UFC Vegas 60: Sandhagen vs. Song Odds, Schedule, Predictions
One week after a wild UFC 279 card, the organization heads back to Las Vegas with an event headlined by Cory Sandhagen and Yadong Song in a bantamweight bout.
Fortunately, the weigh-ins went off nearly perfectly. Only an undercard bout between Aspen Ladd and Sara McMann was scrapped when Ladd weighed in two pounds over the 136-pound limit for the bantamweight division.
There's still plenty of intrigue as Sandhagen returns for the first time in nearly a year looking to snap a two-fight losing streak.
The co-main event could wind up stealing the show, though. Gregory Rodrigues meets Chidi Njokuani in a middleweight clash of knockout artists.
Here's a look at the complete card along with the latest odds and predictions for the night's biggest fights.
Fight Card, Schedule and Odds
Main Card (ESPN+, 7 p.m. ET)
- Cory Sandhagen (-195) vs. Yadong Song (+165)
- Chidi Njokuani (-130) vs. Gregory Rodrigues (+110)
- Bill Algeo (+110) vs. Andre Fili (-130)
- Alen Amedovski (+380) vs. Joe Pyfer (-475)
- Tanner Boser (-180) vs. Rodrigo Nascimento (+155)
- Marc-Andre Barriault (+180) vs. Anthony Hernandez (-210)
Prelims (ESPN+, 4 p.m. ET)
- Damon Jackson (+170) vs. Pat Sabatini (-200)
- Louis Cosce (+180) vs. Trevin Giles (-110)
- Denise Gomes (+175) vs. Loma Lookboonmee (-205)
- Trey Ogden (+300) vs. Daniel Zellhuber (-365)
- Mariya Agapova (+135) vs. Gillian Robertson (-155)
- Javid Basharat (-165) vs. Tony Gravely (+140)
- Nikolas Motta (-180) vs. Cameron VanCamp (+155)
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook
Sandhagen vs. Song
At one point, Cory Sandhagen looked like the future of the always-stacked bantamweight division. The way he could use his length to pick apart opponents from the outside seemed destined to push him to the top.
That shine has all but worn off the 30-year-old. It isn't as though he's been completely discounted from making a run, it's just that we are going to have to see a lot in this fight to believe he still has that kind of potential.
Sandhagen has been on the wrong side of a decision in each of his last two cage appearances. He dropped a split decision to TJ Dillashaw before losing a unanimous decision to Petr Yan.
Neither of those losses should hurt his stock too badly. It's just that we haven't seen him in nearly a year and his only win last year was a flying-knee knockout of what's left of Frankie Edgar.
Meanwhile, Song has shown flashes of being a potential title contender in his own right. The 24-year-old has great timing and is coming off back-to-back knockout wins.
That ability to intercept opponents' attacks and counter with his own striking should help him negate Sandhagen's impressive reach.
Rodrigues vs. Njokuani
It's difficult to forecast the winner of Gregory Rodrigues vs. Chidi Njokuani, but it's not hard to see that it's going to be fun.
Both men have proven they are strikers first who are looking to finish the fight. Rodriguez has finished 10 of his 12 wins, including knockouts in two of his last three fights. The Brazilian's secret weapon could be his grappling, though. He's locked up four career submissions.
Njokuani is the younger brother of former UFC fighter Anthony Njokuani. He made an impression with his blend of athleticism and powerful kickboxing. His brother is no different.
The younger Njokuani has scored first-round knockout wins in his first two fights since earning a contract on Dana White's Contender Series. He's adept at utilizing his impressive 80-inch reach to land power shots from the outside.
In a brawl, it's easier to like the guy with better defense. That's definitely Njokuani, who is more calculating on the outside.
Expect him to build up an early lead with the jab before opening up to put Rodrigues away later in the fight.
Prediction: Njokuani via third-round TKO
Fili vs. Algeo
This fight was originally slated to be Andre Fili against Lando Vannata.
instead, we get "Señor Perfecto" Bill Algeo welcoming Fili into the cage after Vannata suffered an injury. Algeo has some tools that could make things interesting. He's an opportunistic grappler and doesn't seem to mind fighting in a phonebooth.
His best path forward is to turn the fight from a technical kickboxing matchup to one that tests Fili's takedown defense while having a Plan B when Fili continues to deny Algeo's takedowns.
That's easier said than done, though.
Fili has excellent boxing movement and the ability to stick an opponent on the end of their jab. He has some pop in his hands, but it isn't his concern to land a knockout punch right away.
His combination of technical prowess and raw power should be enough to be control the fight on Saturday night.
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