Rising bantamweight Yadong Song will make his third consecutive headlining appearance on Saturday when he faces fellow surging prospect Chris Gutierrez in the main event of UFC Fight Night; Song vs. Gutierrez. Their five-round battle anchors the main UFC fight card starting at 10 p.m. ET from the Apex facility in Las Vegas. Both fighters are known for their relentless pressure and heavy hands, providing the backdrop for an entertaining matchup. The winner between the No.7-ranked Song and No. 15-ranked Gutierrez will make a surge toward the top five in the top-loaded division.
Song is a -370 favorite (risk $370 to win $100), while Gutierrez comes back at +290 in the latest UFC Fight Night: Song vs. Gutierrez odds from the SportsLine consensus. In the co-main event, Khalil Rountree (-245) meets Anthony Smith (+200) in a matchup of ranked light heavyweights. Before locking in your picks for UFC Fight Night: Song vs. Gutierrez, make sure you see the MMA predictions and betting advice from SportsLine expert Daniel Vithlani.
From breaking down film and following fighters and their camps closely, to tracking sharp action and betting market signals, Vithlani covers the breadth of the MMA betting landscape top to bottom. He also trains amateur boxers and speaks regularly with MMA fighters to understand the sport’s nuances.
In his SportsLine debut for UFC 283 in January, Vithlani swept the main card and has been a consistent winner since. At UFC 292, he predicted the upset for underdog Sean O’Malley (+210) against Aljamain Sterling (-250) in the bantamweight championship main event. Anyone who has followed Vithlani already has seen massive returns.
Now, with UFC Fight Night: Song vs. Gutierrez on deck, Vithlani has scoured the card from top to bottom and released his top selections. You can see those picks at SportsLine.
UFC Fight Night: Song vs. Gutierrez preview
Song (20-7-1) has become a fan favorite in large part because of his nonstop pace, fearlessness, and growing number of highlight-reel stoppages. The 26-year-old Chinese fighter made his UFC debut in June 2018 and has posted a record of 9-2-1 in 11 UFC outings.
The only loss in his last five outings came last September to Cory Sandhagen, the celebrated contender who is now ranked No. 4 in the division and has fought for the interim title. Song bounced back from that defeat with a fifth-round stoppage of Ricky Simon in April. He has received performance bonuses in two of his past three fights.
Gutierrez (20-5-2) has similarly emerged as a must-watch prospect on the strength of a 10-fight stretch in which he has suffered just one defeat while engaging in numerous entertaining showdowns. The 32-year-old New Jersey native’s lone defeat in that span came to veteran contender Pedro Munhoz by decision in April.
Just six weeks ago, Gutierrez returned to his winning ways with a decision over prospect Alateng Heili in Las Vegas. Gutierrez, who has nine knockouts among his 20 professional MMA victories, will be making his headlining debut Saturday. You can only see who to pick at UFC Fight Night here.
UFC Fight Night predictions
We’ll share one of Vithlani’s UFC Fight Night selections here: He is siding with Nasrat Haqparast (-205) to get past Jamie Mullarkey (+170) in a matchup of lightweight prospects on the main card.
Haqparast (15-5) is a power puncher and explosive athlete who has rebounded from a two-fight losing streak with back-to-back victories. The 28-year-old German fighter notched a unanimous decision over Landon Quinones at UFC 293 in September.
Mullarkey (17-6) is a power puncher who has 10 knockouts to his credit and has won five of his last seven outings following a two-fight skid. His last performance ended in a decision victory over veteran John Makdessi in September.
“This is an interesting matchup featuring fighters with similar styles. I think Haqparast can outland Mullarkey in what I expect to be a good, competitive fight. Give me Haqparast by decision,” Vithlani told SportsLine. See who to back here.
How to make UFC Fight Night picks
Vithlani has strong picks for Song vs. Gutierrez and other bouts on the UFC Fight Night card. He’s also backing a fighter who “is a powerful kickboxer” to emerge with a dominant victory. Those picks are only available at SportsLine.
Who wins UFC Fight Night: Song vs. Gutierrez, and how exactly does each fight end? Visit SportsLine now to get detailed picks on every fight at UFC Fight Night, all from the MMA expert who profited more than $6,200 in 2022, and find out.
UFC Fight Night odds, fight card
See full UFC Fight Night picks, predictions, best bets here.
Yadong Song (-370) vs. Chris Gutierrez (+290)
Anthony Smith (+200) vs. Khalil Rountree (-245)
Su Mudaerji (+125) vs. Tim Elliott (-150)
Steve Garcia (+195) vs. Melquizael Costa (-235)
Jun-yong Park (-175) vs. Andre Muniz (+145)
Nasrat Haqparast (-205) vs. Jamie Mullarkey (+170)
Song Kenan (+120) vs. Kevin Jousset (-140)
Park Hyun-Sung (-535) vs. Shannon Ross (+400)
Tatsuro Taira (-520) vs. Carlos Hernandez (+390)
