UFC Vegas 70: Krylov vs. Spann Picks

There is plenty of excitement for UFC 285 next week as Ciryl Gane will be taking on Jon Jones for the UFC Heavyweight Championship. Millions of viewers are expected to tune in for that promotion, but fans and bettors alike would be remiss to look past this weekend’s card. UFC Vegas 70: Krylov vs. Spann will feature two top ten light heavyweights squaring off in the main event, and there will be some other big names in action too.

UFC Vegas 70: Krylov vs. Spann is going to take place on Saturday, February 25, 2023, from the UFC Apex Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. The prelims will start at 4 p.m. ET, while the main event is slated to get underway at 7 p.m. ET. All of the action will be available exclusively on ESPN Plus.

UFC Vegas 70: Andrade vs. Blanchfield Betting Odds at BetRivers Sportsbook

Nikita Krylov -175
Ryan Spann +138

Nikita Krylov is incredibly experienced for a 30-year-old fighter. This will be Krylov’s 39^th professional MMA fight, and he will look to celebrate his birthday a little bit early with a victory over Ryan Spann. The UFC betting odds have made Krylov a moderate favorite here, but Spann is pretty experienced too.

Krylov is 29-9 in his career, and very few of his fights have gone the distance. Only four of his 38 fights have been decided by the judges, and he is 2-2 in those bouts. He has 12 knockouts and 15 submissions among his 29 victories, as he has shown an excellent combination of power and agility with his ability to both strike and wrestle. It isn’t always pretty with Krylov, as he has earned just one bonus in 17 professional fights, but there is no denying his talent.

Spann has a somewhat similar resume. He is 21-7, and only five of his 28 bouts have been decided by the judges. However, Spann has been a little more popular when it comes to earning bonuses with two in his last four fights.

Eastern Europeans are known for their wrestling and grappling skills, but Spann can do a pretty good job neutralizing Krylov given his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu background. Spann has won 12 of his fights by submission, so he’s a nice underdog pick at this price.

Andre Muniz -230
Brendan Allen +180

It took a while for Andre Muniz to earn a UFC contract, and he is making up for lost time with the way he has performed. Muniz was not signed by the UFC until August 2019, yet he has already earned a second contract after winning his first five fights. He has submitted three of those five opponents with an armbar in the first round, and he earned a Performance of the Night bonus for the way he finished Bartosz Fabinski. Muniz is coming off an impressive win over Uriah Hall at UFC 276 last July.

This is a big fight for Brendan Allen. Although he has been in the UFC for three-and-a-half years, he has yet to really differentiate himself from the crowd. Allen is 8-2 in his 10 bouts, and he does have wins over Kevin Holland and Kyle Daukaus, but both Holland and Daukaus are past their prime. He is a submission specialist too, so position will be very important in his bout with Muniz. Unfortunately, Muniz has a three-inch reach advantage, and that will give him a big edge and likely the win.

Augusto Sakai -132
Don’Tale Mayes +106

Once upon a time, Augusto Sakai was one of the hottest names in the UFC. He was 15-1-1 in May 2020, and it looked like he could be one of the next top heavyweights in the promotion after a knockout of Marcin Tybura. However, long-time gatekeeper Alistair Overeem dealt him a defeat in September 2020, and Sakai has yet to find his footing since the loss. He has been knocked out in four straight fights, and a loss to unheralded Don’Tale Mayes on Saturday will probably mark the end of his time as a contender.

Mayes is 2-2-1 in the UFC, and he has not been impressive in any of his fights. He only earned a No Decision in his last fight after his opponent failed a drug test, so the only reason to back him here is if you think that Sakai is truly cooked. I believe Sakai still has something left in the tank, so he is my favorite UFC betting pick of the promotion.