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UFC San Antonio Gambling Preview: Will Marlon Vera continue his impressive run against Cory Sandhagen?

After eight straight weekends of action, the UFC finally ends its first quarter run with UFC San Antonio on Saturday. Headlined by a pivotal bantamweight matchup between Marlon Vera and Cory Sandhagen, the UFC is also offering up 11 other fights of varying degrees of importance. That’s a lot of potential bets so let’s get to it.
As always, all odds are courtesy of our friends at DraftKings Sportsbook.

Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC

Straight Bets
Yana Santos, +210
There’s a fun mirroring going on in this fight. In her previous two bouts, Holm beat Irene Aldana and then lost to Ketlen Vieira, while Santos beat Vieira and then lost to Aldana. And while MMA Math is normally entirely useless, I think it is illustrative here of a fight that is pretty darn close. Holm is the better technical fighter, but to be frank, Holm has not looked good in years. She relies a lot on clinch physicality these days and her work rate has slowed dramatically, neither of which bodes all that well for someone pushing 42. On the other side of things, Santos has been out for two years, and was never an A+ fighter to begin with.
In the end, reasonable bettors may well look at this fight and say there are too many wildcards to place a bet, and I wouldn’t blame them — but this fight feels like it could go either way. At more than +200 on the odds, I’m OK with a shot.

Photo by Etsuo Hara/Getty Images

Prop Bets
Marlon Vera by Decision, +600
I’ll talk a little more about this fight later, but this boils down to the fact that though “Chito” is widely hailed as a finisher, in two of his previous four bouts he’s won by decision. Cory Sandhagen is incredibly durable, and on-paper should outwork “Chito,” but Vera brings the more high-powered offense, so I can see this fight looking a lot like Vera vs. Rob Font. At these massive odds, I’m taking a flyer.
Manel Kape by Submission, +600
People think of Kape as a striking savant, and he is, but Kape has a sneaky aggressive ground game as well. Five of his 18 career wins have come by submission, and that number most likely would be up to six if David Dvorak hadn’t been saved by the bell when they two fought back in December. Add in that five of Perez’s seven career losses have come by tapout and this is another bet I’m going to take a flyer on.
Preston Parsons by Submission, +225
If you listened to No Bets Barred this week, you’ll know there’s a very specific reason I’m taking this bet; however, after looking into it, I do like the wager outright. Nine of Parsons’ 10 career victories have come by submission, while two of Giles’ four career losses have been by tap. Giles isn’t a terrible grappler, but I do think Parsons is superior on the floor and he’s a good enough wrestler to get the fight there, repeatedly if necessary.

Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC

Parlay of the Week
We’re going with the Pacifist Parlay this week, under the belief that all three of these fights are destined for deep waters.
Marlon Vera/Cory Sandhagen Over 2.5 Rounds, -300
In 28 career fights, “Chito” has never been stopped. In 19 career fights, Sandhagen has only been stopped once — the rear-naked choke loss to Aljamain Sterling. It’s exceedingly unlikely that Vera is going to score a quick submission here, and exceedingly likely that this fight heads into the championship rounds.
Holly Holm/Yana Santos Over 2.5 Rounds
Though eight of Holm’s 14 career wins are by stoppage, six of those came in her pre-UFC days. Aside from Ronda Rousey and Bethe Correira, Holm has gone to the cards with everyone else she’s beaten in the promotion and she’s hit this Over in 10 of her 13 UFC bouts. Santos, meanwhile, has not stopped anyone since 2016, and while she has been pretty knockout-able, I’m willing to bet that won’t happen against a 41-year-old who hasn’t finished anyone in six years.
Andrea Lee/Maycee Barber Over 2.5 Rounds
In 19 career fights, Lee has been finished just once, back in Invicta in 2016. In 13 career fights, Barber has never been finished, and she’s also gone to five decisions in a row inside the UFC. Like the main event, this is another one that seems destined to go long.
Parlay these three bets together for +149 odds.

Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC

Long Shot of the Week
Marlon Vera and Cory Sandhagen To Go To A Draw, +5000
This one is obviously pretty bold. +5000 is as big of a long shot as I’ve ever bet on, but can’t you just see it? As mentioned above, I have a strong belief that this fight goes long and that it’s Sandhagen’s volume vs. Vera’s power for much of the fight. That sort of dynamic is exactly the kind of thing that leads to one fighter losing three rounds but getting a 10-8 in one of the others. Add in that the judging has been a bit wonky lately, and we very nearly got a draw last weekend thanks to Herb Dean taking a point, and this feels imminently possible. Probable? Of course not. But still, dare to dream.

Wrap Up
Don’t look now, but that’s two plus-money weeks in a row! 2023 has been a tough year but we’re finally starting to build some momentum. Let’s try and cash out once again this week so we head into the off weekend on a high.
Until next week, enjoy the fights, good luck, and gamble responsibly!

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‘More than a million dollars per fight’: Manager claims Paulo Costa is ‘highest-paid Brazilian’ in UFC today

When it comes to his new UFC deal, Paulo Costa is very happy.
According to Costa’s manager Tamara Alves, the one-time middleweight title challenger is now set to make a seven-figure payday when he enters the octagon.
“Paulo went from being one of the most devalued athletes to one of the most valued athletes in the UFC,” Alves told Ag. Fight. “I have no doubt that Paulo is the highest-paid Brazilian athlete in the organization today. I don’t know if you know any Brazilian athlete that is paid more than a million dollars per fight. I don’t — especially in non-title fights.”

Costa took to social media numerous times over the past year to complain about his prior UFC deal and indicate that he was willing to leave the organization after completing the final bout he had remaining on his contract, however he ultimately re-signed.
Costa also told Ag. Fight he was initially offered $500,000 to show and $150,000 to win during the negotiations for a potential Robert Whittaker bout, but turned it down.
The Brazilian talent now has five contracted fights on his UFC deal, with his new four-fight contract adding to the one bout he had left from his previous contract. He indicated the company is working on potential clashes with Sean Strickland and Khamzat Chimaev. “Borrachinha” defeated Luke Rockhold via decision in his most recent appearance.
“Paulo is a product that the UFC knows it sells,” Alves said. “Paulo’s pay-per-view with [Israel] Adesanya was the highest pay-per-view sale in the middleweight division. The UFC has those numbers. The UFC knows the numbers Paulo can reach.”

UFC San Antonio preview show: Who has more to lose in Marlon Vera vs. Cory Sandhagen main event?

In the UFC’s first event following a storyline filled UFC 286 card, the promotion heads to Texas for UFC San Antonio, which will be headlined by a pivotal matchup in the bantamweight division between Marlon Vera and Cory Sandhagen. With the division in the state that it’s in currently, what is on the line for both guys ahead of the fan-friendly bout?
MMA Fighting’s Mike Heck, José Youngs, and Alexander K. Lee break down the Vera vs. Sandhagen five-rounder and where each guy goes with a win, and if a title shot is in play for either. Additionally, they’ll discuss Holly Holm’s first fight of 2023 as she meets Yana Santos in the co-main event, Maycee Barber vs. Andrea Lee, and more ahead of Saturday’s event at the AT&T Center.
Catch the UFC San Antonio preview show above. An audio-only version of the show can be found below and on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher.

UFC San Antonio staredowns: Manel Kape, Alex Perez have to be separated after scuffle over ‘snitches’

There is apparently no love lost between Manel Kape and Alex Perez.
The two UFC flyweight contenders had to be separated during their official staredown at UFC San Antonio’s ceremonial weigh-ins on Friday ahead of their pivotal main-card bout. Once the two fighters went nose-to-nose, Kape incited a minor scuffle by aggressively putting his arm around Perez’s neck. After being pulled apart by security, Kape waved a finger in Perez’s face and accused his fellow 125-pounder of foul play.
“I know about your snitches,” Kape told Perez, ranting about alleged spies in his camp.
Kape and Perez compete in one of the six main-card bouts at Saturday’s UFC San Antonio event, which takes place at the AT&T Center. Watch their heated staredown below.

