UFC Fight Night Picks: Can Yai Rodriguez Upset Max Holloway?

Eric Uribe
By , Updated on: Nov 3, 2021 12:00 AM
UFC Fight Night Picks: Can Yai Rodriguez Upset Max Holloway?

Already placed your bets for UFC 268? No matter. There's plenty of other online UFC betting to engage in, including their loaded fight-night slate for November 13. The headlining matchup will come between Max Holloway, the top-rated fighter in UFC's featherweight rankings, and Yair Rodriguez.

Make no mistake, there's plenty of more value to plumb from this slate. Our UFC fight night picks are most concerned with answering the question of whether Yair Rodriguez can upset Max Holloway. But we will also be predicting every other fight on the docket.

Let's begin by taking stock of the latest UFC betting odds, courtesy of BetOnline:

FavoriteBetOnlineBetOnlineUnderdog
Max Holloway-450+300Yair Rodriguez
Felicia Spencer-317+155Leah Letson
Kyle Daukaus-115+100Kevin Holland
Song Yadong-150+130Julio Arce
Jessica EyeTBATBAAndrea Lee
Cortney Casey-207+175Liana Jojua
Jung Da Un-162+138Kennedy Nzechukwu

As always, make sure to recheck these UFC odds before settling on any UFC picks. With nearly two weeks to go until the opening bell at this writing, these UFC betting lines are subject to move at BetOnline and other top online sportsbooks

Finally, we highly recommend taking a look at the best UFC betting apps so you can see which specials you're eligible to capitalize on—including any potentially lucrative deposit bonuses.

Yair Rodriguez vs. Max Holloway Predictions

  • When: Saturday, November 13
  • Start Time: 4 p.m. EST
  • Where: UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada

Don't Expect Rodriguez to Upset Holloway

Despite what the odds suggest, we don't view Yair Rodriguez as a hopeless underdog against Max Holloway. Their fighting styles match up pretty well. They both go for big combinations on their strikes and know how to maintain strong defensive positions.

Still, Holloway is the quicker of the two. He is landing over 7.25 significant strikes per minute—nearly three more than Rodriguez. He is also the more consistent performer when it comes to evading opposing strikes and takedowns. This fight may go to a decision, but we have to roll with him here.

OSB Prediction: Max Holloway (-450)

Max Holloway To beat Yair Rodriguez
BetOnline
-450

Leah Letson Has Small Edge Over Felicia Spencer

Correct: We're already predicting an upset.

Felicia Spencer is incredibly strong and powerful, but as evidenced during her loss in her last fight to Norma Dumont, she absorbs too many strikes with her open stance to be billed as a consistent favorite.

Leah Letson, meanwhile, is just solid enough on offense for us to invest in the underdog.

OSB Prediction: Leah Letson (+155)

Leah Letson To beat Felicia Spencer
BetOnline
+155

Kevin Holland to Upset Kyle Daukas

Kyle Daukas and Kevin Holland are squaring off again after their initial meeting ended in a no contest during an October fight night. And now, just like then, we like Holland to pull off the victory.

Sure, Holland is a touch slower overall. But he is the more efficient striker, plays better vertical defense and has a five-inch advantage in reach.

OSB Prediction: Kevin Holland (+100)

Kevin Holland To beat Kyle Daukas
BetOnline
+100

Song Yadong Meets His Match in Julio Arce

Defense is going to define this showdown between Song Yadon and Julio Arce. Neither is a particularly efficient striker or takedown artist. They try to get by on volume.

Arce, however, is tougher to crack when he's put on the defensive. Opponents land just 33 percent of their strike attempts on him, as well as a meager seven percent of their takedown tries. 

Frankly, we're shocked Yadong is the favorite.

OSB Prediction: Julio Arce (+130)

Julio Arce To beat Song Yadong
BetOnline
+130

Andrea Lee Should Easily Take Down Jessica Eye

The lines on this Jessica Eye-Andrea Lee faceoff have yet to go public, and we think we know why: Oddsmakers are trying to figure out how heavy of a favorite to make the latter.

Eye has a spotty record for her career (15-10-0, with one no contest), which she has amassed by being one of the more erratic attackers. She lands just 36 percent of her strike attempts and 44 percent of her takedowns. Lee could wind up having the advantage in every facet of this meetup. We don't need concrete odds to choose her.

OSB Prediction: Andrea Lee (TBA)

Andrea Lee To beat Jessica Eye
BetOnline
TBA

Liana Jojua will Squeak Past Cortney Casey

Many will be inclined to avoid Liana Jojua after she lost two of her last three matchups. While we don't feel great about investing in her either, we must play to the facts.

And the facts are Cortney Casey is landing fewer than 40 percent of her strikes and under 30 percent of her takedowns without establishing herself as a defensive force. 

Don't expect Jojua, who has her own accuracy issues, to win this going away. But she should, in fact, win it.

OSB Prediction: Liana Jojua (+175)

Liana Jojua To beat Cortney Casey
BetOnline
+175

Jung Da Un will Best Kennedy Nzechukwu

Kennedy Nzechukwu profiles as a worthy opponent for Jung Da Un. He has only one loss on his UFC record and is nearly impossible to bring down in wrestling situations.

At the same time, Jung Da Un is a killer striker, and Nzechukwu can often leave his weak side torso unprotected after missing on his own combinations.

OSB Prediction: Jung Da Un (-162)

Jung Da Un To beat Kennedy Nzechukwu
BetOnline
-162

Check out this list of the top online sportsbooks so you can decide which one to use for all your UFC betting:

Meet the author

Eric Uribe

Born and raised in Nevada, Eric was exposed to the world of sports betting at an early age. He yearned to be 21 just to hit the sportsbook, and when that day finally came, he became a regular at the smoke-filled room, sweating out bets with sketchy characters. Eric'...

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