Prop Bets UFC Fight Night: San Diego Sans Judges?

UFC Fight Night: San Diego has big shoes to fill: Last week’s event saw all 10 of its bouts end in a finish. It is one of only two UFC events to boast this fact. We don’t expect all of San Diego’s fights to be finished, but the prop bets UFC Fight Night indicate we will still have plenty of finishes. In fact, eight of the 13 bouts have UFC odds props where a finish is the expected result.

Club or Sub: Vicious Finishes

One of the tried-and-true formulas for UFC matchmaking is to pit a submissions expert against a heavy-handed striker. This one tends to get finished one way or the other. Several bouts on the main card are structured this way.

In the co-main event, we have Nate “The Train” Landwehr facing David Onama. The latter is expected to knock Landwehr out as the favorite. But Landwehr has experience coming through as a dog and can submit Onama if he manages to survive his early onslaught.

In a featured bout, Gerald Meerschaert faces Bruno Silva. Meerschaert has the UFC record for submissions in the 185-pound division while Silva’s last seven wins have come via knockout. The prop bets UFC expect Silva to knock Meerschaert out. But we won’t put it past “GM3” to find a way to submit the Brazilian. At -350 on the betting lines, this fight is one of the favorites to be finished.

The other fight heavily expected to finish is a lightweight scrap between Charlie Ontiveros and Gabriel Benitez. Both are on a two-fight skid and were finished. If you bet on UFC Fight Night props for this one to not finish, you will have to lay the juice.

Which Female Fighters Can Finish?

Four of the five fights not expected to be finished are women’s fights. It’s not surprising as women’s MMA tends to lead to decisions; however, the prop bets UFC Fight Night give all three bouts a decent chance of finishing.

The strawweight bout between Yazmin Jauregui and Iasmin Lucindo is a “banger” of a low-level fight. That means anything can happen. At plus-money, betting on this to not go to the judges could be the play. Both Jauregui and Lucindo have plenty of TKO wins on their resume so these women will throw down.

Speaking of throwing down, the “Queen of Violence” Ariane Lipski fights “Zombie Girl” Priscila Cachoeira. We are about to witness a Brazilian-on-Brazilian crime here as Cachoeira is susceptible to getting lit up. And last but not least, Nina Nunes and Cynthia Calvillo is a striker-versus-grappler match that could lead to plenty of exchanges. Nunes was just submitted and Calvillo was beaten up twice straight.

Expect Savagery in the Main Event

Bringing it home is the main event featuring Marlon “Chito” Vera and Dominick Cruz. Vera is favored to edge Cruz in a fight that is likely to go to a decision. We don’t blame the oddsmakers as Vera has never been finished and Cruz, only once. These are two of the most durable fighters in the promotion.

Remember, Cruz the former two-time UFC Bantamweight Champion, has not fought a savage quite like Vera. The Ecuadorian is like a little Diaz brother: He keeps moving forward and gets stronger as the fight goes. Vera owns the most stoppage victories in the division with nine. His TKO victories have come via front kicks, elbows, and body punches. He does not discriminate.

Cruz’s only TKO loss came against the former champion, Henry Cejudo. But he’s also been hurt several times. Both Pedro Munhoz and Cody Garbrandt dropped him twice in one fight. While Vera is not exactly a power puncher, he has whittled down his opponents’ defenses until they fold. Cruz’s brittle knees are also there for Vera to kick off.  If Vera is to beat Cruz, he will do it as he usually does: in a brutal way.