{"id":714056,"date":"2026-06-04T04:57:40","date_gmt":"2026-06-04T04:57:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/714056\/"},"modified":"2026-06-04T04:57:40","modified_gmt":"2026-06-04T04:57:40","slug":"ufc-vegas-118s-best-betting-props-parlays-and-picks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/714056\/","title":{"rendered":"UFC Vegas 118\u2019s best betting props, parlays and picks"},"content":{"rendered":"

UFC Vegas 118<\/a> is live this weekend (Sat., June 6, 2026) inside META APEX<\/a> and streaming on Paramount+<\/a>. This is the second trip to the APEX in three weeks and we\u2019ve got a recent former champ headlining!<\/p>\n

That\u2019s rare for the warehouse.<\/p>\n

Belal Muhammad vs. Gabriel Bonfim<\/a> is our main event this weekend. It was little more than one year ago when Muhammad lost his UFC Welterweight title to Jack Della Maddalena. Now, he\u2019s just hoping to stay relevant at 170 pounds.<\/p>\n

The co-main event is Brendan Allen vs. Edmen Shahbazyan<\/a>, with Allen looking to hold his ranking and Shahbazyan looking to break in as a potential contender. The main card is rounded out with Fares Ziam vs. Tom Nolan, Bryce Mitchell vs. Santiago Luna, Matt Schnell vs. Alessandro Costa and Iwo Baraniewski vs. Junior Tafa.<\/p>\n

The featured \u201cPrelim\u201d is Matt Schnell vs. Alessandro Costa. I don\u2019t know why, though. There\u2019s a better Flyweight fight further down the card with Bruno Silva vs. Edgar Chairez. The undercard also has Marcus McGhee vs. John Yannis. McGhee\u2019s last fight was a co-main event against current champ Petr Yan.<\/p>\n

As always, there\u2019s lots to bet on this card and we\u2019ve got odds for all the fights below:<\/p>\n

\"Tim<\/a>\"MMA<\/p>\n

FIGHT STREAK RESULTS FOR UFC MACAU!!!!! Get your picks in for UFC Vegas 118!<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

That was a great event for most of us here. Lots of folks got back on the horse and some also hit their all-time high in streaks. JKWI took sole position of the lead, thanks to picking Song Yadong to beat Deiveson Figueiredo.<\/p>\n

I even got on the board, with my Kai Asakura pick. Song, Pavlovich and Asakura was some of the most picked fighters on this card.<\/p>\n

I want to give a shout out to SuperMaskedBanana, who was the only one to pick Angela Hill. Hill did exactly what Banana bro said she would.<\/p>\n

“I’ve had bad luck with the heavyweights, but I am very tempted to go with Pavolivich – because I feel like that is a lock.<\/p>\n

BUT I’ve had good luck with the strawweights and I feel like Angela Hill is going to outwork Xiong Jingnan. She’s been pretty inactive the last few years and they’re both getting a big older.<\/p>\n

So my pick is Angela Hill.”<\/p>\n

Here’s what we’re looking at this week:<\/p>\n

UFC Vegas 118 Main Event On Paramount+<\/a>:<\/p>\n

170 lbs.: Belal Muhammad vs. Gabriel Bonfim<\/p>\n

UFC Vegas 118 Main Card on Paramount+<\/a> (8 p.m. ET):<\/p>\n

185 lbs.: Brendan Allen vs. Edmen Shahbazyan<\/a>
155 lbs.: Fares Ziam vs. Tom Nolan
135 lbs.: Bryce Mitchell vs. Santiago Luna<\/a>
125 lbs.: Matt Schnell vs. Alessandro Costa
205 lbs.: Iwo Baraniewski vs. Junior Tafa<\/p>\n

UFC Vegas 118 \u2018Prelims\u2019 Card on Paramount+<\/a> (5 p.m. ET):<\/p>\n

135 lbs.: Marcus McGhee vs. John Yannis
125 lbs.: Edgar Chairez vs. Bruno Silva
135 lbs.: Priscila Cachoeira vs. Chelsea Chandler
145 lbs.: Joanderson Brito vs. Jordan Leavitt
125 lbs.: Jeisla Chaves vs. Yuneisy Duben
115 lbs.: Ariane Carnelossi vs. Ketlen Souza<\/p>\n

