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UFC Singapore Picks, Preview, Odds: Max Holloway vs. The Korean Zombie

The UFC travels to Singapore for UFC Singapore: Max Holloway vs. The Korean Zombie. This Fight Night card also features Anthony Smith against Ryan Spann in the co-main event. Ahead of the UFC Singapore card, we will use OddsShopper’s market-based betting model to sort through the sharpest sportsbooks and find the best UFC bets and get recommendations as to where to bet them to grab the highest ROI. Users can access the model for every major sport as well as tools like Parlay Builder! Now let’s preview UFC Singapore picks and predictions for the Holloway-Korean Zombie card.

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UFC Singapore Picks, Preview & Odds Predictions

Best UFC Singapore Picks: SeungWoo Choi vs. Jarno Errens Odds

SeungWoo Choi: -200 | Jarno Errens: +165

Kicking off UFC Singapore, SeungWoo Choi takes on Jarno Errens as a -200 favorite. Now 0-3 in his last three fights, Choi most recently lost to Michael Trizano in November of last year. Similarly, Gomis dropped his most recent fight via unanimous decision at the hands of William Gomis back in September.

Choi has a 10-6 professional record and comes from a Muay Thai background. Among his 10 wins, Choi has six knockouts. Conversely, he has been knocked out and submitted twice within his career. Inside the UFC, Choi lands 3.43 significant strikes per minute while absorbing 3.19. Despite the positive striking ratio, his 45% striking defense opens him to clean shots on the feet. On the ground, Choi averages 0.85 takedowns per bout while defending them at 66%. Generally, Choi prefers to stand and bang over mixing it up on the ground.

Making the UFC walk for the second time, Errens comes from a kickboxing and judo background. He has a 13-4-1 professional record with three knockouts and five submissions. He has faced a decent level of competition from the regional scene, but Errens still has multiple leaks in his fighting. His primary weakness looks like a lackluster ground game, where he allowed three takedowns to Gomis behind his 40% takedown defense. His sample size in the UFC is miniscule, but Errens typically prefers to fight from the feet.

Ultimately, this fight looks like a standup war between two fighters who excel on the feet. Choi has the more difficult strength of schedule by a wide margin, which should give him the experience edge. While his recent knockout is a concern, Choi should be able to find the victory against a low-level UFC fighter. For those looking to shave off some of the -200 odds, look to Choi via knockout of decision later in the week.

Best UFC Fight Night Pick: SeungWoo Choi +200, Look to Choi Knockout Props Later in Week

Best UFC Singapore Picks: Liang Na vs. J.J. Aldrich Odds

Liang Na: +425 | J.J. Aldrich: -600

In the women’s flyweight division, Liang Na takes on J.J. Aldrich as a +425 underdog. Now making her third UFC appearance, Na has an 0-2 record with the promotion. She most recently lost via knockout at the hands of Silvana Gomez Juarez back in June of last year. Similarly, Aldrich has dropped her last two fights heading into this bout. Her last bout was a unanimous-decision loss at the hands of Ariane Lipski in March of this year.

Na has a 19-6 professional record, earning seven knockouts and nine submissions. She comes from a wrestling background, evidenced by her 5.74 takedowns per bout. She has never been taken down, with opponents generally choosing to strike against her. Na only lands 2.94 significant strikes while absorbing 4.09. Even more problematic, she only defends strikes at 27% and has been knocked out in each of her two UFC fights. This will also be her first fight in the UFC at flyweight after previously competing at strawweight.

Aldrich comes from a taekwondo background. She has an 11-6 professional record but only has two wins by knockout. Among her losses, she has been knocked out once and submitted twice. With that said, she has fought significantly more difficult competition. In the Octagon, she lands 3.98 significant strikes per minute while absorbing 4.74. On the mat, she lands 0.82 takedowns per bout and defends them at 70%.

