The third fight of the night features a Welterweight contest between Punahele Soriano and Nikolay Veretennikov. Soriano has won two straight fights in the UFC, while Veretennikov recently snapped his losing streak against Francisco Prado at UFC 318.
Check out my best bet for Punahele Soriano vs. Nikolay Veretennikov on the Early Prelims.
Fight Not to Go The Distance (-185)
Both of these fighters always look for the finish when they are in there, as they combine for 20 finishes in their careers. Soriano is 11-4 with seven knockouts and two submissions and is trying to increase his win streak to three fights for the first time since 2021. Veretennikov is 1-2 in the UFC and is coming off his first win by decision since 2021.
Veretennikov is the taller fighter, but Soriano is more efficient as a striker in the UFC. Soriano averages five significant strikes per minute at a 53 percent rate, which is impressive. Soriano is a massive -325 favorite on DraftKings Sportsbook while Veretennikov is a +260 underdog. Since this contest is close with two fighters who are accustomed to attempting to finish the fight early, getting the bout not to go the distance at -185 is a good play.
