Jack Hermansson (+205) takes on the up-and-coming Joe Pyfer (-240) in the main event of UFC Vegas 86 this Saturday night. The fight pits the experienced Hermansson against the explosive firepower of Pyfer. The youngster is the betting favorite, and in our latest UFC betting picks, we tell you if Joe Pyfer is set to continue his rise through the ranks of the top-rated MMA organization.
The Middleweight showdown between Hermansson and Pyfer tops the card. Also on the main card is a Featherweight clash between Dan Ige (-163) and Andre Fili (+143) and a Lightweight bout between Michael Johnson (-125) and Darrius Flowers (+105).
Completing the main card are another two tasty-looking Middleweight contests. Gregory Rodrigues (-230) is favored to beat Brad Tavares (+195), and Rodolfo Vieira (-119) is the marginal favorite to beat Armen Petrosyan (-101).
The following Saturday is the second PPV event of the year, UFC 298. Alexander Volkanovski takes on Ilia Topuria in the main event. At the moment, the best UFC betting sites have it down to be a close contest, with Volkanovski the slight favorite at -120 and Topuria at +100.
Those odds are subject to change. But don’t forget we will have our preview closer to the big night, where you will find more up-to-date odds along with our UFC 298 betting picks. Now, onto this Saturday night’s big fight.
As has been the case in all his UFC fights, Joe Pyfer is the betting favorite to win. Pyfer is -240 to win, having been -225 just 24 hours ago. The more traveled Jack Hermansson is the underdog at +205. He’s seen his UFC Vegas betting odds lengthen from +190 over the past few hours.
In the latest total rounds betting, the spread is 2.5. Both over and under are -110. And in the betting for the fight to go the distance, no is -350, and yes is +275. More betting options are available below on our UFC odds table. All our odds are from the best MMA betting sites.
| Hermansson vs. Pyfer Betting |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jack Hermansson | +205 | +205 | +205 |
| Joe Pyfer | -240 | -240 | -240 |
| Over 2.5 Rounds | -110 | -110 | -110 |
| Under 2.5 Rounds | -110 | -110 | -110 |
| To Go The Distance Yes | +275 | +275 | +275 |
| To Go The Distance No | -350 | -350 | -350 |
Jack Hermansson has a Mixed Martial Arts record of 23-8-0. His career breakdown shows he has won 11 of his fights by knockout, with six by submission and six by decision. His eight defeats are three by knockout, three by decision, and two by submission.
Inconsistent, is probably the best way to describe Hermansson’s performances of late. In his last eight fights, the 35-year-old has won four and lost four, alternating between wins and losses. His most recent fight was a TKO loss to Roman Dolidze in December 2022.
His most recent win saw him defeat Chris Curtis by unanimous decision on the Blaydes vs. Aspinall Fight Night undercard in July 2022. This came after a split decision points defeat to Sean Strickland in February of the same year.
The last time Hermansson won a fight by KO or TKO was back in May 2018, when he stopped Thales Leites at UFC 224.
Joe Pyfer is a new kid on the block in the UFC. The 27-year-old has an overall MMA record of 12-2-0. In the UFC, he is 3-0 after earning his contract via a win on Season 4 of Dana White’s Contender Series. This was his second crack at impressing through the show, having previously lost to Dustin Stoltzfus in Season 4.
His bio lists Pyfer as a boxer. And it’s easy to see why. The American has explosive punching power, which four of his last five opponents can testify to. Overall in his career, Pyfer has won eight of his 12 fights by way of KO or TKO. The other four wins were three submissions and one decision.
You have to go back to 2018 and Pyfer’s second professional fight for his one-decision win. And this is the only time in his whole career that he has gone the distance, or even into a third round. His two defeats came by one knockout and one submission.
Looking at the background of these two fighters and their recent records, you can’t help getting the feeling that Jack Hermansson has been handpicked for this fight. He’s not a big hitter, having not scored a knockout win since 2018. Whereas Pyfer is just a punching machine, and also the more eye-catching fighter.
Pyfer looks like he is been lined up for a great career in the UFC organization.
Hermansson is by far the most dangerous of Pyfer’s opponents in the UFC to date. But as I mentioned, he looks there for the taking. The Swedish/Norwegian hybrid is in the latter days of his career. He has the stamina and is a good ground fighter, but it’s hard to see him stopping Joe Pyfer from landing a big shot.
If it goes deep, Hermansson will have a chance. But I can’t see it going deep, and I’m happy to pick under 2.5 as my pick in the total rounds spread, along with a win for Joe Pyfer by knockout as my pick to win the fight.
See below the best Las Vegas sportsbooks, where you can wager online and choose the best one for you:
