Aiemann Zahabi vs Aori Qileng Prediction, Odds & Best Bet for UFC 289 (Potential Upset at Rogers Place)

Zahabi vs Aori Fight Info, Date & Time

UFC 289 — Preliminary Card Bantamweight Bout
Aiemann Zahabi (9-2, 5 KOs) vs. Aori Qileng (24-9, 8 KOs)
Date: Saturday, June 10, 2023
Fight Time: This will be on the preliminary card, which begins at 8 p.m. ET.
Venue: Rogers Place — Vancouver, British Columbia
Coverage: ESPN, ESPN+

Zahabi vs Aori Odds & Prop Bets

All UFC 289 odds, lines and prop bets are available on FanDuel Sportsbook.
Moneyline:
- Aiemann Zahabi: (+102)
- Aori Qileng: (-120)

Method of Victory:
- Zahabi by KO/TKO: (+500)
- Zahabi by Points: (+220)
- Zahabi by Submission: (+1200)
- Aori by KO/TKO: (+420)
- Aori by Points: (+190)
- Aori by Submission: (+1700)

Zahabi vs Aori Prediction

Aiemann Zahabi appears to be back on track after some hiccups to begin his UFC career. He earned 'performance of the night' honors for his first-round knockout victory over Drako Rodriguez at UFC Vegas 19 before following that up with a unanimous decision win against Ricky Turcios last July.

Standing in the Canadian's way is Aori Qileng, who's gone 2-0 since returning to the bantamweight division. He first knocked out Cameron Else at 2:48 into their fight at UFC Vegas 52 before adding to his momentum by defeating Jay Perrin via points at UFC 278.

Both men are feeling good about themselves, but I see Zahabi picking up the upset win. Aori consistently takes a beating, absorbing 7.18 significant blows per minute, whereas his opponent only absorbs 3.38. The lack of defense puts Aori in danger against Zahabi, who's tallied five of his nine victories by knockout.

Motivated to send the Canadian crowd home happy, I see Zahabi standing tall when the dust clears.

Winner: Aiemann Zahabi

Zahabi vs Aori Best Bet

For this fight's best bet, I'm taking Zahabi to win by points or submission at +170 odds. Although Aori's lack of striking defense makes him vulnerable, he's still yet to be knocked out in his career. Meanwhile, not only did Zahabi's latest victory come via points, but he also has two career submission victories to his name.

Taking my upset prediction and the fact that Aori hasn't been KO'd into account, it's clear why Zahabi winning by points/submission is the best bet.

Bet: Aiemann Zahabi to Win by Points or Submission (+170)

Devon Platana is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Devon Platana also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username PepeSilvia0. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.

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