In a light heavyweight bout in the co-main event on Saturday’s card, Ovince Saint Preux and Jamahal Hill meet at UFC Vegas 16 at the UFC’s APEX facility in Las Vegas. The prelims kick off at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2/ESPN+, followed by the main card on ESPN2/ESPN+ at 10 p.m. ET. Other names for the event are UFC Fight Night: Hermansson vs. Vettori and UFC on ESPN 19.
Saint Preux (25-14) enters this one with a slight one-inch reach advantage. The veteran is coming off a second-round KO/TKO over Alonzo Menifield on the Sept. 5 Overeem-Sakai card at this very same venue. Eight of his past 10 fights have finished inside the distance, including three of the past four. He has two wins and no losses by way of knockout, and six finishes via submission, winning four of those fights.
Hill (7-0) had the result of his last fight against Klidson Abreu overturned on the May 30 Woodley-Burns card at this same venue. He knocked out Abreu in the first round at UFC on ESPN 9, but a positive marijuana test stripped him of that win, something he was extremely angry about. He was suspended until November and fined 15 percent of his show money, which roughly came out to $1,800.
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Ovince Saint Preux vs. Jamahal Hill: Betting odds, predictions and picks
Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated at 4:41 a.m. ET.
HILL (-165) steps back into the octagon with a chip on his shoulder and a lot to prove against the veteran Saint Preux (+140). Hill is angry about the positive drug test, and he is on record saying his usage occurred before he even took his last fight, not during training. He’ll have a point to prove, and that always makes for an attractive wager.
Look for HILL BY KO/TKO, DQ or SUBMISSION (+160) on the 5-way line, as he looks for the kill-shot early. As such, I like a two-round block taking HILL IN ROUND 1 (+400) and HILL IN ROUND 2 (+600). You will lose one end, but if he picks up the victory in either of the first two rounds, you’re still well ahead, which is always nice.
In addition, take UNDER 2.5 ROUNDS (-140), which is a little cheaper and more attractive than No (-185): Will the fight go the distance?
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Also see:
- UFC on ESPN 19 predictions (MMA Junkie)
- Photos: UFC on ESPN 19 weigh-ins & faceoffs (MMA Junkie)
- More UFC/MMA coverage from MMA Junkie
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