership with MGM Northfield Park. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER. Visit BetMGM.com for T&Cs. US promotional offers not available in NY, NV, or Puerto Rico.

Other UFC Las Vegas Best Bets

Ricardo Ramos (-350) vs. Austin Lingo (+260)

In a bantamweight bout, Ricardo Ramos takes on Austin Lingo. Ramos is a -350 UFC betting favorite and I believe he will win this match.

Just 27 years of age, the Brazil native Ramos has been in the UFC since 2017 and he has a 7-3 record. He has shown himself to be a well-rounded fighter, with solid grappling chops as well as deadly striking skills, as two of his UFC wins have come via spinning back elbow. 

He is still a very young fighter and is constantly improving. Although he has been inconsistent over his last four bouts with just a 2-2 record, when he looks good, he looks great. There is still a lot of untapped potential here with Ramos and he can go on to have a very good UFC career.

Lingo, meanwhile, is also young at 28 years old, but the American doesn’t have the UFC experience that Ramos does. He’s 2-1 in the UFC since joining the roster in 2020. 

In the UFC he has shown that he can go the full 15-minute distance and win decisions, but he hasn’t shown any ability to finish the fight. As well, his loss to Youssef Zalal saw him get taken down six times, so you know Ramos will test his wrestling. Lingo is a solid fighter, but he doesn’t really excel in any areas of the game like his opponent does in this spot.

Ramos is the better grappler and he should be able to wrestle his way to a decision win in this fight. Take Ramos as a -350 betting favorite for the win, and go with him by decision for a prop.

UFC Las Vegas Best Bet: Ricardo Ramos wins at -350 at DraftKings Sportsbook

UFC Las Vegas Best Prop Bet: Ricardo Ramos wins by decision at DraftKings Sportsbook

NOTE: This fight is OFF after Ramos weighed in 8lbs over the limit.

Up to $1,500 in Bonus Bets if Your First Bet Loses Promo Code: BOOKIES

Tap for Promo Activated! Visit site

Used 16 Times Today

Bonus Bets Expire in 7 Days. One New Customer Offer Only. Must be 21+ to participate & present in OH. In partnership with MGM Northfield Park. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER. Visit BetMGM.com for T&Cs. US promotional offers not available in NY, NV, or Puerto Rico.

JJ Aldrich (-300) vs. Ariane Lipski (+250)

In women’s flyweight action, JJ Aldrich takes on Ariane Lipski. Aldrich is a -300 betting favorite, and I like her to win this fight.

Aldrich is, in my opinion, one of the women’s 125 lbs division’s most underrated fighters. A member of the UFC roster since 2016, the 30-year-old American has a 7-4 record in the UFC, with notable wins over Gillian Robertson, Vanessa Demopoulos and Polyana Viana. 

She has proven herself to be a tough out, with nearly all of her fights going the full 15-minute distance. In her last fight, she was submitted by Erin Blanchfield, who is one of the division’s best fighters. But she was actually winning that fight up until the stoppage, and overall, that fight looks a lot better on her resume now that Blanchfield has emerged as one of the best fighters at 125lbs.

As for Lipski, she has been a big disappointment since joining the UFC in 2019. Since then, the 29-year-old Brazilian is just 3-5 in the UFC, with her only notable win over Luana Carolina. Other than that, she has not looked that great and is actually coming off of three knockout losses in her last four fights. 

There was a lot of hype on Lipski before she joined the UFC, but she has not lived up to her potential. She has too many flaws in her game, and it’s difficult to see her improving much going forward, so at this point, she’s someone you want to fade.

Aldrich is a good fighter, and I can’t trust Lipski at all given how poor her overall form has been in the UFC. Aldrich should win this fight as a -300 betting apps favorite, and I like her to win by decision for a prop bet, given all of her previous UFC wins have come by decision.

UFC Las Vegas Best Bet: JJ Aldrich wins at -300 at DraftKings Sportsbook

UFC Las Vegas Best Prop Bet: JJ Aldrich wins by decision at DraftKings Sportsbook

$1,000 First Bet on Caesars Promo Code: BOOKIES1000

Tap for Promo Activated! Visit site

Used 58 Times Today

Must be 21+ to participate. T&Cs apply.