UFC Vegas 50: Marlon Moraes vs. Yadong Song MMA Odds and Picks

Two bantamweights will meet in a pivotal matchup on Saturday, as Marlon Moraes looks to get back in the win column at the expense of the lauded Yadong Song. Read on for our Moraes-Song picks.

Marlon Moraes and Yadong Song find themselves in starkly different positions ahead of Saturday’s bout. After going 5-2 and challenging for the divisional strap to start his UFC stint, the 33-year-old Moraes is now in the throes of a two-year winless drought. The crafty, technically proficient striker looks to end a three-fight skid on this Saturday’s bill in Vegas, where the margin for error will be next to non-existent.

The rising Yadong Song has relied on his granite mitts to amass a solid UFC record of 7-1-1. Still just 24, Song further distances himself from the prospect label with every walk to the Octagon, having tangled with bantamweight fixtures like Cody Stamann, Marlon Vera, and Casey Kenney within the past two years and change.

In a tantalizing clash of bantamweight strikers, will Moraes emerge victoriously? Or will the young Song add another coveted name to his resume and move up in the divisional pecking order.

Here are my Moraes-Song picks and predictions for Saturday’s bantamweight co-main event (odds via Caesars Sportsbook and FanDuel Sportsbook; pick confidence is based on a 1-to-5-star scale).

Moraes vs. Song Fight Info

Date/Time: Saturday, March 12, 7 p.m. ET (main card)TV: ESPN+, pay-per-viewLocation: UFC Apex Center, Las Vegas, NV

Moraes vs. Song Odds Analysis

Song’s upside, recent victories, and fight-ending power make him a sizable favorite over the slumping Moraes. PointsBet is listing him at -260 and FanDuel at -245 as of Wednesday. Betting on Song to win doesn’t come at the highest value, but a knockout victory makes things a little more compelling, as FanDuel has a Song KO or TKO at +105.

As for Moraes, both Caesars and PointsBet have the ex-champ at +200, which would make a nice return if his veteran savvy proves enough to snap his skid.

Marlon Moraes Betting Profile

A former World Series of Fighting champion, Moraes has faced only elite competition since jumping ship to the UFC in 2017, claiming some valuable scalps in Jimmie Rivera, Raphael Assuncao, and reigning champ Aljamain Sterling. However, he’s most recently been on the wrong end of three straight stoppages courtesy of Cory Sandhagen, Rob Font, and Merab Dvalishvili.

The former world titleholder is an excellent technician on the feet and isn’t above putting the squeeze on his foes on the mat. However, he not only folded with one clean shot in his losses to Sandhagen and Font, but he also exhausted himself when chasing a finish of Dvalishvili before suffering a cruel reversal of fortune. There’s no shame in losing to any of these bantamweight bruisers. But Moraes may have developed a tendency to hit the panic button when adversity strikes in his recent showings.

Yadong Song Betting Profile

The co-main event’s betting favorite ended 2021 with back-to-back wins over fellow contender Casey Kenney and veteran Julio Arce. Song’s striking could still use a bit of polishing, and he would do well to rein himself in at times. But he’s bested many a man by planting his proverbial flag in the center of the cage and throwing deadly combinations.

Back in May 2020, Marlon Vera proved Song could be put on the back foot and outmuscled in the clinch. The 24-year-old upstart proved unflappable under fire and claimed a razor-close decision with a steady output of hooks and uppercuts. Between his raw power and stoicism that belies his age, Song has already cemented himself as a tough out in a division with an abundance of deadly strikers.

Moraes vs Song Picks

Song to win (-240 via Caesars) ????Song by KO/TKO (+100 via Fanduel) ???

SEE ALSO: Thiago Santos vs. Magomed Ankalaev Picks

Moraes vs. Song Predictions

Song to win (-240)

Moraes may be the cleaner technician on the feet, but fighters on slumps like his have a tendency to turn gun shy and play the point-fighting game. A more tentative, feint-heavy version of Moraes would only give Song more time to claim the center of the cage, keep his foe on the back foot, and uncork his haymakers. Moraes could also replicate his early efforts against Font and rely on takedowns and top control. But he’ll have to set up his shots, and they’ll get sloppier should Song find a home for his mitts with regularity. I’m betting on the young bruiser to do so.

Song by KO/TKO (+100)

In Moraes’ defense, a wheel kick from Sandhagen and an uppercut from Font would put down more than a few bantamweights. That said, Henry Cejudo, Font, and Dvalishvili all rallied from dicey starts and turned the tables on Moraes when they faced him. Don’t be surprised if Song does the same and stifles Moraes with forward pressure before folding him with a blistering salvo inside the distance.

Where to Bet on UFC

Here are our top-rated sportsbooks:

FanDuel SportsbookCaesars SportsbookDraftKings SportsbookPointsBetBetMGM

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Moraes-Song picks made 3/9/2022 at 8:38 p.m. ET