In the main event, top bantamweight contenders Marlon Vera and Cory Sandhagen collide in a five-round battle to inch the winner closer to title contention.
The duo had an intense yet respect faceoff on Friday. That clip can be watched below.

Catch the complete UFC San Antonio ceremonial weigh-ins and staredowns in the video at the top of the page.

Benavidez vs. Plant Results: Live updates of the undercard and main event

MMA Fighting has Benavidez vs. Plant results for the David Benavidez vs. Caleb Plant event at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nev., on Saturday night.
In the main event, David Benavidez will square off against Caleb Plant for Benavidez’s interim WBC interim super middleweight title. The Benavidez vs. Plant main event is expected to start at 12 a.m. ET, and you can follow the Benavidez vs. Plant live round-by-round updates here.
David Benavidez (26-0) has reeled off three straight TKO wins, including a third-round knockout of David Lemieux for the vacant WBC interim super middleweight title this past May.
Caleb Plant (22-1) bounced back from his loss to Canelo Alvarez to knock out Anthony Dirrell in the ninth round in his last outing Oct. 15, 2022.
Check out Benavidez vs. Plant results below.
Main card (Showtime PPV at 9 p.m. ET)
David Benavidez vs. Caleb Plant (live blog)
Chris Colbert vs. Jose Valenzuela
Jesus Ramos vs. Joseph Spencer
Cody Crowley vs Abel Ramos

David Benavidez vs. Caleb Plant: Live round-by-round updates

MMA Fighting has David Benavidez vs. Caleb Plant live round-by-round updates for one of the most anticipated boxing fights of the year at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nev., on Saturday night.
The main event is expected to begin around 12 a.m. ET on Showtime pay-per-view. Check out our Benavidez vs. Plant results page to find out what happened on the undercard.
David Benavidez (26-0) has reeled off three straight TKO wins, including a third-round knockout of David Lemieux for the vacant WBC interim super middleweight title this past May.
Caleb Plant (22-1) bounced back from his loss to Canelo Alvarez to knock out Anthony Dirrell in the ninth round in his last outing Oct. 15, 2022.
The WBC interim super middleweight title is on the line.
Check out David Benavidez vs. Caleb Plant main event live blog below.
Round 1:
Round 2:
Round 3:
Round 4:
Round 5:
Round 6:
Round 7:
Round 8:
Round 9:
Round 10:
Round 11:
Round 12:

UFC San Antonio Results: Vera vs. Sandhagen

MMA Fighting has UFC San Antonio results for the Vera vs. Sandhagen fight card, live blogs for the top two fights, and UFC San Antonio Twitter updates.
In the main event, Marlon Vera and Cory Sandhagen square off in a bantamweight contest. Vera has won four consecutive fights, while Sandhagen picked up a big bounce-back win in his most recent appearance.
Former UFC women’s bantamweight champion Holly Holm and one-time featherweight title challenger Yana Santos collide in the co-main event.
Check out the UFC San Antonio results below.

Bantamweights Collide at UFC San Antonio!
Marlon Vera and Cory Sandhagen clash – LIVE HERE – on Saturday night.

Watch Live Stream Here

Related

Get Latest UFC Odds From DraftKings Sportsbook

Main Card (ESPN, ESPN+, 7 p.m. ET)
Marlon Vera vs. Cory Sandhagen
Holly Holm vs. Yana Santos
Nate Landwehr vs. Austin Lingo
Andrea Lee vs. Maycee Barber
Alex Perez vs. Manel Kape
Chidi Njokuani vs. Albert Duraev
Preliminary Card (ESPN, ESPN+, 4:30 p.m. ET)
Daniel Pineda vs. Tucker Lutz
Steven Peterson vs. Lucas Alexander
Trevin Giles vs. Preston Parsons
CJ Vergara vs. Daniel Da Silva
Victor Altamirano vs. Vinicius Salvador

