It's always great when a loaded UFC Fight Night pops up to hold us over in-between The Company's major events. And fortunately, a loaded UFC Fight Night headlined by Cory Sandhagen vs. Song Yadong is just what we're getting on Saturday, September 17.
But wait! That's not even half of the appeal. This docket features four other fights, all of which have serious intrigue to both MMA betting diehards and casuals: Giga Chikadze vs. Sodiq Yusuff, Chidi Njokuani vs. Gregory Rodrigues, Andre Fili vs. Lando Vannata and, finally, Maryna Moroz vs. Sijara Eubanks.
To answer your question: Yes, we have picks for all of these matchups. Let's have a look at the latest online UFC betting odds for the September 17 Fight Night to get us started:
| Favorite |  | | Underdog |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cory Sandhagen | -200 | +170 | Song Yadong |
| Giga Chikadze | -190 | +160 | Sodiq Yusuff |
| Chidi Njokuani | -110 | -110 | Gregory Rodrigues |
| Andre Fili | -160 | +135 | Lando Vannata |
| Maryna Moroz | -270 | +190 | Sijara Eubanks |
Please note that our UFC betting odds are accurate entering Monday, September 5—a full week-and-a-half before this Fight Night. If you are placing your wager anytime after that, we strongly recommend double-checking these MMA betting lines to make sure they haven't changed in a way that would impact your UFC Fight Night picks.
By the way: With so much time separating you from this UFC Fight Night on September 17, it's also a great idea to poke around our list of the best betting apps for UFC in 2022. This collection of reputable sites will alert you to any notable promotions and sign-up bonuses you're able to capitalize on. You can also browse through our reviews of the top online sportsbooks for further information on the best UFC betting sites to use in 2022.
Cory Sandhagen Should be Heavier Favorite in UFC Fight Night Showdown vs. Song Yadong
Cory Sandhagen sometimes operates at such a fast pace it can be hard to tell whether he's sacrificing form and effectiveness for speed. Watch him closely enough, though, and you can see a fighter who understands the concept of calculated risks. He is okay conceding position if it means he can get a bunch of cracks at striking his opponent—which he does quite well, landing nearly 6.50 significant strikes per minute.
To that end, we're not quite sure why he's only a medium-sized favorite versus Song Yadong. Maybe oddsmakers are concerned with him losing his past two fights, against Tj Dillashaw and Jan Blachowicz. But he also hasn't been in the octagon, in a UFC Fight Night or main event capacity, since October 2021. Both those opponents posed more difficult challenges, as well.
Yadong just doesn't function at a quick enough pace for us to consider an upset. He is excellent when it comes to blocking punches and kicks and even wrestling attempts. But the breadth of Sandhagen's volume can wear down even the most talented defenders, and Yadong's own offensive armory lacks variety beyond his combination punches.
OSB Prediction: Cory Sandhagen (-200)
Giga Chikadze is in Danger of Getting Upset by the Undervalued Sodiq Yusuff
Giga Chikadze has a slightly more extensive resume than Sodiq Yusuff, but his CV is not so much deeper that it blows the latter's out of the water. What's more, Yusuff has proven to be the more well balanced punch inside the octagon.
Through his past seven matches, all of which have come during a UFC Fight night, Yusuff is landing 5.22 significant strikes per minute. He isn't particularly powerful, but he makes up for it with his stamina. Neither his speed nor his punching volume will slow down as the rounds drag on. He is very much capable of winning by decision; he might even prefer it.
OSB Prediction: Sodiq Yusuff (+160)
Chidi Njokuani will Claw Past Gregory Rodrigues on the Back of His Defense and Efficiency
In many respects, this UFC Fight Night battle between Chidi Njokuani and Gregory Rodrigues comes down to a matter of preference between quantity and quality.
If you prefer quantity, you'll roll with Rodrigues, who is landing 6.00 significant strikes per minute and averaging 2.40 takedowns per round. But if you prefer quality, you will take Njokuani, who is landing 73 percent of his strike attempts.
For this case specifically, we like the quality of Njokuani's offense, if only because Rodrigues' quest to uncork so many punches often leaves the side of his body vulnerable to massive blows.
OSB Prediction: Chidi Njokuani (-110)
Andre Fili May Remain on a Losing Streak After Facing Lando Vannata
Andre Fili has lost or finished "No Contest" in each of his past three matches, and he's picked up just one victory since August 2019. The company has clearly scaled down the level of his opponents, but we're supremely uneasy about the unevenness of his offense.
Never mind that Fili is landing fewer than 4.00 significant strikes per minute. He's converting his attempts just 36 percent of the time. Though he offsets some of that with his wrestling maneuvers, it's not nearly enough to bank on his picking up an easy victory.
To be fair, Lando Vannata is currently absorbing more significant strikes per minute than he's doling out. But he's working off a stretch of tough matches, and he is by far the most lethal striker in this head-to-head.
OSB Prediction: Lando Vannata (+135)
Can Maryna Moroz Beat Sijara Eubanks to Win Her Fourth Straight Match at UFC Fight Night?
Let's not mince words here. The answer is yes.
Maryna Moroz isn't the most precise tactician, but she's evading 52 percent of her opponents' strike attempts and averaging more than 0.8 submissions per fight. The latter speaks to the deliberateness with which she grapples opponents; her grips can be impossible to escape.
Sijara Eubanks does have a deeper offensive bag. Her force on takedowns verges on absurd. But she can struggle in fights that go the distance, and Moroz is known for her otherworldly stamina.
Our confidence may be a little lower in Moroz than the odds imply, but she's still our pick.
OSB Prediction: Maryna Moroz (-270)
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