UFC 299: Yan vs Yadong Odds, Picks & Predictions

With bantamweight Yan Yadong set to face the reeling Petr Yan in Miami, Tony Sartori sees significant value in the South Korean grappler on Saturday night. Read more in our Yan vs. Yadong UFC 299 betting picks.

Kicking off this weekend's UFC 299 card in Miami is a bantamweight bout between Petr Yan and Song Yadong.

UFC odds have Yan as a slight betting favorite at -120, while Yadong returns at +100. Here are my free betting picks for Yan vs. Yadong on Saturday, March 9 in Las Vegas.

Petr Yan vs Song Yadong fight odds

Bet on the UFC at Bet99!

One of Canada's best sportsbooks for UFC betting, join Bet99 and get a 100% match on your first deposit of up to $1,000 when using Bet99 promo code COVERSBONUS!

Yan vs Yadong picks

Fight prediction: Yadong ML

Song Yadong has a ton of momentum going for him right now. The 26-year-old South Korean has won five of his past six fights, with his only loss coming against the esteemed Cory Sandhagen.

Yadong is also bigger and younger, which will bode well for the duration aspect of the bout, especially in one likely to be determined by the judges. Yan's three-fight skid will also be tough to overcome mentally, and he is certainly not getting any younger. 

With the oddsmakers expecting this fight to go the distance, I think Yadong has more ways to rack up points.

Prediction: Yadong moneyline (+100 at Bet99)

Fight best bet: Yadong by decision

Yan has never been finished inside the distance across four professional losses (excluding his DQ). Meanwhile, 43% of Yadong’s professional wins have come by decision, which is equal to or greater than his number of wins by either knockout or submission (43% and 14%, respectively).

Yan also possesses a strong chin, while Yadong’s submission game certainly isn’t anything special enough to sway his handicap.

Pick: Yadong by decision (+210 at Bet99)

Yan vs Yadong betting preview

These two fighters are trending in completely different directions, with Yan dropping three straight fights while Yadong has won two straight and five of his past six. Despite these opposing trends, Yan remains a slight favorite, which is a credit to the body of work he has put in and the level of competition he has faced.

Yan’s three aforementioned losses are to Aljamain Sterling, Sean O’Malley, and Merab Dvalishvili. On top of that, two of those three losses came by split decision, and both were relatively controversial.

With that said, it is how he lost to Merab by a unanimous decision in the most recent fight that has me concerned for Yan in this matchup.

Merab absolutely dominated Yan in the wrestling department, coasting to an effortless 50-45 unanimous decision victory while amassing 11 takedowns. Yan didn’t have an answer for Dvalishvili’s relentless work on the mat, and I expect Yadong to follow this bout with a similar approach.

We saw Yadong mix in his wrestling and grappling in his latest unanimous decision win over Chris Gutierrez, an admittedly boring fight in which Yadong also coasted to an effortless victory due to his 11:01 of control time.

It’s hard for a fighter like Yan to get back on track after three demoralizing decision losses, especially against a guy who will likely implement a good mixed attack of striking and wrestling to influence the judges.

Petr Yan vs Song Yadong tale of the tape

Not intended for use in MA.
Affiliate Disclosure: Covers may receive advertising commissions for visits to a sportsbook or betting site.

Stay updated with the latest picks, odds, and news! Tap the to add us to your favorites on Google News to never miss a story.