This week’s UFC Vegas 72 event features a fantastic main event between top-10-ranked bantamweight contenders Song Yadong and Ricky Simon. 

The headliner should be a very fun fight, and on top of the main event, there are 10 other undercard fights to bet on. In this week’s UFC picks, we’ll give our main event pick and our picks for two great undercard bouts.

UFC Vegas 72 Main Event Best Bet

Ricky Simon (-120) vs. Song Yadong (+100)

The main event of UFC Vegas 72, Ricky Simon fights Song Yadong in a five-round bantamweight bout. Simon is a -120 favorite at sports betting sites and I favor him to get the nod here.

Simon joined the UFC back in 2018 following a key win on Dana White’s Contender Series, and over the last five years, he has a fantastic 8-3 record inside the Octagon. That includes notable wins over the likes of Merab Dvalishvili, Montel Jackson, and Jack Shore, just to name a few. 

The 30-year-old Simon is very well rounded with a strong grappling game to go along with knockout power on the feet. He also has tremendous cardio and doesn’t slow down in his fights. He has lost to Urijah Faber and Rob Font, but since those two defeats back in 2019, Simon is a perfect 5-0 with three finishes, and he looks to have really turned a corner in his MMA career.

Yadong is only 25 years old and he already has a ton of UFC experience with an 8-2-1 record in the Octagon since joining the world’s leading MMA promotion back in 2017. That includes five knockout victories over names such as Marlon Moraes, plus a notable decision win over top contender Marlon Vera. 

Yadong is an excellent striker and he has big-time power, plus he has very good cardio and underrated grappling. Basically, there is a lot to like about him. Like Simon, he’s lost twice in the UFC, but both times against a high level of competition in Cory Sandhagen and Kyler Phillips. It will be interesting to see how Simon compares to those guys.

This should be a great fight, but Simon has really been impressing me over the last few years and I’m taking him as a -120 favorite to win. I believe he’s a slightly more well-rounded fighter and I see him mixing in takedowns and strikes to get his hand raised in this fight. 

For a prop, I would take Simon by decision as I see these two likely going the distance just based on the fact they are both promising young fighters who have both shown to be very durable in the UFC.

UFC Vegas 72 Best Bet: Ricky Simon wins at -120 at DraftKings Sportsbook

UFC Vegas 72 Best Prop Bet: Ricky Simon wins by decision at DraftKings Sportsbook

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Other UFC Vegas 72 Best Bets

Caio Borralho (-350) vs. Michal Oleksiejczuk (+290)

In the co-main event, Caio Borralho takes on Michael Oleksiejczuk in a middleweight bout. Borralho is a -350 favorite to win, and I like him to get his hand raised.

Borralho joined the UFC last year after he won two fights on Dana White’s Contender Series, and he’s looked fantastic so far inside the Octagon. The 30-year-old Brazilian has beaten Gadzhi Omargadzhiev, Armen Petrosyan, and Makhmud Muradov so far in the Octagon, and none of those opponents gave him much trouble. 

That’s because Borralho is such a strong grappler who is able to take his opponents down and hold them on the mat. It’s not the most exciting style to watch, but it’s very effective and should help him move up the 185lbs ladder.

As for Oleksiejczuk, he has been in the UFC since 2017 and he holds a 6-3, 1 NC record overall inside the Octagon. The 28-year-old Pole has shown incredible knockout power, with five of his wins coming by way of knockout, including back-to-back first-round KO wins over Sam Alvey and Cody Brundage in his first two fights at 185lbs. 

On the feet, he’s incredibly dangerous and can knock out anyone. However, his ground game is questionable. His takedown defense is just 43%, which is very below average, and he’s also been submitted twice in the UFC. Going up against a strong grappler like Borralho, his ground game could come back to haunt him.

I’m taking Borralho to win this fight as a -350 favorite on UFC betting sites, as I believe he will have a massive edge in grappling skills. If you want to take a shot on a prop bet, consider Borralho by submission as he will likely have numerous chances to end this fight on the ground by way of a submission.

UFC Vegas 72 Best Bet: Caio Borralho wins at -350 at DraftKings Sportsbook

UFC Vegas 72 Best Prop Bet: Caio Borralho wins by submission at DraftKings Sportsbook

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Natan Levy (-245) vs. Pete Rodriguez (+205)

On the prelims, Natan Levy fights Peter Rodriguez at lightweight. Levy is a -245 favorite and I favor him to get his hand raised.

The 31-year-old Levy joined the UFC following a victory on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2020, and so far, the results have been solid for the Israel native. While he lost a decision to Rafa Garcia in his debut, he’s looked great since then with back-to-back decision wins over Mike Breeden and Genaro Valdez. 

What has been most impressive is his grappling skills. He’s landed 18 takedowns in three UFC fights, including 15 in his last two bouts, which were both victories. If he can land takedowns on Rodriguez, I have no doubts he will win this contest.

As for Rodriguez, the 26-year-old prospect is 1-1 in the UFC, with a TKO loss to Jack Della Maddalena in his debut and a TKO win over Mike Jackson in his last outing. That makes it tough to gauge just how good he is, since he’s fought an elite opponent and someone who is no longer on the UFC roster. 

One thing we do know is that Rodriguez doesn’t have much MMA experience, having just six pro fights. While he does have five wins by knockout, it’s tough to knock someone out off of your back, which is likely where Levy will have Rodriguez in this fight.

Give me Levy to get the win in this fight as a -245 favorite on betting apps. I see him using his grappling to take Rodriguez to the ground at will and, eventually, find the submission victory. If you like props, consider taking Levy by submission for better odds because he will likely win by that method.

UFC Vegas 72 Best Bet: Natan Levy wins at -245 at DraftKings Sportsbook

UFC Vegas 72 Best Prop Bet: Natan Levy wins by submission at DraftKings Sportsbook

UPDATE: This fight between Natan Levy and Pete Rodriguez was rescheduled to the UFC Charlotte card next month.

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