UFC San Antonio predictions

Marlon Vera vs. Cory Sandhagen is a certified banger, but we have the same lingering question that we asked two weeks ago: What are these bantamweight contenders fighting for?
Much like UFC Las Vegas headliners Petr Yan and Merab Dvalishvili, no matter who wins Saturday’s UFC San Antonio main event, there’s no guarantee that either Vera or Sandhagen — No. 6 and No. 5 respectively in the MMA Fighting Global Rankings — will fight for a title anytime soon. That’s what happens when you keep handing out title shots based on name value (I’m looking at you, T.J. Dillashaw and Henry Cejudo) rather than rewarding the fighters who have actually been putting in work in one of the best divisions in all of MMA.
But I digress.
We can appreciate Vera vs. Sandhagen for what it is, one of the best matchups you can make pound-for-pound right now based on merit and entertainment value. And neither fighter has made much of a stink about being passed over, which should continue to ingratiate them with the matchmakers. Let’s hope that tonight’s winner gets the respect they deserve coming out of what is sure to be a brutal battle.
In other main card action, Holly Holm welcomes Yana Santos back to the octagon, Nate Landwehr meets Austin Lingo in a featherweight slugfest, flyweight veteran Andrea Lee looks to snap Maycee Barber’s win streak, Alex Perez and Manel Kape meet in a key flyweight contest, and middleweights Chidi Njokuani and Albert Duraev open the show.
What: UFC San Antonio
Where: AT&T Center in San Antonio
When: Saturday, March 25. The five-fight preliminary card begins at 4:30 p.m. ET on ESPN and ESPN+, followed by a six-fight main card at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN and ESPN+.

