UFC Fight Night: Santos vs. Hill fight week schedule, full card, predictions, and betting odds
The UFC will begin its schedule for the month of August with a high-octane Fight Night card this weekend. Fight Night: Santos vs. Hill will take place at the promotion's APEX facility in Las Vegas on August 6.
The event, also known as UFC Vegas 59, will be headlined by a light heavyweight clash between contenders Thiago Santos and Jamahal Hill. Santos is currently ranked no. 6 in the division while Hill is the No.10- ranked contender. A win for Hill, who has won three out of his last four fights, will see him take a big leap in the rankings.
| 22-10
| 10-1
Who win this fight?
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Thiago "Marreta" Santos ๐ง๐ท | 22-10
vs.
Jamahal "Sweet Dreams" Hill ๐บ๐ธ | 10-1
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August 7
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#UFC #UFC277 https://t.co/PYYTr03SFe
Santos, on the other hand, has lost four out of his last five fights and desperately needs a win to stay relevant as a top-ranked contender in the division. The event will be co-headlined by a welterweight scrap between contenders Vicente Luque and Geoff Neal.
Neal, currently the NO.13- ranked welterweight in the UFC, has the opportunity to break into the top-10 by beating Luque, who's currently ranked no.6. Having said that, it won't be an easy task for Neal to beat his Brazilian foe, who has won four out of his last five fights inside the octagon
Check out the pre-fight press conference and weigh-ins schedule for the event below:
Media Day
Fight Night events do not have press conferences featuring all main card fighters together, as we generally see ahead of UFC pay-per-views. There will, however, be a media day event held where fighters individually appear and answer questions from the media.
Media Day interactions with fighters ahead of UFC Vegas 59 are likely to take place on Wednesday, August 3, and can be viewed live on the promotion's official website, YouTube, Facebook, and Twitch accounts.
Official weigh-ins
The official weigh-ins for UFC Vegas 59 are likely to take place on Friday, August 5, and can be watched live on the aforementioned platforms.
NOTE: The dates are estimated based on the usual schedule for UFC events and are subject to change as they are yet to be officially confirmed.
UFC Vegas 59 main card
Check out the full card and betting odds for UFC Vegas 59 below:
(Light heavyweight) Thiago Santos (+220) vs. Jamahal Hill (-260) [Favorite]
(Welterweight) Vicente Luque (-175) [Favorite] vs. Geoff Neal (+150)
(Heavyweight) Zac Pauga (-230) [Favorite] vs. Mohammed Usman (+195)
(Women's flyweight) Brogan Walker (+105) vs. Juliana Miller (-125) [Favorite]
(Heavyweight) Augusto Sakai (+180) vs. Sergey Spivak (-210) [Favorite]
(Women's flyweight) Ariane Lipski (-165) [Favorite] vs. Priscila Cachoeira (+140)
UFC Vegas 59 preliminary card
(Middleweight) Sam Alvey (+380) vs. Michaล Oleksiejczuk (-475) [Favorite]
(Lightweight) Terrance McKinney (-850) [Favorite] vs. Erick Gonzalez (+600)
(Welterweight) Takashi Sato (+195) vs. Bryan Battle (-230) [Favorite]
(Welterweight) Jason Witt (+190) vs. Josh Quinlan (-225) [Favorite]
(Women's strawweight) Miranda Granger (+185) vs. Cory McKenna (-215) [Favorite]
(Women's bantamweight) Mayra Bueno Silva (-140) [Favorite] vs. Stephanie Egger (+120)
#UFCVegas59 next week. https://t.co/JwupffPKEY
Main card predictions for UFC Vegas 59
Ariane Lipski vs. Priscila Cachoeira
This fight promises to be a slugfest between two accomplished strikers. Lipski is the cleaner striker between the pair, whereas Cachoeira is prone to leaving herself vulnerable while trying to land fight-ending strikes on her opponents.
Cachoeira has more power between the two fighters, but Lipski is likely to exploit the holes in her striking game. With no apparent takedown threat coming her way in this fight, Lipski will be more confident and aggressive with her striking.
She is also the better grappler between the pair and could cause a lot of damage from top position if she succeeds in taking Cachoeira down. Lipski is likely to win this one.
Verdict: Ariane Lipski (winner)
Augusto Sakai vs. Sergey Spivak
Augusto Sakai is a prolific striker and likes to indulge in telephone booth brawls inside the octagon. Hailing from a Muay-Thai background, he will have an advantage from the clinch and would like to keep the fight on the feet for as long as it lasts.
Spivak, on the other hand, is a world-class grappler and will definitely look to take the fight to the ground against a dangerous striker like Sakai. Although Sakai has a solid takedown defense, it is unlikely that he will be able to handle the relentless pressure coming his way for the entire fifteen minutes.
Spivak will head into the fight with momentum on his side from a big win over Greg Hardy last time around. He is likely to secure multiple takedowns in the fight, cause damage and subsequently emerge victorious.
Verdict: Sergey Spivak (winner)
Brogan Walker vs. Juliana Miller
Both Walker and Miller are well-rounded fighters adept at both grappling as well as striking. Miller is known for her aggression inside the octagon and tries to pressure her opponents from the get go. She isn't one to back away from a brawl and if the going gets tough, Miller can hold her own on the ground.
Having said that, she is just three fights old as a professional fighter and is going up against a fighter who's been competing as a professional for eight years now and has fought elite competition inside the cage. Experience is likely to play a major factor in this fight, so Walker is expected to get the win.
Verdict: Brogan Walker (winner)
Zac Pauga vs. Mohammed Usman
Both fighters know each other well because they've trained together on several occasions in the past. Pauga is an out-and-out grappler who uses a strong jab and overhand to set up takedowns. Mohammed is the brother of reigning UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman.
Unlike Kamaru, however, he doesn't have a wrestling-heavy style. Mohammed is a terrific athlete and possesses vicious power in his hands. Over time, he has learned to stay patient in fights and waits for openings instead of trying to create them.
Having said that, Pauga is definitely the more well-rounded fighter between the pair. If he can avoid getting hit, Pauga is likely to take the fight to the ground and establish his dominance.
Verdict: Zac Pauga (winner)
Vicente Luque vs. Geoff Neal
This will likely be a back-and-forth battle between two of the most prolific strikers in the welterweight division. Luque has more power between the pair whereas Neal likes to maintain range and constant pressure, which makes him more of a volume striker.
Although both fighters have solid takedown defenses, neither man will be too worried about being taken down in this fight. However, if the fight does get to the ground, Luque is well-equipped to use his grappling to maneuver his way into submissions.
If he can close the distance and turn the fight into more of a brawl, Luque is likely to win this one.
Verdict: Vicente Luque (winner)
Thiago Santos vs. Jamahal Hill
Santos and Hill are on the opposite ends of the spectrum as far as their recent form is concerned. The Brazilian has just one win in his last five fights whereas Hill is heading into the fight with back-to-back first-round knockout wins over Jimmy Crute and Johnny Walker, respectively.
Santos was regarded as one of the most dangerous knockout artists in the division prior to his loss to Jon Jones at UFC 239 back in 2019. He picked up a knee injury in the fight which has visibly affected his movement and he, quite evidently, hasn't been the same fighter since.
Having said that, Santos is a good grappler and can establish dominance by taking the fight to the ground against Hill, who isn't known for his grappling prowess but for his accurate striking. However, Hill has good takedown defense and is unlikely to allow Santos to take him down.
On the feet, Hill looks like the more prolific striker between the pair currently and is likely to pick up the win in the main event of UFC Vegas 59.
Verdict: Jamahal Hill (winner)