The Octagon heads back to the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada for the penultimate event of 2023. This week’s card features a five-round bantamweight bout between Song Yadong and Chris Gutierrez in the headliner, along with 11 bouts on the undercard. 

We will break down the main event as well as two prelim fights in this week’s edition of the Bookies.com UFC Picks.

UFC Vegas 83 Main Event Best Bet

Song Yadong (-380) vs. Chris Gutierrez (+300)

The main event of UFC Vegas 83 is a five-round bantamweight bout between Song Yadong and Chris Gutierrez. Yadong is a -380 favorite on your favorite betting apps, and I like him to pick up a big win in this spot.

Yadong is 26 and he sports a phenomenal 9-2-1 record so far in the UFC. Yadong has been in the UFC since he was just 19 years old and has been nothing short of impressive in his time inside the Octagon. 

He is a phenomenal striker who has five knockout wins in the UFC, and he also has underrated grappling skills and has a win by submission in the UFC. In his last bout, Yadong knocked out Ricky Simon, and now he will look to get a big against Gutierrez.

Gutierrez is 32 and he has an 8-2-1 record in the UFC since joining the promotion five years ago. He is a very talented striker who has some of the nastiest leg kicks in the game and not many men can withstand the punishment he dishes out. 

He is somewhat one-dimensional as he does not have much in the way of grappling skills, but his striking is deadly. That being said, he is not young for the division, and going up against a youngster like Yadong could be his downfall.

Yadong is a young stud who continues to improve every time he steps into the cage. Gutierrez is an awesome striker, but when he steps up in competition he’s not as dangerous as he is when fighting unranked competition. 

I’m expecting that Yadong will be able to mix his striking and grappling to win the decision. Take Yadong at -380 and take him by decision for a prop.

UFC Vegas 83 Best Bet: Song Yadong wins at -380 at DraftKings Sportsbook

UFC Vegas 83 Best Prop Bet: Song Yadong wins by decision at DraftKings Sportsbook

Other UFC Vegas 83 Best Bets

HyunSung Park (-425) vs. Shannon Ross (+330)

At flyweight, we have HyunSung Park taking on Shannon Ross. Park is a -425 betting favorite and I fully expect him to win this fight devastatingly.

Park won the Road to UFC flyweight tournament earlier this year and now returns to the cage to try and get his second victory in the Octagon. Just 28 years of age, Park is unbeaten in his MMA career so far, with the majority of his wins coming by stoppage. He appears to have a very dangerous ground game and he also has power in his strikes, making him ultra dangerous. 

The UFC seams to like him as a prospect and is now giving him a weak opponent for this matchup.

Ross is 34 and he is 0-2 in the UFC with both of his losses coming by knockout. If you include his fight on Dana White’s Contender Series, Ross has lost his last three bouts by knockout. 

His chin is a huge worry and he won’t likely have a long career in the UFC given his weak chin. Ross is someone who can put on fun fights just because he is willing to stand and bang, but it won’t lead to a long UFC career. He doesn’t seem to be UFC caliber and will likely be cut with a loss.

Park is a finisher and Ross is someone who has poor durability, having been finished in three straight losses. Go with Park to win this fight as a -425 favorite, and take him by knockout.

UFC Vegas 83 Best Bet: HyunSung Park wins at -425 at DraftKings Sportsbook

UFC Vegas 83 Best Prop Bet: HyunSung Park wins by TKO with DraftKings Sportsbook

Tatsuro Taira (-410) vs. Carlos Hernandez (+320)

Also on the prelims, Tatsuro Taira fights Carlos Hernandez in another flyweight match. Taira is a -410 betting favorite and he should be able to win this fight by finish.

Taira is only 23 years old and he has taken the UFC by storm since entering the world’s toughest proving grounds last year, going 4-0 with two decision wins and two submission wins. He is a phenomenal grappler who can get all of his opponents to the mat and, much of the time, finish them by submission. 

Although he is very young, he is improving his striking skills. Considering his young age, there is certainly a chance that Taira could be fighting for the belt one day.

Hernandez is 30 and he has a 2-1 record in the UFC with two decision wins and one submission loss. He is an active striker who is also improving his grappling skills on the mat. 

However, it is certainly concerning that he has already lost by submission in the UFC so far, and going up against a skillful grappler like Taira could come back to haunt him. Hernandez likely needs to keep this fight on the feet to have a chance, because if it hits the mat, he could be in trouble.

Taira is a phenomenal grappler and he should be able to get Hernandez down to the mat and finish him there. Take Taira as a -410 favorite and go with him to win by submission for a prop.

UFC Vegas 83 Best Bet: Tatsuro Taira wins at -410 at DraftKings Sportsbook

UFC Vegas 83 Best Prop Bet: Tatsuro Taira wins by submission with DraftKings Sportsbook