Thiago Santos vs. Aleksandar Rakic is on the main card for UFC 259 betting on March 6.
This should be an absolute banger between a pair of light heavyweight contenders. UFC betting lines have Rakic installed as a -162 favorite while Santos comes back at +132.
Here are our best Santos vs. Rakic picks and predictions for UFC 259 on Saturday, March 6 from the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
Santos vs Rakic fight odds
| Method of Victory | Thiago Santos | Aleksandar Rakic |
|---|---|---|
| Win Outright | +132 | -162 |
| Win by KO/TKO | +210 | +195 |
| Win by Points | +850 | +260 |
| Win by Submission | +1,700 | +1,800 |
| Draw | +5,000 | +5,000 |
Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook
Santos vs Rakic betting preview
Thiago "Marreta" Santos is the No. 2 ranked light heavyweight contender and is coming off a submission loss to Glover Teixeira in November. That was Marreta's second straight defeat following a close split-decision loss to Jon Jones.
Santos had won eight of his previous nine fights prior to that matchup with Jones, including a TKO win against current 205-pound champ Jan Blachowicz. The 37-year-old Brazilian has scary power with his kicks and dynamite in his hands, with eight of his last nine wins coming by way of knockout.
Aleksandar Raki? is No. 4 in the UFC light heavyweight rankings and is coming off a dominating win against Anthony Smith. That victory allowed him to bounce back from a split-decision loss to Volkan Oezdemir, which was his first defeat since making his MMA debut as a teenager in 2011.
Rakic is 5-1 under the UFC banner and has first-round finishes of Devin Clark and Jimi Manuwa. The 29-year-old Austrian is a well-rounded fighter that combines explosive striking with strong wrestling.
Santos vs Rakic tale of the tape
| Thiago Santos | Aleksandar Rakic | |
|---|---|---|
| 37 | Age | 29 |
| 6-foot-2 | Height | 6-foot-4 |
| 205 lbs | Weight | 205 lbs |
| 76 inches | Reach | 78 inches |
| 21-8-0 (15 KO) | Record | 13-2-0 (9 KO) |
Santos vs Rakic UFC prediction and betting pick
PREDICTION: Aleksandar Rakic to win - 162 - Santos has a reputation for his powerful kicks, but rarely used them against Teixeria. That could be cause for concern since he's coming off surgery on both knees. If kicking isn't the same weapon that it used to be for the Brazilian he becomes a one-dimensional fighter that has to rely on his power punching.
On the other hand, Rakic can get it done in a variety of ways. He has excellent boxing and mixes in kicks, but also has powerful takedowns with strong ground-and-pound.
Santos can be a bit wild in his striking at times which will make him vulnerable to Rakic's precision kickboxing and level changes.
Rakic opened as a -265 favorite for this fight, which gave Santos decent betting value – especially on the to win by KO/TKO prop. But now that the money is rolling towards Marreta, the value lies with the younger fighter in Rakic.
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