Who ya got? <\/p>\n

I’ll take Fares Ziam. <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Rec 1CommentsThin Stroke Comment Icon BubbleReplyRead 22 replies<\/p>\n

UFC Vegas 118 Main Card Money Line Odds<\/p>\n

\"Belal<\/a><\/p>\n

Belal Muhammad hopes to get back in the win column at UFC Vegas 118. Noushad Thekkayil\/NurPhoto via Getty Images<\/p>\n

Belal Muhammad (-122) vs. Gabriel Bonfim (+102)<\/p>\n

Muhammad won UFC\u2019s Welterweight title in July 2024 with his drubbing of Leon Edwards. He lost the title 10 months later in a close fight with Jack Della Maddalena. A few months after that, he dropped a decision to Ian Machado Garry. It\u2019s amazing to think that just thirteen months ago Muhammad was the champion in this division. Now he\u2019s fighting in the warehouse, for the first time since 2022.<\/p>\n

Bonfim headlined the APEX in Nov. 2025 and TKO\u2019d Randy Brown (see it here<\/a>). Before that, he took a split decision over Stephen Thompson. And before that, he got a brutal brabo choke on Khaos Williams (see that here<\/a>). That all has made him 19-1 overall and 6-1 in UFC. His lone UFC loss was a technical knockout to Nicolas Dalby (relive that here<\/a>), when Bonfim was the huge -650 favorite.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve gone back-and-forth on this fight, but I ultimately believe that Muhammad is too good at what he does to get knocked off by a rising talent like Bonfim. And that\u2019s in spite of Muhammad closing in on 40. We\u2019ve seen a few guys with his skillset show they can still compete at this level, especially when fighting outside the Top 5<\/a> (Kamaru Usman, Aljamain Sterling). I don\u2019t think Muhammad\u2019s motor has started falling off yet, so I think he\u2019s going to be able to get hold of Bonfim and bully him against the fence and on the ground.<\/p>\n

Bonfim is very dangerous at range, but Muhammad is very hard to stop. The only stoppage of his career was a TKO to Vicente Luque in his third ever UFC fight. Since then he\u2019s been in with the best and gone the distance (including Luque a second time).<\/p>\n

Bonfim\u2019s leg kicks are part of the reason(s) he\u2019s so dangerous from range. He battered Brown with those and that\u2019s what opened up his opportunities to attack the head.<\/p>\n

If Bonfim throws leg kicks in this fight, he has to worry about being taken down. So I think he\u2019s either going get put on his back as a result of those kicks or he\u2019s not going to throw them. That\u2019s going to stop him breaking\/slowing Muhammad down. And that, I think, means he\u2019s going to have to live with Muhammad right up in his kitchen.<\/p>\n

Bonfim does have good takedown defense, but Muhammad doesn\u2019t need to land a takedown and put you on your back to be effective. His kind of grappling success doesn\u2019t show up in the stats book. He\u2019s great at getting guys down to one knee and making them fight for their lives to get back to standing (while tapping them with punches).<\/p>\n

Bonfim has also never fought for five rounds before. If Muhammad implements his game plan for for two or three rounds, I think there\u2019s a chance Bonfim will have nothing to offer in the fourth and fifth.<\/p>\n

Muhammad is not a finisher, so I like him to get the decision here. For my best bet, I\u2019ll take the moneyline, since those are good odds on a fighter of his level.<\/p>\n

The over is tempting, too, though. The round total is 3.5 and the over is -188. The under is +145.<\/p>\n

The point spread has Muhammad at -5.5 at +150. I don\u2019t like taking minus points on a fighter unless I strongly believe they can get a finish, though. Bonfim +5.5 is -205. That\u2019s a great bet if you like Bonfim. Even though I like Muhammad, I can see a situation where Bonfim has a good first two rounds before slowing down.<\/p>\n