All in all, Na likely is not a UFC-caliber fighter at this point. Even with a wrestling edge, she should be overmatched on the feet, and her durability concerns make Na a fade even at this price. For those weary of Aldrich’s odds, look to the prop market later in the week.

Best UFC Fight Night Pick: Look to J.J. Aldrich Props Later in Week

Best UFC Singapore Picks: Billy Goff vs. Yusaku Kinoshita Odds

Billy Goff: +120 | Yusaku Kinoshita: -145

In the men’s welterweight division, Contender Series alum Billy Goff battles Yusaku Kinoshita as a +120 underdog. Goff most recently fought on the Contender Series in August of last year, earning a first-round knockout over Shimon Smotritsky. Similarly, Kinoshita earned his UFC contract with a win over Jose Henrique on the Contender Series last August. However, he suffered a knockout at the hands of Adam Fugitt back in February.

Goff has an 8-2 record with six knockouts. A former double champion in CES, Goff comes from a pure striking background. In his lone UFC walk, Goff outstruck Smotritsky 36-15 before earning the knockout. He also landed two takedowns while defending a pair of them in that bout. At this point, Goff has not faced the toughest competition, leaving plenty of questions regarding his wrestling and striking alike.

Kinoshita has a 6-2 professional record. His wins include four knockouts and a pair of submissions for a perfect 100% finishing rate. Kinoshita also comes from a striking background, landing 4.7 significant strikes per minute while absorbing 3.79. He employs a kicking-heavy approach, which can challenge other standup fighters. However, he has a weakness on the ground, which led to his downfall against Fugitt. Kinoshita allowed four takedowns, putting his defense at an alarming 42%. Goff does not typically utilize grappling, but he may have a legitimate edge.

Neither fighter has a strong strength of schedule, but Goff has a few advantages. While Kinoshita’s kicks present a legitimate threat, Goff will utilize the weapon often. Goff also has the more proven wrestling game, which creates another avenue for victory. At an underdog price of +120, Goff gets a victory in his UFC debut.

Best UFC Fight Night Pick: Billy Goff +120

Best UFC Singapore Picks: Song Kenan vs. Rolando Bedoya Odds

Song Kenan: +225 | Rolando Bedoya: -275

Sticking with the welterweight division, Song Kenan takes on Rolando Bedoya as a +225 underdog. Now on a two-fight losing streak, Kenan suffered a knockout loss at the hands of Ian Garry last time out. On the other side, Bedoya lost a split decision to Khaos Williams in May of this year.

Kenan has a 19-7 professional record with nine knockouts and eight submissions. Primarily a striker, Kenan lands 4.25 significant strikes per minute while absorbing 5.45. He has also been knocked out four times in his career, including each of his last two fights. On the mat, Kenan averages 0.51 takedowns per bout, but he only defends them at 50%. At this point, Kenan’s record looks highly suspect. He is 4-3 in the UFC, but the cumulative record of his opponents in UFC victories is 1-10.

Bedoya has a 14-2 professional record and has four knockouts and three submissions in his victories while never suffering a finish loss. Bedoya appears to have a well-rounded skill set, but he prefers a standup fight. In his UFC debut, he outstruck Williams 149-130 in a pure standup war. Throughout his career, Bedoya has displayed excellent cardio and durability, which could be difference makers.

This is another fight that should primarily play out of the feet, and both fighters have concerns. With that said, Kenan has yet to earn a notable UFC victory while displaying durability issues of late. Bedoya, on the other hand, is excellent in those areas, which should be enough to overcome Kenan. With that said, Bedoya has not displayed much power, making his decision prop particularly interesting for later in the week.

Best UFC Fight Night Pick: Check Rolando Bedoya Decision Props Later in Week 

Best UFC Singapore Picks: Chidi Njokuani vs. Michal Oleksiejczuk Odds

Chidi Njokuani: -105 | Michal Oleksiejczuk: -115

Moving to the men’s middleweight division, Chidi Njokuani faced Michal Oleksiejczuk as a -105 underdog. A limited UFC fighter, Njokuani dropped his last two fights against Gregory Rodrigues and Albert Duraev. Oleksiejczuk also lost his most recent fight, suffering a submission loss at the hands of Caio Borralho in April of this year.

