Welcome to the latest edition of MMA Prop Squad, in which we offer an array of prop bets with oversized odds for UFC Vegas 62.
In this weekly feature, Action Network’s MMA team welcomes in a revolving cast of outside contributors and fellow combat-sports analysts. Each #MMAPropSquad installment will feature a handful of picks from our squad of prop-betting enthusiasts, who have produced an overall 34.2% ROI since inception.
This week marks the return of contributors Manpreet Jhass and Clint Maclean, who join regulars Billy Ward and Dann Stupp.
Check out their picks for Saturday’s event, which streams on ESPN+ (4 p.m. ET) from the UFC Apex facility in Las Vegas, below.
As with all betting, always wager within your means. That guidance is especially important when dealing with prop bets. Although the props often offer tantalizing odds, they also cash far less frequently than standard bet types.
Dann Stupp: Sam Hughes in Round 3 (+2400)
One of my favorite bets for this card is underdog Sam Hughes (7-4), whom I snagged earlier this week at +160 on the moneyline against Piera Rodriguez (8-0). But that’s not the only thing on the “Sampage” menu for yours truly. I’ve also got a juicy prop as a side dish.
And sure, laugh all you want at my long-shot bet – Hughes to win in Round 3 at whopping +2400 odds – but is it really that preposterous? Is that 24-1 long shot really that far-fetched?
After all, Hughes has won in the third round before – in fact, just five months ago against Elise Reed, whom she defeated via TKO with third-round ground-and-pound.
This juicy +2400 pick doesn’t require much technical analysis (though Hughes has seemed to round out her overall game with her recent move to the well-regarded Fortis MMA). Instead, it basically comes down to Hughes’ biggest weapon: cardio for days.
Hughes probably isn’t going to score a highlight-reel KO. She won’t rattle your chin with one big blow. But she’ll continually come at you and relentlessly look for openings. For many fighters – possibly including ones like Rodrigues, who has just eight career fights – that unyielding doggedness can be a tough puzzle to figure out on the fly. It can also be demoralizing if you’re already struggling for breath.