UFC Vegas 67 kicks off the 2023 schedule for the MMA promotion. After a late shakeup at the start of fight week, an injured Kelvin Gastelum was swapped for Sean Strickland in the main event.
The high-stakes MMA action begins with the prelims at 4 p.m. ET on Saturday, Jan. 14, followed by the main card at 7 p.m. ET.
Strickland (25-5) returns to action just one month after his last fight. He closed out 2022 in the main event of the final UFC show of the year. His attempt to rebound from a split-decision loss to Jared Cannonier won’t come easily, as French dynamo Nassourdine Imavov (12-3) gets his first big spotlight as Strickland’s opponent in the main event.
In this betting preview, we’ll take a look at the full five-fight main card, plus one of the more notable preliminary bouts:
- Main Event: Sean Strickland vs. Nassourdine Imavov
- Co-Main Event: Dan Ige vs. Damon Jackson
- Punahele Soriano vs. Roman Kopylov
- Ketlen Vieira vs. Raquel Pennington
- Umar Nurmagomedov vs. Raoni Barcelos
- Prelim highlight: Priscila Cachoeira vs. Sijara Eubanks
Assuming you are in a legal sports betting state, UFC Vegas 67 offers some playable wagers to add to the entertainment of watching high-stakes mixed martial arts.
Let’s see what the UFC Vegas 67 card has on tap for sports bettors.
Note: Odds from FanDuel Sportsbook are current at the time of writing and subject to movement.
Light Heavyweight: Strickland vs. Imavov
- Moneyline: Strickland (+100), Imavov (-128)
- Prediction: Imavov by KO/TKO
- Best Bet: Imavov by KO/TKO (+310)
The new main event is more interesting than the original. Short-notice bouts add more intrigue. With Strickland vs. Imavov, there are a lot of questions that need answering.
As big of a personality as Strickland is, his fighting style doesn’t always translate. The Xtreme Couture product is a high-volume striker with solid and calculated defense maneuvers. He rarely puts himself at much risk outside of rough matchups such as his loss to current middleweight champ Alex Pereira.
The sturdy-chinned Strickland has fought far superior competition than the rising Imavov. They call him the “Russian Sniper” for a reason, though. Imavov is incredibly precise with his strikes, and his versatility will keep Strickland guessing throughout the five rounds allotted.
The odds on this fight are undoubtedly fair, as Imavov appears to have a clear upside at 27. However, Strickland has a great gas tank, and the change in weight from 185 to 205 pounds may favor him. Nonetheless, more time gives Imavov more chances to snipe another target. There’s not much betting value in this fight unless you’re confident in a finish from either.
Featherweight: Ige vs. Jackson
- Moneyline: Ige (-128), Jackson (+100)
- Prediction: Jackson by submission
- Best Bet: Jackson by submission (+700)
The resurgence of Jackson has been quite a sight to behold.
Both fighters are headed in opposite directions. Ige, a once-promising contender, has fallen on hard times, losing three straight and finding himself in desperate need of a win. Jackson has all the momentum in this matchup after a massive upset of Pat Sabatini this past September to extend his winning streak to four.
Ige’s recent losses have all come against some of the best featherweight offers, so Jackson is a clear step down for “Dynamite.” Despite that, it’s no easy fight. Jackson has had grit since returning to the octagon in late 2020. He’s never out of a battle and can snatch a desperation submission if needed or find shocking knockouts like in his last fight.
Ige will need to be sharp for the fight’s entirety to come out on top.
Middleweight: Soriano vs. Kopylov
- Moneyline: Soriano (-164), Kopylov (+128)
- Prediction: Soriano by KO/TKO
- Best Bet: Soriano by KO/TKO (+180)
Kopyov likely saved his roster spot with the Alessio Di Chirico knockout this past September. Replicating that same effort against Soriano will be a complex task.
Soriano is one of the hardest hitters at 185 pounds, supported by an iron chin that allows him to consistently throw caution to the wind. Soriano’s kryptonite in his career thus far has been those who can stall him out and avoid getting into significant engagements. That isn’t Kopylov’s style, so expect him to take one to give one, which ultimately costs him.
Bantamweight: Vieira vs. Pennington
- Moneyline: Vieira (-128), Pennington (+100)
- Prediction: Vieira by points
- Best Bet: Vieira by points (+145)
It’s a bit of a head-scratcher that this fight isn’t the co-main event considering their recent stretches, respectively.
Vieira deserves a title right now after wins over former champions Holly Holm and Miesha Tate. Meanwhile, Pennington has had quite the career resurgence, rattling off four straight impressive wins.
Pennington has shown off somewhat of a new killer instinct with her tight boxing skills. She possesses some of the best and most underappreciated takedown defense amongst all female fighters, which could come into play in this matchup.
The Brazilian “Fenomeno” is a national wrestling champion who integrates her skills nicely. She might not lean on or worry heavily about getting Pennington to the ground, but she’ll still threaten with it as she seeks big punches to the head and body in close quarters.
As seasoned and experienced as “Rocky” is, she often allows herself to be controlled in those grimey clinch battles. This will be a competitive fight either way, so avoid placing a wager here.
Bantamweight: Nurmagomedov vs. Barcelos
- Moneyline: Nurmagomedov (-900), Barcelos (+520)
- Prediction: Nurmagomedov by submission
- Best Bet: Nurmagomedov by submission (+320)
There’s zero doubt that Nurmagomedov is the future of the division.
This fight is the definition of the old guard versus the new generation. Barcelos was, at a time, perhaps the most underrated bantamweight on the planet, but he eventually ran into some fellow rising talents and got exposed. He’s still incredibly talented in all areas, but the problem here is that Nurmagomedov can say the same to a higher degree.
Speed should be a massive factor here. Barcelos will be a step behind everywhere the fight goes. Your biggest gamble is on how Nurmagomedov wins. In this case, a knockdown leading to a submission is the most likely outcome.
Prelim: Flyweight: Cachoeira vs. Eubanks
- Moneyline: Cachoeira (+200), Eubanks (-265)
- Prediction: Eubanks by submission
- Best Bet: Fight ends under 2.5 rounds (-172)
Every Cachoeira fight should end the same way, but for some unknown reason, they don’t.
Attempt a takedown on the Brazilian, and you will win the fight. Few fighters in recent history have displayed a more significant lack of takedown defense than Cachoeira. Perfectly for her, Ji Yeon Kim and Ariane Lipski decided to ignore the clear evidence, resulting in brawls. Kim still arguably won in many fans’ eyes, while Lipski suffered the fate of getting slept.
Cachoeira has solid power and an incredible chin. She’s called “Zombie Girl” for a reason, so everyone should avoid getting into her beloved sloppy brawls at all costs. Eubanks enjoys a good throwdown of her own, but as a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt with grappling wins over the likes of Mackenzie Dern in her back pocket, she knows what she does best.
Eubanks should do what one is supposed to do against Cachoeira based on her background. The faith is in her to do so, but Cachoeira has a way of luring people into a brawl. This should be the safest bet of the whole night.
