UFC Fight Night: Santos vs. Ankalaev – Preview and Betting Odds

Last Updated on March 9, 2022 12:52 pm by Erwin Noguera

Santos-Ankalaev - Gambyl Sports Betting Exchange — UFC Fight Night Santos vs Ankalaev

On Saturday, March 12th, 2022, we get a big fight card, as we are not only getting our 5 main card bouts, but we get a 6th fight on the main event in Vegas, Nevada.

The main event gets a Light Heavyweight bout between Thiago “Marreta” Santos and Magomed Ankalaev.

The co-main event, get a killer match-up in which Marlon Moraes and Yadong Song clash on their path in the Bantamweight division.

Before they get to the cage, the Flyweights, Alex Caceres and Sodiq Yusuff will be putting on a show.

Khalil Rountree and Karl Roberson will try to break each other down in the Light Heavyweight division.

We also get Drew Dober vs. Terrance McKinney in the lightweight division and Bruno Silva vs. Alex Pereira in a middleweight bout.

You can check all the UFC/MMA bets, the analysis of each fighter, and the final bet you can make in this fight.

UFC Fight Night – Santos vs. Ankalaev – Betting Odds and Free Picks – Info

When: Saturday, March 12th, at 4:00 pm ET

Moneyline odds:

Thiago Santos +380 / Magomed Ankalaev -530

Marlon Moraes +195/ Yadong Song -250

Alex Caceres +205 / Sodiq Yusuff -245

Khalil Rountree +100 / Karl Roberson -130

Drew Dober -175 / Terrance McKinney +145

Bruno Silva +155 / Alex Pereira -185

Draw Offs: –

Where Can I Watch? ESPN +

Where Can I Stream? ESPN Go

Thiago Santos vs. Magomed Ankalaev

Why Bet on Thiago Santos

Thiago “Marreta” Santos is the No. 5-ranked light heavyweight contender and is coming off a decision win against Johnny Walker in October, which snapped a three-fight losing streak.

However, those defeats came against some of the best in the division.

This includes a close title loss to Jon Jones, a third-round submission to current champ Glover Teixeira, and a lackluster decision against No. 3 ranked contender Aleksandar Rakic last March.

Santos had gone 8-1 in his previous nine UFC fights before that title challenge against Jones, including stoppage wins against Jan Blachowicz and Anthony Smith.

The 38-year-old has scary power with his kicks and dynamite in his hands, with eight of his last 10 wins coming by the way of knockout.

Why Bet on Magomed Ankalaev

Magomed Ankalaev is No. 6 in the light heavyweight rankings and is on a seven-fight winning streak, most recently defeating Volkan Oezdemir by unanimous decision in October.

Ankalaev has just one loss in his MMA career when he made his promotional debut four years ago against submission-specialist Paul Craig and was en route to a clear victory before getting caught in a triangle choke with one second left in the bout.

The 29-year-old has a background in combat sambo and is a very well-rounded fighter that combines strong wrestling ability with powerful and accurate kickboxing.

Final Betting Analysis: Thiago Santos vs. Magomed Ankalaev

It’s easy to see why Ankalaev is the favorite in this fight. He’s younger, more well-rounded, and his career trajectory appears to be heading in the opposite direction from Santos.

Marreta might have snapped his losing streak against Walker but he didn’t impress in that bout, with both fighters seemingly wary of each other’s power.

The injuries he got during the Jones fight seem to have limited his explosiveness and the effectiveness of his Muay Thai, which has severely hurt his offensive output.

Ankalaev is very precise and powerful in his striking and can rely on his wrestling and clinch work when things get messy.

That said, Ankalaev should get the win, and our betting token is placed on him.

Marlon Moraes vs. Yadong Song

Why Bet on Marlon Moraes

Moraes heads into the fight with a record of 1-4 from his last five, with his win over Jose Aldo being very controversial since, well, Aldo probably deserved the win.

Although the Brazilian might be past his sell-by date, he is dangerous and still capable of upsetting the apple cart.

Why Bet on Yadong Song

If the Chinese bantamweight lives up to those expectations, he’ll need a big performance against Marlon Moraes.

Song has lost from his last twelve fights just once.

That was against Kyler Phillips when the American took him to the cards.

Since then, he has registered back-to-back victories over Casey Kenney and Julio Arce, with the last fight ending with a spectacular TKO finish.

Final Betting Analysis: Marlon Moraes vs. Yadong Song

Moraes has lost his last three fights by stoppage and will not have the cardio to push through three rounds against his opponent.

The game plan for Moraes will be to go in there and look for the finish.

If this is the case, you can expect the former World Series of Fighting bantamweight champion to end up on his back.