Njokuani comes from a Muay Thai kickboxing background, evidenced by his 14 knockout victories. In his mixed martial arts career, Njokuani has a 22-9 record and has been knocked out four times and submitted three. On the feet, Njokuani lands 3.82 significant strikes per minute while absorbing 2.62. He has never landed a takedown, but he defends them at 70%, which generally has him up against the weaker fighters in the division. It should be noted that Njokuani has a sneaky difficult level of competition, which includes multiple UFC fighters on the regional scene. He will also have a sizable six-inch reach advantage.

Like Njokuani, Oleksiejczuk comes from a striking background. At 18-6 in his career, Oleksiejczuk has 13 knockout wins and has been knocked out once and submitted four times. In the Octagon, he lands 4.82 significant strikes per minute while absorbing 4.02, and he averages 0.6 takedowns per minute while defending them at 44%. Though Oleksiejczuk has more experience at the UFC level, most of his wins came against the bottom of the division.

Neither fighter projects to take this fight to the ground. Njokuani has the more extensive striking background and a tougher level of competition, so seeing him as an underdog is a surprise. This makes him one of the sharper bets on this card.

Best UFC Fight Night Pick: Chidi Njokuani -105

Best UFC Singapore Picks: Toshiomi Kazama vs. Garrett Armfield Odds

Toshiomi Kazama: +135 | Garrett Armfield: -160

Taking place in the men’s bantamweight division, Toshiomi Kazama takes on Garrett Armfield as a +135 underdog. After punching his ticket to the promotion on Road to the UFC, Kazama lost his UFC debut at the hands of Rinya Nakamura via knockout in February. Similarly, Armfield lost his UFC debut via submission to David Onama after stepping in on short notice and moving up a weight class.

Kazama has a 10-3 professional record, including three knockouts and five submissions. However, he has already displayed concerns on the feet, suffering knockout losses in two of his last three fights. He lands 1.87 significant strikes per minute while absorbing 2.12 behind 50% striking defense. On the mat, he lands 1.93 takedowns per minute and defends them at 66%. Coming from a judo and Brazilian jiu-jitsu background, Kazama’s ground game could come into play more in future fights.

Armfield has an 8-3 professional record with five knockouts and a pair of submissions. However, he has been submitted in two of his three losses. Armfield comes from a college wrestling background and has solid Brazilian jiu-jitsu chops as well. His first UFC fight ended early, but he landed 21 strikes while failing to complete either of his two takedown attempts. He is basically still an unknown, but Armfield appears to have decent boxing to pair with his solid ground game. However, it is difficult to evaluate his UFC debut due to the weight class and short notice of the fight.

This fight brings plenty of questions, with both fighters relatively green in their careers. However, Armfield could have advantages on the feet and mat. At only -160, his short-notice fight against Onama could be depressing his price. There are more questions on the Kazama side, so playing Armfield at this price makes sense.

Best UFC Fight Night Pick: Garrett Armfield -160

Best UFC Singapore Picks: Waldo Cortes-Acosta vs. Lukasz Brzeski Odds

Waldo Cortes-Acosta: -300 | Lukasz Brzeski: +240

Waldo Cortes-Acosta battles Lukasz Brzeski as a -300 favorite. After a 2-0 start against the bottom of the heavyweight division, Cortes-Acosta lost his most recent fight against Marcos Rogerio de Lima in April of this year. Brzeski is 0-2 after earning a submission victory on the Contender Series. The victory was later turned to a no-contest after a positive drug test, for which Brzeski served a nine-month suspension. Brzeski most recently lost a decision to Karl Williams in March of this year.

