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In a 3-round welterweight bout on the main card, Song Kenan and Muslim Salikhov battle at UFC Fight Night 248 Saturday at Galaxy Arena in Cotai, Macau. Let’s analyze FanDuel Sportsbook’s UFC odds around the UFC Fight Night 248: Song vs. Salikhov odds, and make our expert picks and predictions.
The prelims begin at 3 a.m. ET, with the main card beginning at 6 a.m. ET. All events can be viewed or streamed on ESPN+.
Records: Song (22-8-0) | Salikhov (20-5-0)
Song takes the walk to the octagon with a 1.5-inch reach advantage, and he’ll likely have a pro-China crowd on his side in nearby Macau, too. He holds a 4.57-to-3.32 significant strikes landed per minute advantage, although the veteran Salikhov is a lot more accurate on those strikes at 52.86%. He is also better in the takedown average department, posting a 1.12 mark, to just 0.43 for Song.
Kenan has needed the judges in each of his past 3 fights, winning 2 of those outings, including a unanimous-decision win over Ricky Glenn at UFC 305. For Salikhov, he picked up a split-decision win over Santiago Ponzinibbio last time out in mid-July, halting a 2-bout skid.
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UFC Fight Night 248: Song vs. Salikhov odds
Provided by FanDuel Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list UFC odds. Lines last updated Friday at 10:50 a.m. ET.
- Fight result (2-way line): Song +156 (bet $100 to win $156) | Salikhov -186 (bet $186 to win $100)
- Total rounds: 2.5 Rounds (Over -164 | Under +128)
- Will the fight go the distance? (Yes -132 | No +104)
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UFC Fight Night 248: Song vs. Salikhov picks and predictions
Fight result (2-way line or moneyline)
Salikhov (-186) is just a little too expensive to play straight up. The 40-year-old veteran, a.k.a. the “King of Kung Fu,” has seen it all in his illustrious career. He won’t be fazed by what is expected to be a pro-Song crowd.
While, yes, Salikhov is 2-3 in his past 5 fights, he has fought some of the top fighters in the division, and he had a KO/TKO of Andre Fialho Nov. 2022 during the 5-bout span.
Song (+156) has ended up going the distance in each of his past 3 fights, and he hasn’t fought the same type of top-tier welterweights that Salikhov has faced, nor does he have nearly the same experience.
BACK SALIKHOV BY POINTS (+185) for the chance to nearly double up.
Over/Under (O/U)
Over 2.5 Rounds (-164) is a little more pricey, but you couldn’t be blamed for playing it if you want a little wiggle room in the even of a late finish in Round 3.
Still, the preferred play is simply going YES: WILL THE FIGHT GO THE DISTANCE? (-132) at a much more economical price. With Song going to the judges in each of the past 3 fights, this could be the best play on the board.
Visit MMA Junkie for more fight news and analysis.
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For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW.
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