Best bet: Belal Muhammad moneyline (-122)<\/p>\n

\"Tim<\/a>\"MMA\"Edmen<\/a><\/p>\n

Edmen Shahbazyan gets a big opportunity at UFC Vegas 118. Jeff Bottari\/Zuffa LLC<\/p>\n

Brendan Allen (-218) vs. Edmen Shahbazyan (+180)<\/p>\n

Allen\u2019s reward for devastating Reiner de Ridder and dominating Marvin Vettori is a bout with someone outside the Top 15<\/a>? He\u2019s seeded No. 4<\/a> at Middleweight right now, but he\u2019ll lose that if he\u2019s beaten by Shahbazyan. Despite only being 30, Allen is an 18-fight UFC veteran (with 14 wins). Those two most recent wins, which included making de Ridder quit on the stool (see it here<\/a>), are the best of his career.<\/p>\n

The last time Shahbazyan was on a nice winning streak he got brought down to earth by Derek Brunson. That third round technical knockout was followed by three losses in his next four bouts. He was TKO\u2019d twice on that run (by Anthony Hernandez and Nassourdine Imavov \u2014 not much shame in that). He\u2019s gotten back into the win column with victories over Dylan Budka, Andre Petroski and Andre Munoz.<\/p>\n

I think history might repeat itself here, with Shahbazyan falling short when trying to take out a very established top tier Middleweight talent. These kind of match-ups usually happen when the established guy is on the way down, but Allen has looked better than ever in his last two fights. A big part of that is how aggressive he\u2019s been. He\u2019s looked a lot like Fluffy Hernandez in these fights, someone Allen has lost to twice (but has never been beat up by). If Allen brings that level of intensity and activity to this fight, I don\u2019t think Shahbazyan will be able to keep up.<\/p>\n

Shahbazyan has power, but Allen has a great chin. He\u2019s only lost twice by strikes. One was to a prime Chris Curtis and the other was to Sean Strickland. Shahbazyan\u2019s grappling is only so-so, so that\u2019s an area that Allen could probably exploit, too.<\/p>\n

Best bet: Brendan Allen moneyline (-218)<\/p>\n

\"Tim<\/a>\"MMA\"Fares<\/a><\/p>\n

Fares Ziam will try to keep his run going at UFC Vegas 118. Jeff Bottari\/Zuffa LLC<\/p>\n

Fares Ziam (-325) vs. Tom Nolan (+260)<\/p>\n

Ziam has looked like a contender over the last few years. He\u2019s currently on a six-fight win streak and is now 8-2 in UFC. In his last fight, he got a technical knockout over fellow sniper Nazim Sadykhov. Before that, he dominated Mike Davis and blew away Matt Frevola with a knee (see it here<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Nolan is on a four-fight win streak. He\u2019s looked a little more vulnerable during that run, though, getting knocked down in two of those wins. In his last fight, he dominated and submitted Charlie Campbell in the first round (see it here<\/a>).<\/p>\n

I think Ziam is going to get another big win here. Nolan plays really fast and loose with his defense and, so far, he\u2019s been able to laugh it off. In one post fight interview he said he thinks he needs to get hurt in order to wake up and start fighting. If Ziam hurts him, I don\u2019t think Nolan is going to have much of a chance to fight back.<\/p>\n

Nolan is a very lanky Lightweight at 6\u20193\u201d and with 73 inches of reach. This will be his first UFC fight against someone close to his own size. Ziam is just two inches shorter and he actually has a longer reach.<\/p>\n

On paper, there\u2019s a lot in favor for Ziam, too. Ziam\u2019s sig. striking accuracy, strikes absorbed per minute and sig. striking defense are a lot better than Nolan\u2019s. The striking defense numbers really jump out. Ziam\u2019s is 65 percent and Nolan\u2019s is 48 percent.<\/p>\n

Nolan is going to want to brawl, but I think he\u2019s going to miss and then go down off a strike he doesn\u2019t see coming.<\/p>\n

Best bet: Fares Ziam by KO\/TKO\/DQ (+120)<\/p>\n

\"Tim<\/a>\"MMA<\/p>\n

Do you watch entire UFC APEX cards live?<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

