UFC Vegas 119 Staff Picks: Flyweight Contenders Battle for Title Shot
UFC Vegas 119 happens tonight. Our staff picks are in. Who did the guys choose?
Taking center stage at the Meta Apex for UFC Vegas 119, flyweight contenders will battle in what looks to be a likely number one contender bout, with former RIZIN champions Manel Kape and Kyoji Horiguchi locking horns. Before that, though, light heavyweight finisher Ion Cuțelaba faces undefeated New Zealand fighter Navajo Stirling.
UFC Vegas 119 Main Event
7-1 in his last eight bouts, Kape has risen to become one of the top competitors in his weight class. Capping off his 2025 run with a vicious first round knockout over Brandon Royval last December, “StarBoy” is seeking to punch his ticket to a title shot with a third straight monumental victory in Las Vegas.
Making his way back to the promotion after an extensive run on the international scene, which included winning both the RIZIN 125-lb and 135-lb belts, Horiguchi has rattled off two back-to-back wins, taking out both Tagir Ulanbekov and Amir Albazi. With his ambition of realizing a UFC championship now in arms reach, “The Typhoon” is gearing up to announce himself as the clear next man in line for current flyweight king Joshua Van.
UFC Vegas 119 Co-Main Event
A veteran of the UFC roster since 2016, Cuțelaba has racked up a sizable 20 total fights with the organization. With 17 of his 20 professional victories as a professional coming by stoppage, “The Hulk” has proven to be a stalwart adversary to anyone he faces inside the cage.
Perfect as a professional mixed martial artist, Stirling has yet to be fully tested in the Octagon since earning his contract with the company back in 2024. Recording four consecutive wins following his debut, the City Kickboxing product stands as a highly-touted prospect in the stacked 205-lb class.
More Bouts On the UFC Vegas 119 Main Card
Rounding out the main card, Hyder Amil battles Christian Rodriguez. Then, Melsik Baghdasaryan takes on Murtazali Magomedov. Finally, the decorated Andre Fili will square off with Vinicius Oliveira, who will be making his first walk to the cage as a featherweight.
UFC Vegas 119 Predictions and Staff Picks
MMASucka staff picks are composed of four of the world’s leading mixed martial arts organizations: the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), the Professional Fighters League (PFL), ONE Championship (ONE FC), and Dana White’s Contender Series (DWCS).
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UFC picks will include main card fights ranging from four to six matchups per event.
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PFL picks from main cards for both pay-per-views and regular events.
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ONE FC and DWCS picks will feature all MMA fights from the event with a minimum of three matchups.
Staff picks in 2025 were won by Hank Strandberg with a record of 216-119.
Find our UFC Vegas 119 picks and fight odds below.
Staff records after UFC Freedom 250:
1. Hank Strandberg: 96-45
2. Frazer Krohn: 81-60
3. Drew Zuhosky: 67-77
4. Andrew Benjamin: 18-18
*Note – not all staff pick for every event*
Vinicius de Oliveira -280
Vs.
Andre Fili +230
FEATHERWEIGHT
Hank Strandberg: Oliveira by First Round Knockout
Drew Zuhosky: Fili by Unanimous Decision
Staff picking Oliveira: 1
Staff picking Fili: 1
Murtazali Magomedov -305
Vs.
Melsik Bagdasaryan +255
FEATHERWEIGHT
Hank Strandberg:Magomedov by Unanimous Decision
Drew Zuhosky: Magomedov by Unanimous Decision
Staff picking Magomedov: 2
Staff picking Bagdasaryan: 0
Christian Rodriguez -180
Vs.
Hyder Amil +155
FEATHERWEIGHT
Hank Strandberg:Rodriguez by Unanimous Decision
Drew Zuhosky: Rodriguez by Unanimous Decision
Staff picking Rodriguez: 2
Staff picking Amil: 0
Navajo Stirling -325
Vs.
Ion Cuțelaba +250
LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT
Hank Strandberg:Stirling by Unanimous Decision
Drew Zuhosky: Cuțelaba by Unanimous Decision
Staff picking Stirling: 2
Staff picking Cuțelaba: 0
Manel Kape -160
Vs.
Kyoji Horiguchi +140
FLYWEIGHT
Hank Strandberg: Kape by Second Round Knockout
Drew Zuhosky: Horiguchi by First Round Submission
Staff picking Kape: 1
Staff picking Horiguchi: 1
