We are back to the UFC Apex this Saturday for another UFC Fight Night card. This time around it’s UFC Vegas 86, featuring middleweights Jack Hermansson and Joe Pyfer in the main event. 

There are 14 fights in total on this card, and we will give you our UFC picks for the headliner as well as two of the preliminary card bouts in the latest edition of the Bookies.com Best Bets.

UFC Vegas 86 Main Event Best Bet

Joe Pyfer (-245) vs. Jack Hermansson (+200)

The main event of UFC Vegas 86 is a five-round middleweight bout between Joe Pyfer and No. 10 ranked contender Jack Hermansson. Despite being unranked heading into this bout, Pyfer is a -245 betting apps favorite, and I like him to keep his win streak rolling with the biggest win of his career.

Pyfer is 27 and he’s 3-0 so far in the UFC. The American was impressive on Dana White’s Contender Series and he immediately became a favorite of the UFC president whom that show is named, who has supported Pyfer throughout his early UFC run. So far, the results have been spectacular, as Pyfer has won all three of his Octagon bouts by stoppage. He has shown incredible knockout power on the feet and he’s also shown that he has slick submissions on the ground, too. There is a lot to like about Pyfer and he looks like he could be a contender at 185 lbs. Going up against Hermansson, Pyfer now has a golden opportunity to jump into the top 10.

Hermansson is 35 and the Swede is 10-6 in the UFC going back to his debut for the promotion in 2016. He has been a top-15 caliber middleweight for much of that time, as he’s fought and beaten some very solid competition at 185 lbs, including the likes of Kelvin Gastelum, Chris Curtis, and Jacare Souza. He has finishing ability on the feet and on the mat, making him a tough out anywhere the fight goes. That being said, he has been inconsistent lately, having not won back-to-back fights in five years. He has almost turned into a gatekeeper in the UFC middleweight division, and he is now being tasked with defending his ranking against Pyfer.

Although Hermansson is a solid veteran who has proven himself to be a tough out over many years in the Octagon, Pyfer looks like the real deal and this isn’t the time to be fading him. In this biggest fight of his life, Pyfer should be able to connect with Hermansson’s chin and knock him out. As much experience as Hermansson has, it is hard to ignore the fact he has been knocked out in the UFC several times, combined with the fact Pyfer seems to possess dynamite in his fists. Go with Pyfer to win at -245, and take him to win this fight by TKO for a prop bet.

UFC Vegas 86 Best Bet: Joe Pyfer wins at -245 with DraftKings Sportsbook

UFC Vegas 86 Best Prop Bet: Joe Pyfer wins by TKO with DraftKings Sportsbook

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Other UFC Vegas 86 Best Bets

Bolaji Oki (-305) vs. Damir Hadzovic (+245)

On the preliminary card is a lightweight bout between UFC newcomer Bolaji Oki and veteran Damir Hadzovic. Oki is a -305 favorite, and I like him to get his hand raised in this fight.

Oki is 28 and the Belgium fighter is making his UFC debut in this bout. He is coming off of an impressive KO win over Vicinius Salvador on Dana White’s Contender Series that opened up eyes to how good of a prospect he is. In that fight, his striking looked incredible as he went to the body and the head and brutally knocked out his opponent. He is not yet proven at the UFC level, but he passes the eye test and has the potential to have a very long UFC career. We still have questions about his cardio and wrestling, but they likely won’t be tested in this matchup.

Hadzovic is 37 and he has a 4-5 record in the UFC dating back to 2017. The Bosnia and Herzegovina native has managed to stay in the UFC for a long time despite having only won one fight in nearly five years. He is usually in pretty exciting fights, but he doesn’t get his hand raised very often. Heading into this bout, he has lost four of his last five fights, and it really does look like the UFC is setting him up to lose to a young prospect. In order to have the best chance to win, Hadzovic will have to survive the early storm and drag this fight into the deep waters. That is a big if, however, given the impressive knockout power and striking acumen of Oki.

Hadzovic is barely clinging onto a UFC roster spot at this point, while Oki looks like a legitimate prospect who will be a solid fighter for many years to come. Look for Oki to come out guns blazing and take it to Hadzovic, knocking him out early in this fight and sending him packing from the UFC. Take Oki as a -305 favorite for the win, and take him by TKO for a prop bet.

UFC Vegas 86 Best Bet: Bolaji wins at -305 with DraftKings Sportsbook

UFC Vegas 86 Best Prop Bet: Bolaji Oki wins by TKO with DraftKings Sportsbook

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Damir Hadzovic is OUT of the fight with Oki, who now faces short-notice replacement Timothy Cuamba. Although this is a tougher matchup than Hadzovic was, I still think Oki will win this new fight.

Daniel Marcos (-245) vs. Aoriqileng (+200)

Kicking off the preliminary card is a bantamweight bout between Daniel Marcos and Aoriqileng. Marcos is a -245 favorite, and I favor him to get the victory in what should be an exciting match.

Marcos is 30 and the Peruvian is 2-0 so far in the UFC with wins over Davey Grant and Saimon Oliveira. He has won every fight of his career since debuting back in 2015, going 15-0 during that time with eight wins by knockout and seven wins by decision. He is a striker who is a lot of fun to watch as he enjoys standing and trading on the feet. His last fight against Grant wasn’t a compelling victory, but that likely had more to do with him fighting a very underrated opponent than being overrated. Marcos is very good, and this looks like a good stylistic matchup for him.

Aoriqileng is also 30 and the Chinese fighter has a 3-3 record in the UFC since debuting for the promotion back in 2021. He has been in some fun fights so far during his UFC career, but he hasn’t been able to achieve much consistency during his time in the Octagon. It is very concerning that he has a negative striking differential, especially going up against someone as dangerous on the feet as Marcos is. I do expect Aoriqileng to put up a good fight here, and it likely hits the scorecards, but he also very likely takes a lot of damage once again in this bout.

Marcos is the much better fighter in this bout and he should be able to keep his undefeated streak going by improving to 16-0 with a clear win over Aoriqileng. Go with Marcos to win as a -245 favorite, and take him to win this fight by decision for a prop as Aoriqileng is very tough.

UFC Vegas 86 Best Bet: Daniel Marcos wins at -245 with DraftKings Sportsbook

UFC Vegas 86 Best Prop Bet: Daniel Marcos wins by decision with DraftKings Sportsbook

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