Closes in 4 days \u2022 31 total votesView results<\/p>\n

Yep, every second.Just the main card\/event.Hell no.Other (see comments)Rec 0CommentsThin Stroke Comment Icon BubbleReplyRead 12 replies\"Bryce<\/a><\/p>\n

Bryce Mitchell gets a short notice opponent at UFC Vegas 118. Chris Unger\/Zuffa LLC<\/p>\n

Bryce Mitchell (-148) vs. Santiago Luna (+124)<\/p>\n

Mitchell made his Bantamweight debut last July and took a decision over Said Nurmagomedov. He\u2019s done some pro grappling since then, which included fighting to a draw with old foe Jean Silva at Hype FC in Brazil. He was supposed to fight Victor Henry on Saturday, but Henry had to pull out.<\/p>\n

\u201cBorderboy\u201d Luna is 8-0 and 2-0 in UFC. In his debut he got a first round TKO over Quang Le (see it here<\/a>), which made the Noche UFC crowd go wild. He followed that up with a decision win over Angel Pacheco in February.<\/p>\n

This is a pretty interesting match-up.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m sure Luna hasn\u2019t seen anything close to Mitchell\u2019s level on the ground. And if this fight is spent just grappling, I think Mitchell should have a pretty easy time getting to his back and forcing a submission.<\/p>\n

Luna\u2019s athleticism and explosiveness adds a wrinkle to this thinking, though. He is incredibly strong for his weight (you should watch some of the suplexes he\u2019s pulled off in his career). Despite Mitchell coming down in weight recently, Luna will be the bigger and stronger guy. Luna also has the four inch reach advantage.<\/p>\n

I think Luna is going to be taking Mitchell down in this one. From that point we could see Luna go wild with ground and pound and secure the biggest win of his career. Or we might see Mitchell\u2019s experience and veteran savvy lead to sweeps or potential submissions off his back.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m going to go with Luna here, since\u2026 well, I don\u2019t want to bet on Mitchell.<\/p>\n

Best bet: Santiago Luna moneyline (+124)<\/p>\n

Betting on sports involves risk, so please only wager amounts you can afford to lose. If you or someone you know if struggling with gambling help can be found with the organizations listed below:<\/p>\n

USA: National Problem Gambling Helpline \u2014 Call or text 1-800-GAMBLER to receive support and learn about available services.UK: GamCare – Call 0808 8020 133 to speak to an advisor about gambling (or visit gamecare.org.uk for live chat and forum options).Canada: Visit responsiblegambling.org for resources on helplines in Canada\u2019s various provinces and territories.Australia\/New Zealand: National Gambling Helpline \u2014 Call (800) 858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au.\"Will<\/a><\/p>\n

Will Matt Schnell retire, again, at UFC Vegas 118? Jeff Bottari\/Zuffa LLC<\/p>\n

Matt Schnell (+525) vs. Alessandro Costa (-700)<\/p>\n

Schnell retired when he lost to Cody Durden in Sept. 2024, via a ninja choke. He returned a year later, though, and took a decision over Jimmy Flick. In November he was submitted by Joseph Morales.<\/p>\n

Costa beat Stewart Nicoll in April with a sick liver punch. That saw him rebound from his surprising technical knockout loss to Alden Coria. Costa was the -370 favorite in that fight and Coria was coming in on short notice. History might be kind to Costa, though, given how Coria has looked since.<\/p>\n

Spoiler alert, but I\u2019m not picking Schnell to win anything at this stage of his career, much less against one of the better lesser knowns in the division.<\/p>\n

Costa is much younger and faster than Schnell and he hits for a heck of a lot more power. I think Costa is probably going to get the finish here. I\u2019ll take the under, even if it is set low at 1.5 rounds.<\/p>\n

Best bet: Under 1.5 rounds (-160)<\/p>\n

\"Tim<\/a>\"MMA<\/p>\n

FIGHT STREAK RESULTS FOR UFC MACAU!!!!! Get your picks in for UFC Vegas 118!<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

