Bryce Mitchell vs. Santiago Luna prediction, odds, pick for UFC Vegas 118

The UFC Vegas 118 Important Card is heating up as we’re back with one other prediction and pick for this upcoming tilt within the Bantamweight (135) Division. Bryce Mitchell of Arkansas will tackle undefeated Mexican prospect Santiago Luna in a scrap you will not need to miss. Check our UFC odds series for the Mitchell-Luna prediction and pick.

Bryce Mitchell (18-3) has gone a formidable 9-3 contained in the UFC since 2018, most recently putting away top prospect Said Nurmagomedov via unanimous decision his last trip. He’s alternated wins and losses over his last seven fights, so he’ll be trying to get back on the right track because the betting favorite against a short-notice opponent. Mitchell stands 5-foot-10 with a 70-inch reach.

Santiago Luna (8-0) is 2-0 through his first UFC appearances, most recently putting away Angel Pacheco via unanimous decision his last trip. He notched a performance bonus knockout during his debut and can now step in on short notice to interchange Victor Henry and save this bout. Luna stands 5-foot-9 with a 74-inch reach.

UFC Vegas 118 Odds, courtesy of DraftKings. 

UFC Vegas 118 Odds: Bryce Mitchell-Santiago Luna Odds

Bryce Mitchell: -142

Santiago Luna: +120

Over 2.5 rounds: -188

Under 2.5 rounds: +145

Why Bryce Mitchell Will Win

• Last Fight: (W) Said Nurmagomedov – U DEC
• Last 5: 3-2
• Finishes: 1 KO/TKO, 9 SUB

Bryce Mitchell got here back with a powerful performance against Said Nurmagomedov his last trip, completely dominating the grappling and overshadowing any striking production from his opponent. Nurmagomedov actually led the striking numbers by a major margin (100-39), but Mitchell managed dominant grappling control in landing three of nine takedown attempts and controlling the motion on the bottom. During this fight, expect Mitchell to return to the techniques he’s most comfortable with in getting this fight to the bottom and trying his grappling.

Mitchell has shown a concerted effort to enhance his striking, selecting to face and trade with recent opponents before resorting to the grappling. Mitchell stays raw on the feet and his hand speed is not necessarily the fastest, but he landed on 76% of strikes in his last fight and stays accurate when selecting his shots. Against a powerful counter puncher like Luna, he’ll should be intentional and precise with every part he throws.

To achieve success, I feel Mitchell should look to press Luna against the fence and frustrate him by not allowing much space to get any offense off. Mitchell does an ideal job taking away his opponents’ strengths and Luna’s energy can be the very best thing going for him on this one. Search for Mitchell to neutralize the striking with the clinch and his grappling as he pivots opponents to a far more dangerous striker on the feet.

Why Santiago Luna Will Win

• Last Fight: (W) Angel Pacheco – U DEC
• Last 5: 5-0
• Finishes: 3 KO/TKO, 4 SUB

Santiago Luna has looked extremely polished as a prospect up thus far, putting Quang Le away with a flush left look and hammerfists during his debut outing. Against Angel Pacheco, Luna was capable of turn in a full three rounds of production where he kept his output consistent and landed 155 total strikes to Pacheco’s 66 strikes. He forced Pacheco into just 32% accuracy on his significant strikes, so expect him to proceed his defensive prowess on the feet as the higher striker opposite Bryce Mitchell.

This can be Luna’s first short-notice bout within the UFC and given how poised he’s looked during his first two appearances, he should give you the chance to handle this short fight camp as a complete pro. On the feet, Luna doesn’t take too many big risks without ensuring he’s covered defensively, but creates a ton of harm when he’s capable of land clean from inside the pocket. If he’s capable of land several unanswered shots on Mitchell’s chin, Luna definitely has the facility to place his opponent away inside the gap.

Still, this can be Luna’s hardest test to-date and a stern step up in competition from what he’s accustomed to. Search for him to be conservative in the course of the opening stages of the fight, nevertheless it won’t be long before he opens his striking up while taking probabilities with big swings and kicks to place Mitchell away.

Final Bryce Mitchell-Santiago Luna Prediction & Pick

This fight should come right down to whichever side can impose their will either on the feet or on the bottom. Santiago Luna is a dangerous striker and can be most lethal within the opening minutes of every round when the 2 start standing. Bryce Mitchell is the significantly better grappler and if he’s capable of tie Luna up effectively, he should give you the chance to regulate the motion on the mats together with his submissions attempts.

I expect Bryce Mitchell to be very focused during this bout as he’s desperately in search of some recent consistency. Santiago Luna needs to be dangerous in the course of the opening round, but Mitchell is greater than used to this kind of look in any case the top-ranked opponents he’s faced prior to now. For our final prediction, let’s roll with Bryce Mitchell to outlast in a troublesome back-and-forth scrap.

Final Bryce Mitchell-Santiago Luna Prediction & Pick: Bryce Mitchell (-142); OVER 2.5 Rounds (-188)