What’s worse, a knockout loss could even see him get his marching orders from the promotion.

We have our token placed on Yadong Song.

Alex Caceres vs. Sodiq Yusuff

Why Bet on Alex Caceres

Alex Caceres made his UFC debut back in 2011, and he is currently a veteran running on a winning streak.

With 25 fights in the UFC and an up-and-down run, it has been impressive that “Bruce Leeroy” has scored a 5 fight Win-Streak at this stage of his career.

Why Bet on Sodiq Yusuff

Another hot up-and-coming challenger, Yusuff comes in with a record of 11 wins and 2 losses.

He is looking to get the rebound from the loss in his last fight, but the streaks he has managed to get so far prove he is just going to go forward in the promotion.

Final Betting Analysis: Alex Caceres vs. Sodiq Yusuff

This fight has the potential to turn into one of the best fights of the year, as both fighters like to not only showcase their skillset but put on a show in their fights.

The more we see of that, the better it is for all fight fans.

However, when it comes to our betting pick, we have to take Yusuff, as the younger fighter is likely to be able to handle what Caceres has to offer and break his streak.

Khalil Rountree vs. Karl Roberson

Why Bet on Khalil Rountree

Khalil Rountree returned to the win column with a TKO victory over Modestas Bukauskas in September.

The fight garnered controversy at the time, with some criticizing Rountree’s oblique kick technique.

Rountree’s previous fight was also tinged with controversy, with the -400 betting favorite losing a decision to Marcin Prachnio despite many scoring it for Rountree.

Why Bet on Karl Roberson

Karl Roberson is on a two-fight skid with stoppage losses to Marvin Vettori and Brendan Allen in the past 18 months.

All four of Roberson’s career losses have come by submission. He earned his UFC contract with a 15-second knockout on Dana White’s Contender Series.

Final Betting Analysis: Khalil Rountree vs. Karl Roberson

Khalil Rountree and Karl Roberson are well-matched in the height and reach department. Both fighters are 6”1 and possess a 74-inch reach.

The two Light Heavyweights also possess an identical finishing rate of 67%.

However, all of Rountree’s finishes have come via KO, while Roberson has 4 by submission and 2 by KO.

Khalil Rountree is looking to string together a win-streak in the UFC for the first time since 2017.

Roberson has now lost two-in-a-row, so he could be fighting for his future in the organization.

Our betting pick is on Rountree to get the upset victory and get his win streak running.

Drew Dober vs. Terrance McKinney

Why Bet on Drew Dober

Dober, who has lost back-to-back fights, is still regarded as arguably one of the most dangerous lightweights in the UFC.

His last win came against Alexander Hernandez via second-round knockout in May 2020.

Why Bet on Terrance McKinney

McKinney just fought at UFC Vegas 49, earning an impressive submission win over Fares Ziam.

McKinney has bounced back in a big way since losing to Sean Woodson during the 2019 season of Dana White‘s Contender Series.

He now comes in short notice to fill in for Ricky Glenn, who had to withdraw due to an injury.

Final Betting Analysis: Drew Dober vs. Terrance McKinney

McKinney shattered a UFC record in his promotional debut at UFC 263.

He knocked out Matt Frevola in just seven seconds, which still stands as the fastest knockout in lightweight history.

A win over Dober could propel McKinney into the lightweight rankings just three fights into his UFC tenure.

Meanwhile, Dober is looking to get back in the win column and back in the thick of things in the division.

We are playing it risky on this fight, and taking a chance on the underdog, expecting McKinney to fight at his best for this event.

Bruno Silva vs. Alex Pereira

Why Bet on Bruno Silva

Silva is a beast.

The man known as “Blindado” in his homeland has seven straight KO/TKO wins, with five coming in the first round.

A heavy-handed striker, Silva also has a granite chin.

Of his six losses, five have come by way of submission, with one a DQ.

Why Bet on Alex Pereira

If you wonder why Pereira is one of the favorites for betting on UFC Vegas 50, let’s take care of that.

In a nutshell, this guy is one of the greatest kickboxers on the planet.

The only man to have ever knocked out Israel Adesanya, the former Glory middleweight and the light heavyweight king, is as dangerous as they come.

Although he is still adjusting to life in the Octagon, he has won his last four by knockout.

This includes a flying knee punches stoppage over Andreas Michailidis in his promotional debut back in November.

Final Betting Analysis: Bruno Silva vs. Alex Pereira

This should be one of the most memorable fights of the month.

These two monsters are chomping at the bit at a chance to tear into each other, in what should be an all-Brazilian classic on the upper portion of the card.

You can make a viable argument for both men having the right style to emerge with the win, and the odds aren’t exactly telling us otherwise.