Check out the UFC props for UFC Vegas 96 on Saturday, August 24th, as well as our favorite long shot prop bets.
UFC Vegas 96 takes place tonight at the UFC Apex facility in Las Vegas, with the prelim card on ESPN+ (7pm ET) followed by the main card at 10pm ET on ESPN and ESPN+.
With 12 bouts at UFC Vegas 96, prop opportunities are plentiful, and our MMA prop team has found some worthy props for tonight's card.
Each episode of MMA Prop Squad features a few bets selected by our team of prop betting enthusiasts who have maintained a positive ROI after a recent downturn, and they look to get back on track tonight.
As with any form of gambling, always bet within your ability. This guideline is especially important when dealing with prop bets. Props often offer attractive odds, but they are converted into cash much less frequently than standard bets. Also, prop odds can vary significantly from sportsbook to sportsbook, so be sure to shop around for the best price.
Here are the odds for the UFC Vegas 96 fight as of Saturday night via FanDuel: Bet on UFC Vegas 96 using FanDuel promo codes!
UFC Las Vegas 96 Props – MMA Prop Squad Predictions
Clint McLean: Jacqueline Cavalcanti's productive downtime
He is a contributor to The Action Network and host of the Die Hard MMA Podcast.
Fighter jets exit: Approximately 7:55 p.m. ET
Jacqueline Cavalcanti is finally back after a long break. Personally, I like to target young fighters who have been out of the sport for a while. A 26-year-old with this kind of potential can improve a lot in a year.
Cavalcanti (-215) faces fellow bantamweight Josiane Nunes (+180) on Saturday, who has been a tough opponent in the UFC so far and whose immense power will be a concern, but other than that she is underdog in this bout.
Cavalcanti will be able to do just about anything in this bout, so long as she doesn't get hit on the button, and Nunes is notoriously bad at grappling, but after a year off, Cavalcanti will be hoping to perfect her game a bit more.
Additionally, Cavalcanti already has a very strong ground-and-pound attack and a track record of using it to finish fights, so I expect Cavalcanti to take this fight to the ground and either showcase his newfound submission ability or win with harmless pound.
Pick: Jacqueline Cavalcanti to win by KO/TKO or submission (+380 on FanDuel)
Tony Sartori: An easy way to neutralize Jose Medina
Action Network Contributor
Fighter jets exit: Approximately 8:55 p.m. ET
Saturday's UFC prelims feature Zachary Reese (-590) facing Jose Medina (+440) in a middleweight bout. It's unclear if the up-and-coming Reese is really that good, and in fact the line is much more of an indictment on Medina.
With all due respect, Medina is nowhere near the level of his UFC middleweight peers and I'm not sure how he earned a contract after losing a unanimous decision on Dana White's Contender Series. With that in mind, I don't think he'll last long with the promotion, especially after Rees (presumably) dominated him on Saturday.
Medina's only notable trait is his toughness, but other than that he doesn't do much in the Octagon.
He has never been knocked out in 14 professional MMA fights and has taken his fair share of damage. Reese's team will see this in camp and, once they realize that toughness is Medina's greatest asset, they will want to take that away.
How does he do that? By taking the fight to the mat. Reese is obviously known for his power, but he also has solid jiu-jitsu skills to back up his athleticism.
It will take away from Medina's durability on the mat, and I think that's exactly what Reese will be planning, assuming he wants to take the option that will increase his chances of getting his opponent off the mat as quickly as possible. Reese has two successful first-round submissions in his last four wins, while Medina has tapped out in the first round before.
Assuming Reese's camp acknowledges this very doable path to victory, a first-round submission prop for Reese at +430 makes him a much more interesting bet than his moneyline price of -600.
The pick: Zachary Reese wins by submission in the first round (+430 on BetRivers)
Dan Tom: Betting on becoming the middleweight submission king
He is a contributor to The Action Network and host of the Protect Ya' Neck podcast.
Fighter jets exit: Approximately 9:55 p.m. ET
For this week’s MMA Prop Squad post, I decided to target one of the two true outcome bouts between Gerald Meerschaert (+290) and Edmen Shahbazyan (-360).
Whenever I use the term “two true endings,” I'm essentially saying that there are two different ways a fight can end.
For example, this fight could go one of two ways: Shahbaziyan finds his usual winning trajectory (which is also Meerschaert's traditional losing trajectory) and gets off to a fast start with an early knockout, or Meerschaert weathers the opening storm, drags Shahbaziyan into deep waters, and scores a submission victory late in the fight.
I'm very sympathetic to the improvements Shahbazyan is making at Xtreme Couture, my own backyard, but after playing the tape, I can't help but disagree with that bias.
Not only have we yet to see Shahbazyan keep up a proper pace through three rounds, but the Armenian-American's aggressive nature still seems to be an issue as he puts himself in dangerous positions both in striking and grappling.
Add to that the fact that the fight will take place inside the smaller Octagon at the UFC Apex facility (which could give a better grappler a slight stylistic advantage), and I'm willing to bet that Meeschert, the UFC middleweight submission wins leader, will add another accolade to his resume.
Pick: Gerald Meerschaert wins by submission (+510 on BetRivers)
Billy Ward: An even more attractive choice for Gerald Meerschaert
Action Network Staff Writer
Fighter jets exit: Approximately 9:55 p.m. ET
Full disclosure: my favorite way to bet on this fight is to see if “GM3” survives the first round or two and then bet live. Still, I can't blame people who don't want to bet live or aren't going to watch the opening of a pretty lackluster main card UFC card.
Gerald Meerschaert will face Edmen Shahbazian, who currently has a 6-4 record at UFC. Shahbazian has won five of his fights, four of which came in the first round and one in the second round. Prior to joining the UFC, he had an undefeated record with all of his wins coming in the first round.
He's 1-3 in fights that have gone beyond two rounds, with his only win coming by split decision, which paints a pretty clear picture that he's here to have a good time, not fight for long.
This is in contrast to Meeschert, who is known for coming from behind to win; four of his 11 UFC wins have come by third-round submission, many of which he was close to losing before scoring the finish.
That's a pretty high clip considering the +1800 price tag on this bet. Other options include Meerschaert's round/decision props offered by FanDuel, or a variety of same-game parlay options built around Meerschaert in the late rounds and/or submissions on DraftKings.
Pick: Gerald Meerschaert in the third round (+1800 with Betway)
About the Author
The Action Network is a team of experienced sports betting experts specialising in a wide range of sports, from the NFL and NBA to less mainstream sports such as cricket and darts. The staff includes renowned analysts such as Sean Koerner and Stuckey, who are known for their accurate predictions and in-depth knowledge of sports. The team is dedicated to providing expert analysis and the best daily bets, ensuring bettors are well-informed on all major sports.
Follow Action Network staff @ActionNetworkHQ on Twitter/X.
How do you rate this article?
