Yizha vs. Westin Wilson prediction, odds, pick for UFC Shanghai

The UFC makes its return to China as we bring you one other betting prediction and pick for this upcoming Prelim within the Featherweight (145) Division on Saturday. Home-country fighter Yizha returns to face Westin Wilson representing the US. Try the UFC odds for our Yizha-Wilson prediction and pick.

Yizha (25-5) has gone 0-2 through his first UFC appearances, still trying to find his first official win under the promotion. He managed to make the finale of “Road to UFC” in back-to-back seasons, cashing in on his second opportunity as he hopes to make a reputation as the cardboard’s largest betting favorite. Yizha stands 5-foot-7 with a 70.5-inch reach.

Westin Wilson (17-9) has gone 1-2 contained in the UFC since 2023. After two tough stoppages against the likes of Joanderson Brito and Jean Silva, Wilson bounced back with a convincing submission win over Jeka Saragih in his last fight. He looks for the night’s biggest upset here. Wilsons stands 6-foot-1 with a 73-inch reach.

Listed here are the UFC Shanghai Odds, courtesy of DraftKings. 

UFC Shanghai odds: Yizha-Westin Wilson odds

Yizha: -1200

Westin Wilson: +750

Over 1.5 rounds: +135

Under 1.5 rounds: -175

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Why Yizha will win

• Last Fight: (L) Gabriel Santos – U DEC
• Last 5: 3-2
• Finishes: 5 KO/TKO, 14 SUB

Yizha got here up short during has last bout against Gabriel Santos, falling behind in the primary two rounds and losing the choice. He attempted 4 takedowns to no avail, and his biggest strength within the wrestling was effectively neutralized. Yizha has looked every little bit of UFC talent throughout his “Road to UFC” journey, but this can be a key fight in proving he belongs on the roster.

Yizha is an especially smart fighter and doesn’t put himself in positions where he could be compromised. He’s very adept at controlling the gap, and his wrestling is often an enormous threat when he starts interested by the extent changes. Yizha also hits hard and might string together combos if he’s hurt his opponent.

Yizha could have to beat some slight physical disadvantages as the marginally smaller fighter, but fans should expect a a lot better performance out of him given his last loss. Establishing his wrestling early so as to open the striking opportunities can be the important thing to his success as the most important betting favorite in front of a house crowd.

Why Westin Wilson will win

• Last Fight: (W) Jeka Saragih – SUB (triangle armbar, R1)
• Last 5: 3-2
• Finishes: 5 KO/TKO, 12 SUB

Westin Wilson’s last bout against Jeka Saragih finally got him within the win column, relieving a ton of pressure off Wilson at first of his profession. He has barely more experience against UFC-level competition than his opponent, and although he’ll be fighting in hostile territory, Wilson has been known to thrive within the underdog role before.

His 6-inch height advantage and 2-inch reach advantage should give Wilson enough to manage the striking distance and offer himself room to work against a talented striker like Yizha. Wilson can be no slouch on the bottom with 12 submissions himself, so don’t expect him to present anything easy on the bottom if Yizha tries to take it there.

Ultimately, Wilson could have to beat an enormous skill discrepancy on this fight, but he definitely stands a probability if he’s in a position to make it a sloppy affair. Clinching and tying Yizha along the fence could offer him opportunities to land from the clinch and use his long limbs to manage Yizha on the feet.

Final Yizha-Westin Wilson prediction & pick

This ought to be one other exciting fight to open the UFC Shanghai Prelims, and although Yizha is listed as a -1200 favorite, this betting line ought to be a bit closer given Wilson’s experience against very solid competition. He also holds the noticeable size advantage and can be a threat with each the striking and grappling during this one.

Nonetheless, Yizha has been the more energetic fighter, striking with more significant strikes per minute while averaging almost 4 takedowns per three rounds. Wilson has a suspect 33% takedown defense and doesn’t land a lot of his own takedowns, so it is going to be interesting to see if Yizha is ready to actually impose his will on the bottom.

While Weston Wilson should pose a solid challenge through the opening stages of this fight, I believe Yizha has far too many tools needed to interrupt his opponent down. While he is probably not an enormous threat to complete this fight, he’ll give you the chance to manage the scrambles on the bottom while still landing consistently on the feet.

Final Yizha-Westin Wilson Prediction & Pick: Yizha (-1200); OVER 1.5 Rounds (+135)