(Numbers in parentheses indicate standing in MMA Fighting’s Global Rankings)
Marlon Vera (6) vs. Cory Sandhagen (5)
This is about as evenly matched as it gets in the loaded men’s bantamweight division, so if you have a surefire pick, you’re a smarter person than I am.
My mind tilted towards Marlon Vera when this fight was announced and I’m sticking to it, if only because considering all the possible permutations that could arise from this meeting of well-rounded competitors is enough to make my tiny head explode. So let’s predict that this one stays primarily on the feet and that Vera’s edge in power is what makes the difference here.
I use “edge” in the strictest sense of the phrase because Cory Sandhagen is also more than capable of generating explosive finishes out of nowhere. These two will be walking a fine line for as long as this one lasts, with any mistake possibly opening the door to a fight-changing strike. First-round finish? Entirely possible. One guy turns up the gas and ends it in the later rounds? Sure. Both men collapse after an epic five-round duel? Sign me up.
If I have to choose, I’m going with the second option, with Vera working to set up a power shot for three rounds before finally catching Sandhagen in the fourth and then swarming for the finish. Sandhagen won’t go down easy, but I trust a relentless “Chito” to force the referee to step in for the save.
Pick: Vera
Holly Holm (5) vs. Yana Santos (7)
It says a lot about the women’s bantamweight division that Holly Holm and Yana Santos are firmly entrenched in the top 10 despite the fact that Holm hasn’t won a fight since 2020 and Santos hasn’t fought in 20 months (she was still Yana Kunitskaya when we last saw her!). It says even more that one of these women could be fighting for the title next if they perform well enough on Saturday.
So who gets it done? Though she didn’t have much luck on the scorecards in her most recent outing against Ketlen Vieira, Holm’s grinding style has produced results in the past. Holm has made a habit out of frustrating her opponents with her wall-and-stall style, which suits her due to her impressive strength and balance and her proclivity to avoid damage. It might not be pretty, but this is how you extend a career, folks.
Can Santos muck this one up a bit and force Holm into a fight? She’ll have to be at her most disruptive, which is a lot to ask given that she’s coming back from such a long layoff, but youth is on her side and if it comes down to striking she has a much better chance than if Holm just smothers her.
I’m actually going out on a limb here and predicting that Holm opens up some, which she shouldn’t be too hesitant to do given that Santos’ defense is suspect. When Santos loses, it’s usually in dramatic fashion, so let’s go with Holm getting her striking going late and finding her first finish since 2017.
Pick: Holm
Nate Landwehr vs. Austin Lingo
The Human Embodiment of Tennesee vs. The Man From The Mean Streets Of Mesquite? Let’s go.
File this one under people’s main event, because Nate Landwehr never fails to deliver and Austin Lingo deserves major props for stepping in here on less than two weeks’ notice as a replacement for Alex Caceres. Landwehr vs. Caceres would have been great and I still hope to see it, but this one is special in its own way.
While Lingo hasn’t recaptured the pre-UFC magic that saw him record three straight sub-30 second finishes before joining the promotion in 2020, he has shown something else: That he can put together an effective three-round performance. He may need to do so again Saturday because Landwehr is likely to drag Lingo to Hell if he doesn’t put Landwehr away in Round 1.
Those are the only two options as far as I’m concerned: Lingo first-round finish or Landwehr wins a war and since I’m not inclined to pick against “The Train,” then it’s Landwehr by decision for me and an extra $50,000 for both men after delivering the Fight of the Night.
Pick: Landwehr
Andrea Lee vs. Maycee Barber (15)
The oddsmakers have Maycee Barber as a healthy favorite (hovering around -250 on DraftKings) over Andrea Lee, which tells you how much Barber has improved in her past two fights, and also how pundits are viewing Lee at this stage of her career. It’s fair to ask if the ship has sailed on Lee as a championship contender.
Where Barber has excelled is in outmuscling opponents in the clinch, a position in which she can both stifle their offense and score points herself. She has spark in those hands, but her standup remains a work in progress. If Lee is on point, she could not only pick Barber apart on the feet, but also give her headaches on the mat if she can take the fight there.
I’m trusting Barber’s athleticism and quickness to keep her out of gnarly predicaments on the ground, while her pressure game will keep Lee on the defensive for the majority of the contest.
Barber by decision.
Pick: Barber
Alex Perez (10) vs. Manel Kape (11)
Alex Perez’s wrestling should be a major factor in this one, because if he decides to just stand and trade with Manel Kape, it could end poorly for him. He has the movement and boxing to make things interesting, but simply put, Kape might be the most dangerous striker in the flyweight division.
So it will come down to whether or not Kape can suss out Perez’s takedown timing and make him pay for his attempts. Kape has excellent patience, which has hurt him on the scorecards in the past, but will be a virtue against Perez. Aside from the main event, this is the biggest chess match on the card and every round could be decided by one key moment. A Perez takedown could open the door for him to ground-and-pound his way to a 10-9 or a Kape knockdown could erase all of Perez’s output in a flash.
Super fun matchup, I’m going Kape by knockout.
Pick: Kape
Chidi Njokuani vs. Albert Duraev
What better way to start a UFC Fight Night in 2023 with a classic striker vs. grappler matchup?
Everyone knows how this one will go: Chidi Njokuani will find his rhythm and scorch Albert Duraev on the feet, or Duraev will get his wrestling going and punish Njokuani on the ground. If we get something out of left field like Njokuani catching Duraev with a flying armbar or Duraev blasting Njokuani with a one-hitter quitter, then you just throw your hands up and say, “Hey, that’s MMA.”
Assuming everything goes according to script, I like Njokuani to avoid takedowns for the better part of three rounds while battering Duraev with counters. Once Duraev starts to crack in Round 3, Njokuani will pick up the pace and end it inside the distance.
Pick: Njokuani
Tucker Lutz def. Daniel Pineda
Lucas Alexander def. Steven Peterson
Trevin Giles def. Preston Parsons
CJ Vergara def. Daniel Da Silva
Vinicius Salvador def. Victor Altamirano