Predictions, Odds & Picks for UFC Vegas 94: Lemos vs Jandiroba, Tavares vs Park

Mar 30, 2024; Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA; Virna Jandiroba (red gloves) fights Loopy Godinez (blue gloves) during UFC Fight Night at Boardwalk Hall. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports

• UFC Vegas 94 goes down this Saturday, July 20th, at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas
• Amanda Lemos vs Virna Jandiroba headlines the main card in an epic strawweight clash
• Read below for UFC Vegas 94 predictions, odds, and picks for every main card fight

The UFC is back at the Apex facility in Las Vegas for an exciting Fight Night event featuring a must-see women’s strawweight bout between Amanda Lemos and Virna Jandiroba. The main card starts at 8pm ET and will be available exclusively on ESPN+.

Let’s dive into the matchups and break down the predictions, picks and odds for UFC Vegas 94.

UFC Vegas 94 Odds – Main Card

UFC Vegas 94 provided one of the most competitive main cards in recent memory, with no fighter being heavier than a -200 favorite in their respective bout. Bill Algeo is the heaviest favorite on the main card at -170 in his fight vs Doo Ho Choi.

Odds as of July 18, 2024, at DraftKings Sportsbook. Register with the DraftKings promo code to place a bet on UFC Vegas 94.

Amanda Lemos vs Virna Jandiroba Prediction

In the main event, we’ve got a battle between two top-5 strawweights looking to stake their claim for a title shot. Amanda Lemos brings her explosive striking to the table, with an impressive eight career KO wins. She’s not afraid to stand and bang, landing 4.53 significant strikes per minute.

On the other side, Virna Jandiroba is a submission specialist with 13 tap-out victories. She’s going to look to drag Lemos into her world on the mat and suffocate her with grappling. Oddsmakers set “Carcara” as the -135 favorite here.

You don’t want to go to the ground with @VirnaJandiroba 😤

She’s chasing her 4th straight victory Saturday night at #UFCVegas94! pic.twitter.com/RxfJtYFdFL

— UFC (@ufc) July 15, 2024

The big question mark for me is Lemos’ takedown defense, which sits at 81%. If she can keep this fight standing, I believe her striking power will be too much for Jandiroba. However, if Jandiroba can consistently get it to the ground, she has a clear path to victory.

Ultimately, I lean towards Lemos’ power and improved takedown defense to be the deciding factors. She’s faced better competition recently, and her striking could catch Jandiroba.

Best Bet:

• Amanda Lemos by decision

Brad Tavares vs Jun Yong Park Prediction

The co-main event sees middleweight mainstay Brad Tavares look to turn back the clock against “The Iron Turtle” Jun Yong Park. Oddsmakers are listing the veteran Tavares as the +140 underdog in this one,

Tavares is as tough as they come, but he’s lost three of his last four and is starting to show his age at 36. He’s still a crafty striker, but his durability isn’t quite what it used to be.

Park is a well-rounded fighter who can do it all. He mixes in wrestling with a high-volume striking attack, landing 3.48 significant strikes per minute. Park is coming off a close split decision loss to Andre Muniz.

I think Park’s activity level will be the difference here. He’ll keep Tavares guessing with takedown attempts and outland him on the feet. Tavares is hard to finish but Park will do enough to take home a decision win.

Pick:

• Jun Yong Park by decision

Steve Garcia vs Seung Woo Choi Picks

If you like slobberknockers, then you’ll love this featherweight firefight between Steve Garcia and Seung Woo Choi. Oddsmakers are favoring the rusguing Rising featherweight prospect Steve Garcia at -142 odds.

Garcia has been on a tear lately, scoring three straight knockouts. The man throws absolute heat, landing 4.85 significant strikes per minute. Choi is no slouch either in the striking department, as he’s got KO wins over solid competition.

I’m expecting a wild brawl for as long as this one lasts. Both guys love to throw down and I don’t see either one looking for a grappling match. Give me Garcia’s higher output and slight power advantage to get it done inside the distance.

Predictions:

• Garcia wins inside distance (+100)
• Garcia by KO/TKO

Cody Durden vs Bruno Silva Prediction

In a matchup of flyweight contenders, wrestler Cody Durden faces off against Brazilian knockout artist Bruno Silva. This projects to be one of the closest contested fights of the night with oddsmakers pricing Durden at -119 and Silva at -100.

Always fights with a chip on his shoulder 😤@Cody_Durden looks to climb the flyweight ranks at #UFCVegas94! pic.twitter.com/VzeChkcXfD

— UFC (@ufc) July 16, 2024

Durden is riding a three-fight win streak and relies heavily on his wrestling, averaging over three takedowns per fight. Silva, on the other hand, has won his last three by knockout and packs serious power in his hands.

This is a classic striker vs grappler matchup. I believe Durden’s wrestling will be the key to victory here. He’ll look to put Silva on his back and smother him for 15 minutes. It won’t be pretty, but it will be effective

Best Bet:

• Durden by Decision

UFC Preliminary Card Best Bet

In addition to our main card picks, we’ve identified a fight with value on the preliminary round card. The prelims are scheduled to begin at 5pm EDT on Saturday.

Jeong Yeong Lee vs Hyder Amil Prediction

Concluding the preliminary round card is an intriguing featherweight bout between Jeong Yeong Lee and undefeated prospect Hyder Amil. The UFC Vegas 94 odds price Lee as nearly a -200 favorite at the Apex.

Lee has quietly put together an impressive 8-fight win streak, including going 2-0 in the UFC. He’s a technical striker with a rangy style that could give Amil some problems.

Amil is undefeated at 9-0 but is making a big jump up in competition here. He’s got legit finishing skills with 5 KOs, but he’s never faced anyone on Lee’s level.

As much as I like Amil’s potential, this feels like too much too soon against a battle-tested foe in Lee. I’m backing the Korean fighter to keep it technical, maintain his distance, and cruise to a decision victory.

Pick:

• Jeong Yeong Lee by Decision

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