Anthony Hernandez will take on Michel Pereira in a middleweight bout on the main event of UFC Fight Night: Hernandez vs. Pereira on Saturday night. The main UFC Fight Night card from the UFC Apex in Las Vegas is expected to get underway around 7 p.m. ET, with the prelims beginning at 4 p.m. ET. Both fighters are now ranked in the top-15 at 185 pounds, but have also been on a roll. Pereira has won eight bouts in a row, while Hernandez has a five-fight winning streak.
Hernandez is a -140 favorite (risk $140 to win $100), while Pereira is priced at +118 (risk $100 to win $118) in the latest UFC Fight Night: Hernandez vs. Pereira odds. Also on the main card, bantamweight fighters take the spotlight as Rob Font (+400) takes on Kyler Phillips (-550). Before making any UFC Fight Night: Hernandez vs. Pereira picks, be sure to see the UFC Fight Night predictions and best bets from SportsLine's Daniel Vithlani.
Vithlani is a highly-analytical UFC bettor who has been a consistent winner for SportsLine members since making his debut in January 2023 with a 5-0 record for UFC 283. In fact, he's up over $1,500 on his UFC main-card sports betting picks.
His other highlights include calling an upset for Sean O'Malley (+210) against Aljamain Sterling (-250) at UFC 292 as part of a 4-1 main card and his UFC 299 winners included underdog selections on Dustin Poirier (+190) against Benoit Saint Denis (-230) and Michael Page (+110) against Kevin Holland (-130). Anyone who has followed him at sportsbooks and on betting apps is way up.
Now, Vithlani has studied Anthony Hernandez vs. Michel Pereira from every angle and revealed his top betting picks and best bets. You can only see Vithlani's UFC Fight Night picks at SportsLine.
Hernandez vs. Pereira preview
Hernandez, 30, has compiled a 12-2-1 record since turning pro in September 2014. He has two wins by knockout, eight by submission and two by decision with one no contest. He is coming off a second-round submission victory over Roman Kopylov at UFC 298 this past February. His effort led to him earning the second Performance of the Night honor of his career.
He had competed with Global Knockout and Legacy Fighting Alliance before joining UFC. He is currently No. 13 in the UFC middleweight rankings.
In the meantime, Pereira, 31, is 31-11-2 in his career, which began in December 2011. He competed for 300 Sparta, Akhmat Fight Club, Serbian Battle Championship, Jungle Fight, Xtreme Fighting Championships and Road Fighting Championships, before joining UFC. He is a former Serbian Battle Championship welterweight champion. He is currently No. 14 in the UFC middleweight rankings.
Since returning to the middleweight division in October of last year, he has earned Performance of the Night in each of his last three bouts. In those fights, he has earned wins in the first round each time, including a submission win over Ihor Potieria at UFC 301 this past May. He earned a technical submission in 1:01 of the first round over Michal Oleksiejczuk at UFC 299 this past March. Prior to that, he knocked out Andre Petroski at 1:06 of the first round at UFC Fight Night: Yusuff vs. Barboza. See which fighter to pick here.
Top UFC Fight Night picks
We'll reveal one of Vithlani's UFC Fight Night selections here: He is backing Jean Matsumoto (-225) to get past Brad Katona (+185) in a bantamweight matchup on the preliminary card.
"Matsumoto's low kicks and defensive submissions could be the difference against the wrestler-boxer Katona," Vithlani told SportsLine. "Katona stays heavy on his lead leg while applying constant pressure on his opponents. Katona's best assets may be his cardio and toughness, which have carried him to some gritty wins. When Katona shoots takedowns, look for Matsumoto to deter him with his nasty guillotine grip. Matsumoto's takedown defense still needs work, but he is resilient and will battle to get back to his feet. Matsumoto will land more damage and defeat the journeyman Katona." See more UFC Fight Night picks at SportsLine.
How to make UFC Fight Night picks
Vithlani has strong picks for Hernandez vs. Pereira and every other bout on the UFC Fight Night card. He's also backing a fighter who "seems to have come into his prime." He's sharing who it is only at SportsLine.
Who wins UFC Fight Night: Hernandez vs. Pereira, and how exactly does the fight end? Visit SportsLine now to get detailed picks and analysis from the incomparable expert who is up over $1,500 on his UFC main-card picks, and find out.
UFC Fight Night fight card, odds
See full UFC Fight Night picks, predictions, best bets here.
Austen Lane (+300) vs. Robelis Despaigne (-380)
Melissa Martinez (-145) vs. Alice Ardelean (+122)
Jessica Penne (+170) vs. Elise Reed (-205)
Joselyn Edwards (-260) vs. Tamires Vidal (+210)
Brad Katona (+185) vs. Jean Matsumoto (-225)
Matheus Nicolau (+190) vs. Asu Almabaev (-230)
Darren Elkins (-145) vs. Daniel Pineda (+122)
Charles Johnson (-270) vs. Su Mudaerji (+220)
Rob Font (+400) vs. Kyler Phillips (-550)
Anthony Hernandez (-140) vs. Michel Pereira (+118)