Cortes-Acosta is 31 and has a 9-1 professional record. These victories include four knockouts and one submission. Primarily a striker, Cortes-Acosta lands 7.09 significant strikes per minute while absorbing 4.03. Cortes-Acosta generally keeps a high pace, but he does not have the same knockout power as other heavyweights. He has never landed a takedown, but he defends them at 60%. Interestingly, Brzeski weighed in at 236 pounds in his last fight, which would give Cortes-Acosta a 25-pound advantage, assuming Brzeski does not gain more weight.

At 8-3-1-1 overall, Brzeski has seven knockout wins and another two wins by submission, and he has been knocked out once. In the UFC, he lands 5.11 significant strikes per minute while absorbing 3.35. On the mat, he averages 0.68 takedowns per bout while defending them at 42%. This entire number comes from allowing eight takedowns against Williams. In addition to his recent no-contest, Brzeski’s loss to Martin Buday came with controversy. He outstruck Buday 118-66 and earned a split-decision victory on almost every media member’s score card. Still, the actual judges awarded the fight to Buday.

Neither fighter has a quality win on their respective profiles. Handicapping Cortes-Acosta at -300 is absurd for a low-level heavyweight fight. Brzeski does not appear to have much promise in this division either, but at +240 he has value.

Best UFC Fight Night Pick: Lukasz Brzeski +240

Best UFC Singapore Picks: Junior Tafa vs. Parker Porter Odds

Junior Tafa: -140 | Parker Porter: +115

Sticking to low-level heavyweight fights, Junior Tafa takes on Parker Porter as a -140 favorite. Tafa is only 4-1 in his career and most recently lost his UFC debut via unanimous decision to Mohammed Usman. Conversely, Porter is fresh off a knockout win over Braxton Smith in May of this year.

The younger brother of Justin Tafa, Junior Tafa has an extensive striking background. He previously competed in Glory Kickboxing, giving him more experience than the 4-1 record indicates. In his UFC debut, Tafa outstruck Usman 22-7 before Usman resorted to wrestling. Usman landed two takedowns, controlling Tafa on the mat for over 12 minutes. While Tafa has the striking to compete with many heavyweights, his lack of wrestling puts him at a severe disadvantage in other matchups.

Porter lost to Junior’s brother Justin in his second-most recent fight. Porter has a 13-8 professional record with six knockouts and three submission victories. However, all but one of those finishes came on the regional scene. Porter has a well-rounded skill set for a heavyweight. He lands 6.66 significant strikes per minute while absorbing 6.34, and he averages 1.38 takedowns per bout while defending them at 66%. With Tafa on the other side, Porter should have a ground advantage.

Neither fighter has a quality win on the UFC profile. Basically, Tafa should have the advantage on the feet and Porter on the ground. Blindly playing underdogs in low-level heavyweight has merit on its own, and playing Porter at a +115 price with a ground advantage makes even more sense.

Best UFC Fight Night Pick: Parker Porter +115

Best UFC Singapore Picks: Erin Blanchfield vs. Taila Santos Odds

Erin Blanchfield: -150 | Taila Santos: +125

Erin Blanchfield fights former title challenger Taila Santos as a -150 favorite. Blanchfield comes off five straight wins in the UFC, and she submitted Jessica Andrade in February of this year. Santos dropped her title bout to Valentina Shevchenko via split decision in June of last year, halting her four-fight winning streak.

Blanchfield has an 11-1 professional record with two knockouts and four submissions. Notably, her only loss came to Tracy Cortez back in February of 2019. Blanchfield has one of the most well-rounded skill sets in this division. On top of a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, she has an extensive kickboxing background and she lands 6.06 significant strikes per minute while absorbing 3.22 behind 61% striking defense. On the mat, she averages 3.76 takedowns per bout and has 77% takedown defense. Despite her youth, she also has a solid level of competition to this point as well.