That was a great event for most of us here. Lots of folks got back on the horse and some also hit their all-time high in streaks. JKWI took sole position of the lead, thanks to picking Song Yadong to beat Deiveson Figueiredo.<\/p>\n

I even got on the board, with my Kai Asakura pick. Song, Pavlovich and Asakura was some of the most picked fighters on this card.<\/p>\n

I want to give a shout out to SuperMaskedBanana, who was the only one to pick Angela Hill. Hill did exactly what Banana bro said she would.<\/p>\n

“I’ve had bad luck with the heavyweights, but I am very tempted to go with Pavolivich – because I feel like that is a lock.<\/p>\n

BUT I’ve had good luck with the strawweights and I feel like Angela Hill is going to outwork Xiong Jingnan. She’s been pretty inactive the last few years and they’re both getting a big older.<\/p>\n

So my pick is Angela Hill.”<\/p>\n

Here’s what we’re looking at this week:<\/p>\n

UFC Vegas 118 Main Event On Paramount+<\/a>:<\/p>\n

170 lbs.: Belal Muhammad vs. Gabriel Bonfim<\/p>\n

UFC Vegas 118 Main Card on Paramount+<\/a> (8 p.m. ET):<\/p>\n

185 lbs.: Brendan Allen vs. Edmen Shahbazyan<\/a>
155 lbs.: Fares Ziam vs. Tom Nolan
135 lbs.: Bryce Mitchell vs. Santiago Luna<\/a>
125 lbs.: Matt Schnell vs. Alessandro Costa
205 lbs.: Iwo Baraniewski vs. Junior Tafa<\/p>\n

UFC Vegas 118 \u2018Prelims\u2019 Card on Paramount+<\/a> (5 p.m. ET):<\/p>\n

135 lbs.: Marcus McGhee vs. John Yannis
125 lbs.: Edgar Chairez vs. Bruno Silva
135 lbs.: Priscila Cachoeira vs. Chelsea Chandler
145 lbs.: Joanderson Brito vs. Jordan Leavitt
125 lbs.: Jeisla Chaves vs. Yuneisy Duben
115 lbs.: Ariane Carnelossi vs. Ketlen Souza<\/p>\n

Who ya got? <\/p>\n

I’ll take Fares Ziam. <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Rec 1CommentsThin Stroke Comment Icon BubbleReplyRead 22 replies\"Iwo<\/a><\/p>\n

Iwo Baraniewski should bring the fun at UFC Vegas 118. Chris Unger\/Zuffa LLC<\/p>\n

Iwo Baraniewski (-360) vs. Junior Tafa (+285)<\/p>\n

Baraniewski might be the most fun fighter we have in the Octagon today. He won his Contender Series fight in Sept. 2025 with a 20 second technical knockout. Then, in December, he and Ibo Aslan threw down in an all-time slobber knocker that ended in 90 seconds with Aslan getting face-planted (see it here<\/a>). In March, Baraniewski was fed Austen Lane, who he took out in just 28 seconds (see it here<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Tafa got his first win as a Light Heavyweight in Perth last month, when he landed a scary KO on Kevin Christian (see it here). Before that he was submitted by Billy Elekana and Tuco Tokkos. He\u2019s 3-5 in UFC.<\/p>\n

I want Baraniewski\u2019s run to continue, so I\u2019m hoping for another furious 90 seconds of thrills and spills. It doesn\u2019t seem like Baraniewski knows any other way to fight.<\/p>\n

Tafa\u2019s counter-punching is going to need to be on point. He\u2019s going to have Baraniewski charging down his position and he\u2019s going to need to land something hard on the button or else he\u2019s getting wrecked.<\/p>\n

Tafa has looked a little overwhelmed at times in fights. He\u2019s quite moody in there. And when he\u2019s trailing his body language looks terrible. I\u2019m not sure he\u2019s going to handle the pressure Baraniewski brings him and I think the legend of Iwo is going to grow some more after this one.<\/p>\n

