Bettors are likely to find some valuable opportunities in the UFC Fight Night: Vera vs. Sandhagen event on Saturday. Although some of the fighters may not be as well known, the card is packed with intrigue. Read on to discover the UFC best bets leading up to the Vera vs. Sandhagen bout.
UFC Best Bets for Fight Night: Vera vs. Sandhagen
Dog of the Week: Austin Lingo +180 (FanDuel)
Austin Lingo comes in off a two-fight win streak and faces a good opponent in Nate Landwehr. Landwehr is also on a two-fight win streak, coming off a majority dec win over David Onama. Landwehr is a good fighter to back as an underdog but not as a sizeable favorite. He has good cardio and durability with very good output, but he also has some major flaws. He tends to come forward with no regard for defense, along with some very questionable fight IQ. Lingo will come forward throwing big shots with very good power behind them. He has decent cardio and good durability as well. Lingo should make this a dogfight, and getting +180 is favorable in this type of a matchup.
Prop of the Week: Steven Peterson Submission +350 (BetRivers/Unibet)
Steven Peterson is an MMA veteran with 29 professional fights. He has 19 wins, with seven coming via submission. He is a brown belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and that shows he can wrestle in some of his UFC fights. Peterson is very durable and has shown very good cardio in his fights. He’s facing Lucas Alexander, who only has 10 professional MMA fights and a 7-3 record. All three of his losses were via submission, and he seems to be lost when defending submissions on the ground. His lone UFC matchup ended in a first-round submission loss against Joanderson Brito, who is better known for his power and standup. Now Alexander is facing a UFC veteran that has a substantially better ground game. If Peterson decides to grapple, it looks very good for this prop.
Best Play of the Week: Manel Kape -175 (BetMGM)
Manel Kape is coming off a three-fight win streak, and he will be both the younger fighter (by two years) and the more active fighter. Kape has fought five times in the last 2 1/2 years, while his opponent, Alex Perez, has only fought once in that time. Perez lost his last two fights via submission in the first round, albeit against very good opponents. Perez’s wins in the UFC have not aged well, as all of those opponents are currently no longer in the UFC. Every time he has stepped up, he’s finished in the first round, and now he faces a younger, hungrier, more athletic and better skilled fighter in Kape. Kape should do whatever he wants in this fight, as he has a distinct striking and speed advantage. If this fight hits the ground, Kape might be live to submit Perez. Perez is on his way out, while Kape could be heading towards fighting for a world title in the near future. Kape should be in the -250 area here.
