Top 5 bantamweights Marlon Vera and Cory Sandhagen will be headlining the final event of a stacked month of March for the UFC this weekend. With this fight having a lot of title implications and in front of a live crowd, who will get their hand raised?
Read further for a complete breakdown of this bantamweight bout, along with an official Vera vs Sandhagen betting prediction.
Marlon Vera vs. Cory Sandhagen Information
Marlon Vera vs Cory Sandhagen
Location of the fight: AT&T Center, San Antonio, Texas, United States.
Date and Time: March 25, 2023, 7:00 PM ET.
How to Watch: ESPN | ESPN+
Marlon Vera vs. Cory Sandhagen Last Fight Record
Vera continues to string together wins. His last appearance in the octagon resulted in a highlight reel 4th round KO over former champion Dominick Cruz.
Sandhagen is coming off a much-needed win over Yadong Song via 4th round doctor stoppage last September.
Marlon Vera vs. Cory Sandhagen Betting Analysis
Marlon ‘Chito’ Vera Facts to Know
What can anyone say negatively about Chito Vera at this point? The guy loves to fight, stays active, and beats everyone the UFC puts in front of him while he awaits an elusive title shot in the bantamweight division. He is 8-2 in his last ten fights dating back to 2019.
Vera has a unique style where he seems to absorb his opponent’s strikes in the early rounds and then comes alive as the fight progresses. His striking stats support that opinion, showing that Vera averages 4.28 significant strikes landed and 5.01 significant strikes absorbed per minute.
Cory Sandhagen Facts to Know
Sandhagen is one of the most skilled fighters on the UFC roster. He is 3-2 in his last five fights, but there is a chance that with a different set of judges, he would be 5-0. He has shown off a much larger range of skills in his last fight, mixing in a lot of wrestling against Yadong.
The 30-year-old is just entering his prime now and has a lot of massive fights left in him. He has ten finishes in his career while averaging an impressive 6.15 significant strikes landed per minute.
Updates
No injuries have been reported to the UFC or the Texas athletic commission.
Marlon Vera vs. Cory Sandhagen Betting Preview
Oddsmakers have Sandhagen as the -170 betting favorite over the +140 Chito Vera. This tells you that this matchup is so close, and it can literally be anybody’s night on Saturday. There are so many ways this one can go.
Both fighters have been in consecutive main event bouts, so they both know what it’s like to prepare for 5-rounds. They both have shown their toughness and the ability to finish fights.
We might have to give the edge to Vera when talking about finishing ability and that “dog” mentality, but Sandhagen has shown he isn’t far behind.
When breaking down the Vera vs Sandhagen betting preview, the moneyline is actually very valuable for both sides this weekend. The -170 for Sandhagen is plenty for a good payout, and having Vera as an underdog seems like it’s too good to be true.
Marlon Vera vs. Cory Sandhagen Betting Prediction
It might be safe to say the winner of this bout will be challenging for a world title in the UFC next fight. Even with Cejudo putting himself in the title picture and O’Malley patiently waiting for the winner of the Cejudo-Sterling fight.
This is the kind of fight that you need to watch if you are somewhat new to the sport of MMA and the UFC. Vera is one of the most fun fighters to watch in the entire company, and Sandhagen will show off some of the most high-level techniques you will ever see.
UFC predictions for a fight like this are literally impossible to make confidently. So many different outcomes can happen once that octagon gate locks.
For the official Vera vs Sandhagen betting prediction, I have to go with Chito Vera getting his hand raised. It is hard to say how or when, but it feels like it would be a disservice to bet against Chito at this point in his career; especially when you can get him at underdog odds.
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