Best bet: Iwo Baraniewski moneyline (-360)<\/p>\n

\"Andrew<\/a>\"MMA<\/p>\n

We\u2019re halfway through 2026 \u2014 who ends the year as champ?<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

My predictions \u2026<\/p>\n

Van (beats Pantoja, but loses to Kape if that fight happens instead)<\/p>\n

Yan (beats Merab)<\/p>\n

Volk (beats Movsar)<\/p>\n

Topuria (kill everybody)<\/p>\n

Islam (slightly favor him over Garry)<\/p>\n

Strickland (due to injury timeline mostly)<\/p>\n

Ulberg (injury)<\/p>\n

Gane (slightly favor over Pereira)<\/p>\n

So, I\u2019m not seeing a lot of movement personally. You?<\/p>\n

Rec 1CommentsThin Stroke Comment Icon BubbleReplyRead 20 replies<\/p>\n

UFC Vegas 118 \u2018Prelims\u2019 Under Card Odds<\/p>\n

\"Marcus<\/a><\/p>\n

Marcus McGhee lands on the \u201cPrelims\u201d at UFC Vegas 118. Chris Unger\/Zuffa LLC<\/p>\n

Marcus McGhee (-500) vs. John Yannis (+380)<\/p>\n

McGhee\u2019s last fight was against Petr Yan as the co-main event at UFC Abu Dhabi last July. He lost that fight via a pretty lopsided unanimous decision. That big opportunity came after he went 4-0 to start his UFC career. After that loss, though, he\u2019s landed back in the warehouse and on the \u201cPrelims\u201d, too!<\/p>\n

Yannis has fought twice in UFC. He came in on ultra short notice for his debut, against Austin Bashi last August. He was steamrolled by the hot prospect there, losing by submission in the first round (see it here<\/a>). He won in his last fight, though. In Winnipeg he bludgeoned Jamie Siraj for a first round TKO (see it here<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Yannis looked miles better in his second fight, compared to his first. It might be one of the biggest leaps in performance I\u2019ve seen in recent years. That might be because his debut was on short notice and might have come with some jitters. Against Siraj, which was in hostile territory, he looked very confident and his striking was super clean.<\/p>\n

If he\u2019s taken another jump forwards, then I wouldn\u2019t be surprised if this is a much closer fight than the odds suggest.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s hard to deny that McGhee is the best fighter Yannis has ever faced, by light years, though. And McGhee, himself, might experience a bump in performance now he\u2019s been in there with a champ. But if he\u2019s looking beyond Yannis, he might get surprised. That being said, I don\u2019t think we\u2019ve seen anything in him that would suggest that kind of lack of focus.<\/p>\n

With McGhee being such a huge favorite, the under is also the favorite. I think this is going to be three competitive rounds of fighting, though.<\/p>\n

Best bet: Over 2.5 rounds (+105)<\/p>\n

\"Edgar<\/a><\/p>\n

Edgar Chairez and Bruno Silva might steal the show at UFC Vegas 118. Jeff Bottari\/Zuffa LLC<\/p>\n

Bruno Silva (-135) vs. Edgar Chairez (+114)<\/p>\n

This has Fight of the Night written all over it.<\/p>\n

Silva is coming off a split decision loss to Charles Johnson. Before that he submitted Hyun Sung Park (see it here<\/a>). And before that he was TKO\u2019d by current champ Joshua Van.<\/p>\n

Chairez lost a decision to Van back in Sphere in 2024. Since then he\u2019s fought and won twice. He earned a Performance of the Night for a first round submission on CJ Vergara. And, in February, he took a split decision over Felipe Bunes.<\/p>\n

This is a really close one. Silva is the better grappler, but I have a feeling we\u2019re going to see a brawl here. Silva likes to throw down, even when that might not be the best idea for him. And Chairez has literally never attempted a takedown in his UFC career.<\/p>\n

Both these guys absorb more strikes than they land, on average. It\u2019s because they both kind of embody that \u201ctake one to land one\u201d spirit. That\u2019s a big reason why neither of them has been able to sustain much of a run in UFC, where so many opponents will make you pay for that approach.<\/p>\n

