The UFC will honor Mexican Independence Day on Saturday with a star-studded UFC Fight Night card that features women’s flyweight champion Alexa Grasso facing former champion Valentina Shevchenko in the main event. Grasso is currently the lone Mexican champion on the UFC roster and makes her first title defense against the iconic former champion Shevchenko, who controlled the division for five years before losing the title in an upset to Grasso in March. The Noche UFC fight card also will showcase numerous other Mexican fighters.
Shevchenko is a -175 favorite (risk $175 to win $100), while Grasso comes back at +145 in the latest UFC Fight Night: Grasso vs. Shevchenko 2 odds. In the co-main event, explosive welterweight prospects take the spotlight as Jack Della Maddalena (-150) meets Kevin Holland (+125). Before locking in any picks of your own for UFC Fight Night: Grasso vs. Shevchenko 2, make sure you check out the MMA predictions and betting advice from SportsLine expert Daniel Vithlani.
Vithlani is a highly analytical UFC bettor who profited more than $6,200 for $100 bettors in 2022. This includes a documented 24-14 record on his well-respected, two-leg parlays. Every pick was documented on his public Instagram account.
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 ever since. At UFC 292, he called the upset for underdog Sean O’Malley (+210) against Aljamain Sterling (-250) in the bantamweight main event. Anyone who has followed Vithlani already has seen massive returns.
Now, with UFC Fight Night: Grasso vs. Shevchenko 2 on deck, Vithlani has scoured the card from top to bottom and released his top selections. Vithlani’s UFC Fight Night picks are only available at SportsLine.
UFC Fight Night: Grasso vs. Shevchenko 2 preview
Shevchenko (23-4) is one of the most accomplished fighters and dominant champions in the history of women’s mixed martial arts. Prior to her upset loss to Grasso, the 35-year-old Russians fighter’s two other UFC losses came to former two-division champion Amanda Nunes.
She made a record seven successful title defenses after winning the belt in December 2018, and many observers believed Shevchenko was more likely to retire with her reign intact before she ever lost the title in the cage.
But Grasso (16-3) changed all that when she earned the title bid on the strength of a four-fight winning streak and proceeded to pull off one of the biggest upsets in a women’s title fight in recent memory.
Grasso split her first six UFC fights, all of which came at strawweight, but is undefeated since moving up a weight class and emerging as the division’s dominant grappler. Shevchenko is a striker who won several exchanges on the feet in their first matchup, but Grasso got the fight to the mat and submitted a fatiguing Shevchenko late in the fourth round. 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 predictions here: He is siding with Daniel Zellhuber (-270) to earn a victory against Christos Giagos (+220) in a battle of lightweight prospects.
Zellhuber (13-1) is an explosive striker behind a kickboxing base who has split two UFC outings after earning a roster spot on “Dana White’s Contender Series.” The 24-year-old Mexican fighter earned his first UFC victory with a decision over veteran Lando Vannata in April.
Giagos (20-10) is a five-year UFC veteran and power puncher who has gone 5-4 in nine UFC appearances while consistently facing upper-tier opponents. The 33-year-old Californian earned a performance bonus for his first-round knockout of Ricky Glenn in April.
“Zellhuber is a fiery young kickboxer who looks to have a lot of potential. He is a rangy striker and uses his length well, throwing kicks to all levels effectively. If Zellhuber keeps this fight standing, he should win a kickboxing affair,” Vithlani told SportsLine. See who else to back here.
How to make UFC Fight Night picks
Vithlani has strong picks for Grasso vs. Shevchenko and other bouts on the UFC Fight Night card. He’s also backing a fighter who “has explosive and rangy striking” to emerge with a dominant victory. Those picks are only available at SportsLine.
Who wins UFC Fight Night: Grasso vs. Shevchenko 2, 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.
Alexa Grasso (+145) vs. Valentina Shevchenko (-175)
Kevin Holland (+125) vs. Jack Della Maddalena (-150)
Raul Rosas Jr. (-700) vs. Terrance Mitchell (+500)
Daniel Zellhuber (-270) vs. Christos Giagos (+220)
Fernando Padilla (-250) vs. Kyle Nelson (+210)
Lupita Godinez (-425) vs. Elise Reed (+330)
Roman Kopylov (-355) vs. Josh Fremd (+280)
Edgar Chairez (-250) vs. Daniel Lacerda (+210)
Alex Reyes (+300) vs. Charlie Campbell (-380)
Tracy Cortez (-120) vs Jasmine Jasudavicius (+100)
