This article is part of our UFC Picks series.
The UFC is set for its historic event at the Sphere in Las Vegas, Nevada on Saturday, September 14 for UFC 306. The event is headlined by a bantamweight title fight between Sean O'Malley and Merab Dvalishvili.
Below, I'll share my UFC 306 predictions, including my favorite pick, an underdog, a prop and a two-fighter parlay. All UFC odds are via the DraftKings Sportsbook and are accurate as of the post date of this article.
Weight Class: Bantamweight
Sean O'Malley (18-1, 1 NC) vs. Merab Dvalishvili (17-4)
Sean O'Malley is looking to defend his bantamweight title against Merab Dvalishvili, and I like 'Suga' to get the win here.
O'Malley is coming off a decision win over Marlon Vera, and although Dvalishvili is known for his wrestling and cardio, I like the matchup for the champ. O'Malley does a good job keeping distance with his footwork, and I expect 'Suga' to avoid the takedowns.
Dvalishvili, meanwhile, is there to be hit, and I think his chin is a bit of a concern. O'Malley will be able to find his mark and get a knockout in the first or second round.
UFC 306 Bet: Sean O'Malley (-130)
Weight Class: Featherweight
Brian Ortega (16-3, 1 NC) vs. Diego Lopes (25-6)
Brian Ortega and Diego Lopes were supposed to fight in June on short notice, but Ortega fell ill, and the fight was scratched on fight night. In June, I liked Ortega, and I still expect him to win as an underdog here.
Lopes is an early finisher, but his cardio is a bit of a concern, while Ortega is very durable. Ortega is also a great grappler, so Lopes shouldn't have a grappling advantage as he has had in the past.
The first round will likely be tough, as Lopes does have power and starts strong. But, I like Ortega to start to take over in the second and third rounds with his striking and grappling to edge out a decision.
UFC 306 Bet: Brian Ortega (+145)
Weight Class: Flyweight
Ronaldo Rodriguez (16-2) vs. Ode Osbourne (12-7)
For my prop at UFC 306, I'm taking Ronaldo Rodriguez to finish Ode Osbourne.
Rodriguez is set for his second UFC fight, and he opens the main card against Osbourne. This is a good spot to take the Mexican to win by stoppage.
Rodriguez is coming off a submission win in his UFC debut, while Osbourne has been finished in all five of his UFC losses. Osbourne's chin is a bit of a concern, but his submission defense is the real issue. He's coming off back-to-back submission losses.
Rodriguez, meanwhile, is known for his grappling. I expect him to take Osbourne down and get ahold of his back to get a submission win. However, it is better to take the ITD prop in case he gets Osbourne down and scores a ground-and-pound win.
UFC 306 Bet: Ronaldo Rodriguez by KO/TKO/DQ or Submission (+150)
Weight Classes: Strawweight & Lightweight
Yazmin Jauregui (11-1) vs Ketlen Souza (14-4)
Daniel Zellhuber (15-1) vs Esteban Ribovics (13-1)
For my parlay, I'm taking Yazmin Jauregui and Daniel Zellhuber to get their hands raised Saturday at UFC 306.
Jauregui is 11-1, and the Mexican-born fighter gets a very favorable matchup here against Souza. Jauregui's lone loss was a quick KO loss in a fight she just got caught in. Souza, meanwhile, isn't a a great striker, which is what Jauregui is best at. Even if Jauregui can't get a TKO win, she will be able to out-land Souza to a clear-cut decision win.
To close out the parlay, I'm backing Zellhuber to beat Ribovics. Zellhuber is a tall, rangy striker who should be able to piece up Ribovics. Ribovics is coming off a nasty KO win over Terrance McKinney, but Zellhuber has a great chin.
Zelhuber will be more active on the feet and can even use his wrestling to win a decision.
UFC 306 Bet: Yazmin Jauregui & Daniel Zellhuber parlay (-139)
Here is a recap of my best UFC picks for this weekend's UFC 306 card.
- Sean O'Malley (-130)
- Brian Ortega (+145)
- Ronaldo Rodriguez by KO/TKO/DQ or submission (+150)
- Yazmin Jauregui & Daniel Zellhuber parlay (-139)
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