I like Chairez in this scenario. He\u2019s got a six inch reach advantage and he\u2019s also six years younger (that comes with a decent speed advantage, too).<\/p>\n

Best bet: Edgar Chairez moneyline (+114)<\/p>\n

\"Chelsea<\/a><\/p>\n

Chelsea Chandler is somehow still in the UFC. Jeff Bottari\/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images<\/p>\n

Chelsea Chandler (-125) vs. Priscilla Cachoeira (+105)<\/p>\n

Chander is 2-3 in UFC and 6-4 overall. The 35 year-old was torched by Joselyne Edwards in her last fight, losing by first round technical knockout. That was all the way back in April 2025. Before that, she lost to Yana Santos, in a fight she missed weight for. She also missed weight in her fight prior to that, which she won by decision.<\/p>\n

Cachoeira was stopped by Edwards last year, too (see it here<\/a>). She\u2019s 1-5 in her last five and 5-8 in UFC. Last time out, in February, she dropped a decision to Klaudia Sygula.<\/p>\n

Wow, this might be the lowest level fight we\u2019ve seen in UFC this year.<\/p>\n

Cachoeira likely leads UFC in significant strikes absorbed per minute with 7.6. And we\u2019re far enough away from that epic Valentina Shevchenko beatdown to claim that bout is skewing the numbers. Sygula was able to land 151 shots on her!<\/p>\n

Chandler is bigger and longer than Cachoeira (and she\u2019ll probably miss weight). Cachoeira is probably the more technical striker (despite being pretty awful). I\u2019m taking the Brazilian here because, for all her missteps, I think she\u2019s pretty serious about competing and winning fights.<\/p>\n

I also think Chandler\u2019s long layoff is a big red flag.<\/p>\n

Best bet: Priscilla Cachoeira moneyline (+105)<\/p>\n

\"Jordan<\/a><\/p>\n

Jordan Leavitt\u2019s Featherweight adventure continues at UFC Vegas 118. Jack Gorman\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

Jordan Leavitt (+160) vs. Joanderson Brito (-192)<\/p>\n

Leavitt looked great in his Featherweight debut in February. As the +330 underdog he dominated the formerly hot prospect Yadier del Valle. Leavitt\u2019s size advantage played a big role in that one. He\u2019s now 6-3 in UFC and 3-2 in his last five, with losses to Paddy Pimblett and Chase Hooper.<\/p>\n

Brito got a decision over short notice opponent Isaac Thomson in December. That snapped his two fight winning streak (to Pat Sabatini and William Gomis) and now has him 6-3 in UFC, too.<\/p>\n

Leavitt won\u2019t get to be a size bully in this fight. He and Brito have pretty similar measurables. Brito might be more thickly muscled, though. I like Brito in this match-up, since he should be able to match Leavitt in the grappling department, while also being the more potent striker.<\/p>\n

Leavitt\u2019s striking defense is good (1.59 sig. strikes absorbed per minute), but he doesn\u2019t do much offensively on his feet to control a fight. I think he\u2019s going to struggle to put his mark on this fight and will end up having to stand longer than he wants to.<\/p>\n

Best bet: Joanderson Brito moneyline (-192)<\/p>\n

\"Yuniesy<\/a><\/p>\n

Yuniesy Duben will look for her first post Contender Series win at UFC Vegas 118. Jeff Bottari\/Zuffa LLC<\/p>\n

Jeisla Chaves (-395) vs. Yuneisy Duben (+310)<\/p>\n

Chaves graduated from Contender Series in September with a bloody split decision win. She\u2019s now just 6-0 as a pro (despite already being 29 years-old). Duben is also 29. And she\u2019s 6-1. She won her Contender Series fight with an epic overhand KO (see it here<\/a>). She drew Carli Judice for her proper debut, though. Judice took her apart and finished her with a head kick (see it here<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Chaves is a massive favorite here, despite her only Octagon action coming in the Contender Series. That was a good fight, but it was very close. And Chaves was hurt in that fight, too. She was caught with the same punch that helped Duben go viral.<\/p>\n

