Top Picks for UFC Vegas 38: Thiago Santos vs. Johnny Walker

The UFC is making its way back to the UFC Apex this weekend for UFC Vegas 38: Santos vs. Walker. Both the prelim and main cards have many exciting matchups to look forward to. This week, my favorite matchup is on the preliminary card - read below for my UFC Pick for Joe Solecki vs. Jared Gordon. 

Joe Solecki vs. Jared Gordon

UFC Lightweight Bout - Preliminary Card

Saturday, October 02, 2021 - 10:30 PM EDT at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas

Joe Solecki

Joe Solecki is an American mixed martial artist fighting in the Lightweight division. He has earned a black belt in BJJ after training since the age of 6 years old.

Walking into his professional career, Solecki gained all of his amateur wins by submission or T/KO. His first professional debut was for Cage Fury Fighting Championships against Chris Rollins; he won via submission RNC in the first round. 

Solecki’s UFC debut was in 2019 against a UFC Veteran, Matt Wiman; he won via unanimous decision. 

Jared Gordon

Jared “Flash” Gordon is an American mixed martial artist fighting in the UFC Featherweight division. He is the former lightweight champion of Duelo de Gigantes in Mexico and the featherweight champion for CFFC. 

After a few reschedulings, Gordon made his UFC debut in June 2017 against Michel Quinones and won via TKO in the second round. 

Gordon has achieved the UFC Fight of the Night bonus one time vs. Joaquim Silva. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNnUjaNT17c&t=42s

Prediction

The current at your Top Sportsbooks are: Joe Solecki -126 and Jared Gordon +106 via BetOnline (Sportsbook Review).

UFC Vegas 38 will be Joe Solecki’s fourth UFC appearance, and all of his wins within the promotion have been against Matt Wiman by unanimous decision, Austin Hubbard by a first round submission RNC, and a legendary Jim Miller by unanimous decision. 

Solecki has 11 total professional wins with 2 losses. Those wins consist of 7 submissions, 3 decisions, and 1 T/KO. His lone couple of losses were by T/KO and decision. 

Jared Gordon has been fighting in the UFC Since 2017. He has 17 total wins and 4 losses. His wins consisted of 9 decisions, 6 wins by T/KO and 2 submissions. He will be moving up a weight class, and his lack of wrestling skills worry me against a heavy wrestler like Solecki. 

I envision Gordon coming out heavy, ready to finish the fight standing, since I believe Solecki knows his path to victory is on the ground. Solecki is strong and his wrestling skills are stronger. 

Gordon will connect and can hurt Solecki at one point, but the deeper this fight goes, the more I see Solecki victorious.

UFC Pick: (Sportsbook Review)