Santos has a 19-2 professional record with 10 wins by knockout and three by submission. Aside from her loss to Shevchenko, her only other defeat came to Mara Romero Borella in the form of a split decision. Santos comes from a Muay Thai background, evidenced by her positive striking differential. In the cage, she lands 3.35 significant strikes per minute while absorbing 2.43 behind 59% striking defense. On the mat, she averages 2.29 takedowns per bout and has 78% defense. Like Blanchfield, she also has a strong strength of schedule.

This is a tough fight to handicap. Blanchfield has absolutely dismantled opponents on the ground of late, but Santos comes from stronger grappling camps than any of the three women Blanchfield last submitted. She also hung with one of the best female strikers in the world in Shevchenko last time out. A strong case can be made for either woman, putting some value on the Santos side.

Best UFC Fight Night Pick: Some Value on Taila Santos +125

Best UFC Singapore Picks: Rinya Nakamura vs. Fernie Garcia Odds

Rinya Nakamura: -700 | Fernie Garcia: +500

Back in the men’s bantamweight division, Rinya Nakamura takes on Fernando Garcia as a -700 favorite. Entering this fight with a perfect 7-0 record, Nakamura most recently dismantled Toshiomi Kazama on the Road to the UFC finale back in February. Conversely, Garcia enters this bout off two straight losses. Most recently, he lost a decision to Brady Hiestand in November of last year.

A former wrestling champion, Nakamura has five wins by knockout and another via submission. With three fights under his belt on the Road to the UFC, Nakamura lands 8.57 significant strikes per minute while absorbing just 3.65. On the mat, he averages 4.76 takedowns per bout while defending them at 100%. Despite his clean record, Nakamura has a few questions on his profile. He has not fought a strong level of competition and only debuted in 2021. Nakamura has only fought to a decision one time, but his cardio appears to check out. His wrestling base gives him a strong floor in the UFC as long as he can develop his striking on the way.

Garcia has a 10-3 professional record with one knockout and three submissions. Garcia typically prefers to stand and trade during his fights and has been out-grappled twice now in the UFC. He lands 2.18 significant strikes per minute while absorbing 2.83. However, much of that has been a result of ground and pound after allowing five takedowns in his last two fights. On the mat, he averages 0.47 takedowns while defending them at 61%. Hopefully he has been training his grappling because Nakamura looks like the best wrestler he has faced to date.

With Nakamura having a significant wrestling advantage, the -700 odds make plenty of sense. Perhaps the prop market can shave off some of those odds later in the week. Backing -700 favorites never comes easy, but Nakamura is the sharp side of this bout.

Best UFC Fight Night Pick: Check Rinya Nakamura Props Later in Week

Best UFC Singapore Picks: Giga Chikadze vs. Alex Caceres Odds

Giga Chikadze: -225 | Alex Caceres: +185

Moving to the men’s featherweight division, Giga Chikadze takes on Alex Caceres as a -225 favorite. A staple in this division, Chikadze ended his seven-fight winning streak with a unanimous decision loss at the hands of Calvin Kattar back in January of 2022. Conversely, Caceres enters this bout on a two-fight winning streak after defeating Daniel Pineda via decision in January of this year.

An elite kickboxer, Chikadze has a 14-3 professional record, highlighted by nine knockouts and one submission victory. In the Octagon, he lands 4.05 significant strikes per minute while absorbing 3.35 behind 62% striking defense. Chikadze only averages 0.26 takedowns per bout, but his 69% takedown defense generally has held up. He prefers to fight from the feet and has only been out-landed three times in the UFC. Notably, one of those bouts came against Kattar, where he was outstruck 144-128 and knocked down once.

Caceres also comes from a striking background. He has a 21-13 professional record with four knockouts and seven submissions. However, he has also been knocked out once and submitted seven times. In the Octagon, he lands 4.16 significant strikes per minute while absorbing 2.87 behind 63% striking defense. Caceres lands 0.59 takedowns on average while defending them at 64%. He has now won eight of his last nine fights, losing only to Sodiq Yusuff in the process.