I think how raw Duben has looked is a big reason why she\u2019s such a big underdog. I\u2019m not going to pick her, but I think she\u2019s capable of a surprise given how little we know about Chaves. I\u2019ll take the under here, since both these ladies throw hard shots and leave themselves open for hard shots coming back their way.<\/p>\n

Best bet: Under 2.5 rounds (+105)<\/p>\n

\"Ketlen<\/a><\/p>\n

Ketlen Souza will want to brawl at UFC Vegas 118. Chris Unger\/Zuffa LLC<\/p>\n

Ketlen Souza (-305) vs. Arianne Carnelossi (+245)<\/p>\n

Souza came from behind to take a decision over Bruna Brasil in February. Last year she fought, and lost, twice. Both of those were close split decisions to Piera Rodriguez and Angela Hill. She\u2019s 3-3 in UFC and has made all her contests pretty watchable with her aggressive brawling style.<\/p>\n

Carnelossi was submitted by Talita Alencar in November. Her last win was a DQ against Piera Rodriguez after she received a few intentional headbutts on the ground (see those here<\/a>). She\u2019s 3-3 in UFC, too, but she\u2019s not been nearly as exciting at Souza.<\/p>\n

I think Souza is going to be too active and volatile for Carnelossi to handle. Carnelossi takes thing slow and is quite robotic in her striking and grappling. I think Souza should be able to stay on her feet and win the exchanges while racking up a pretty good striking differential. She likely won\u2019t get the finish, though. So I\u2019ll take the over (since it\u2019s better odds than the moneyline).<\/p>\n

Best bet: Over 2.5 rounds (-238)<\/p>\n

\"I<\/a><\/p>\n

I think Fares Ziam will cause some violence at UFC Vegas 118. Jeff Bottari\/Zuffa LLC<\/p>\n

UFC Vegas 118 Long Shots!<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a couple of long shots for Saturday night\u2019s action …<\/p>\n

Fares Ziam to win by KO\/TKO\/DQ in Round 2 (+600)<\/p>\n

I\u2019m really high on Ziam, in general, but in this fight I think he\u2019s the far better fighter than Tom Nolan. Nolan is reckless with his defense and that\u2019s a terrible thing to be against someone as clean and technical as Ziam. I think Ziam gets the finish here, but I also think he\u2019ll be patient about it. Ziam doesn\u2019t rush things. He likes to wait and strike when he has the best opening. And he usually does that to devastating effect. This has resulted in two of his best highlight reel finishes coming in later rounds.<\/p>\n

Two-bet parlay: Santiago Luna and Priscila Cachoeira (+351)<\/p>\n

I think Luna might be too athletic for Bryce Mitchell. I think there\u2019s a chance Luna powers out of whatever Mitchell is hoping to do and is able to land on him with a lot of power in his hands, too. Cachoeira is the underdog despite her opponent being Chelsea Chandler\u2026 I\u2019m pairing them together here for a nice potential return.<\/p>\n

Marcus McGhee to win by split decision (+850)<\/p>\n

I like McGhee and I think he\u2019s a very good Bantamweight, despite his age and how far behind he is to Petr Yan (just like 90 percent of the division is). But I kind of saw something in John Yannis in his last fight. I think this fight is going to be very close and that McGhee comes out on top. McGhee is a heavy favorite, but if Yannis really shows up and McGhee takes him at all lightly, this could be a very competitive (and entertaining fight).<\/p>\n

To checkout the latest and greatest UFC Vegas 118: \u201cMuhammad vs. Bonfim\u201d news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"UFC Vegas 118 is live this weekend (Sat., June 6, 2026) inside META APEX and streaming on Paramount+.…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":714057,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[570],"tags":[64,63,786,40762,785,85,1396,179146,19458,19457,7990],"class_list":["post-714056","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-mma","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-fighting","tag-latest-ufc-mma-news","tag-mma","tag-sports","tag-ufc-news","tag-ufc-on-paramount","tag-ufc-odds","tag-ufc-predictions","tag-ufc-previews"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/714056","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=714056"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/714056\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/714057"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=714056"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=714056"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=714056"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}