Check out our best bets for the UFC Fight Night featuring Holly Holm vs. Ketlen Vieira taking place on Saturday, May 21.
Usually, UFC fight nights are loaded with a bunch of middle-rung matchups in an attempt to drum up the most interest possible. But for the UFC Fight Night on Saturday, May 21, the company is taking a different approach. Rather than stack the deck with a ton of intriguing yet not marquee showdowns, they've included three high-end head-to-heads and fleshed out the rest of the undercard with various up-and-comers. Our latest batch of 2022 UFC picks will deliver fight night predictions for Holly Holm vs. Ketlen Vieira and the other two main-card fights on the docket.
Like always, let's begin by taking a look at the latest betting odds for UFC:
| Favorite |  | | Underdog |
|---|---|---|---|
| Holly Holm | -220 | +185 | Ketlen Vieira |
| Jun Yong Park | -200 | +170 | Eryk Anders |
| Santiago Ponzinibbio | -120 | +100 | Michael Pereira |
Make sure you're double-checking these UFC betting odds before settling on any 2022 UFC Night Picks. Our UFC betting lines are accurate as of May 11, 2021. With the UFC Fight Night taking place on May 21, there's still plenty of time for these odds to move.
You should also make an effort to check out our reviews of the top online sportsbooks. With all the information we've provided, you'll have no trouble sussing out the best betting sites for UFC in 2022. We have a catalog of the best betting apps for UFC, as well. These are great for unearthing special bonuses and promotions whenever there's an upcoming UFC event, like the Fight Night featuring Holmes vs. Vieira.
The other two main-card fights on the schedule are Jun Yong Park vs. Eryk Anders and Santiago Ponzinibbio vs. Michael Pereira. We will have predictions for these primo matchups after dropping our picks for Holm vs. Vieira.
Jump on Holly Holm Over Vetlen Vieira Before It's Too Late
At first glance, Holly Holm may not look like a bargain. She's a -220 versus Vetlen Vieira. That's not exactly lucrative. It's also the best you're going to do.
Holm has lost just one UFC match since 2018, and it came in the Octagon against Amanda Nunes, who was at the time considered the best UFC fighter in the women's division. Vieira is much smaller potatoes compared to everyone else Holly has faced over the past couple of years.
Sure, Vieira knows how to handle herself when opponents try to slow things down to a wrestling crawl and knock her to the mat. But that only gets her so far. She is erratic when going on offense, landing a mere 38 percent of her significant strike attempts. Entering her match against Holm, Vieira is actually absorbing more significant strikes per minute than she's landing.
That's not a great combination when preparing for a showdown with Holm. She can struggle just as much with the accuracy on her punches, particularly when coming off her back right foot. But she also generates a ton more power and knows how to take advantage of fighters, such as Vieira, who leave their torso too open on the follow through of their strike attempts. On top of that, Holm also boasts the more battle-tested stamina. Not only have each of her past four victories gone the distance, but a handful of them have come against fighters who actively seek knockouts with aggressive combinations.
To be absolutely honest, it's tough for us to envision a scenario in which Vieira actually comes out on top. It'd be wise to jump on Holm before she becomes an even heavier favorite leading into UFC Fight Night on May 21.
OSB Prediction: Holly Holm (-220)
Can Jun Yong Park Get Back in the Win Column vs. Eryk Anders?
Jun Yong Park previously looked like one of the most promising up-and-comers in the company. He wowed fans and analysts alike with his combination of wrestling moves and defense. After three straight victories, it seemed like only a matter of time before he'd make the main card of a headlining UFC event.
But then Park lost to Gregory Rodrigues via TKO at a UFC Fight Night in October. The letdown derailed his trajectory. His matchup with Anders will actually be his first fight since the October loss.
That doesn't much concern us. Maybe Park won't ever reach star status in the UFC, but the evasive and blocking maneuvers he employs on a fight-to-fight basis are truly special. Someone like Anders will struggle to crack Park's defense; he is a fairly inaccurate striker as it stands.
Shoddy takedown defense could ultimately do Anders in, as well. It's a big part of why he's lost three of his past four matches anyway. You're better off steering clear of any upset predictions this time around.
OSB Prediction: Jun Yong Park (-200)
Don't Underestimate Michael Pereira Against Santiago Ponzinibbio
Michael Pereira is laying better than even money against Santiago Ponzinibbio for reasons we can't quite understand.
Ponzinibbio is working off a loss at UFC 269, while Pereira has won four consecutive matches. Perhaps oddsmakers are worried about the relatively quick turnaround for the latter. Pereira picked up his last victory towards the end of January, which means he's operating on more than a month's less of rest than Ponzinibbio.
This isn't enough to dissuade an upset prediction. Pereira has been on fire in his past four outings, connecting on more than half of his significant strike attempts and also drastically improving his own strike defense. Ponzinibbio certainly has higher-end win-by-knockout potential in this one, but we value the well-rounded technicals of Pereira much more.
OSB Prediction: Michael Pereira (+100)
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