This fight should primarily play out on the feet, where Chikadze should have an advantage. Many of Caceres’ losses come via submission, which should not be much of a threat. While Caceres typically does not look to wrestle, he may have a grappling advantage in this bout. Even with that advantage, Chikadze should be the A-side of this fight. As long as he can avoid grappling exchanges, Chikadze should earn a victory.

Best UFC Fight Night Pick: Giga Chikadze -225

Best UFC Singapore Picks: Anthony Smith vs. Ryan Spann Odds

Anthony Smith: +115 | Ryan Spann: -140

Anthony Smith battles Ryan Spann in a light-heavyweight rematch as a +115 underdog in the promotion’s co-main event. Since defeating Spann in 2021, Smith has dropped his last two fights, most recently losing to Johnny Walker via unanimous decision in May of this year. On the other side, Spann is 2-1 since meeting Smith. Last time out, he suffered a submission loss to Nikita Krylov in March 2023.

Smith is 36-18 in his professional career and has 19 knockouts and 14 submissions. However, he has been knocked out 10 times and submitted another four, and only six of his fights have reached a decision. Under the UFC banner, he lands 2.96 significant strikes per minute while absorbing 4.49 behind weak 43% defense. Smith has struggled of late against leg kicks, which is a major weakness in his game. On the mat, he lands 0.48 takedowns per bout while defending them at 47%.

Another mixed martial arts veteran, Spann has a 21-8 professional record with six knockouts and 12 submissions. He has also been knocked out and submitted three times apiece. He lands 3.28 significant strikes per minute while absorbing 3.32 and scores 1.64 takedowns per bout while defending them at 45%. The first fight against Smith resulted in a submission loss in the first round after Smith landed a pair of knockdowns, which should be a concern as well.

Ultimately, both fighters look past their prime as they attempt one last title run. The price does not make a lot of sense, considering Smith already has a head-to-head victory over Spann. Even with his most recent 0-2 run, playing Smith as a +115 underdog looks like the move.

Best UFC Fight Night Pick: Anthony Smith +115

Best UFC Singapore Picks: Max Holloway vs. Chan Sung Jung Odds

Max Holloway: -800 | Chan Sung Jung: +550

In the card’s main event, Max Holloway takes on Chan Sung Jung, aka “The Korean Zombie,” as a -800 favorite, making him the largest favorite on the entire card. Since his most recent loss to Alexander Volkanovski, Holloway defeated Arnold Allen via unanimous decision in April of this year. On the other side, The Korean Zombie lost via knockout at the hands of Volkanovski in April of 2022 in his last UFC appearance.

One of the most decorated fighters in the division, Holloway has not lost to anyone at this weight class other than Volkanovski since 2013. He lands 7.16 significant strikes per minute while absorbing just 4.79. He does not grapple offensively, but his 84% takedown defense thwarts even the best grapplers in this division. Even more impressive, Holloway has victories over elite fighters Calvin Kattar, Yair Rodriguez and Allen in three of his last four fights.

Korean Zombie’s road has been up and down of late. On top of his Volkanovski loss, Jung has also lost to Brian Ortega and Rodriguez in his last six fights. 3-3 in that span, his victories came against Renato Moicano, Frankie Edgar and Dan Ige. He lands 3.97 significant strikes per minute while absorbing 4.35. Zombie also prefers to stand and trade, landing just 0.74 takedowns per bout and has 72% takedown defense. Even as the more active grappler, he does not have the wrestling pedigree to get Holloway to the mat.

Holloway is the biggest favorite on the card for a reason. The more technical and active striker, he should piece up Jung on the feet. He also has some of the best takedown defense in the division, giving him almost all of the edges. Perhaps the prop market can shave off some odds later in the week, but Holloway deserves to come in with this massive number.

Best UFC Fight Night Pick: Check Max Holloway Props Later in Week

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Matt Gajewski

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