Casey O’Neill vs. Luana Santos: UFC 305 Preliminary Card Picks (2024)
We have an absolutely loaded UFC 305 card this weekend, featuring a championship fight and three ranked bouts on the main card. However, this event is littered with compelling fights, including the seven preliminary fights. Below I'll dive into three of the prelims from a betting perspective and let you know where I'm laying my money on the canvas Saturday.
The early prelims get started at 6:30 p.m. ET, and UFC 305 will take place at the RAC Arena in Perth, Australia. Here are my top UFC 305 preliminary card picks. Below we dive into my top UFC 305 picks and predictions for Casey O'Neill vs. Luana Santos.
UFC 305 Preliminary Card Picks: Casey O'Neill vs. Luana Santos
(Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)
Casey O'Neill vs. Luana Santos
The only ranked fighter on the undercard is Casey O'Neill, who enters as the 15th-ranked Flyweight in the women's division. O'Neill's currently in the midst of a two-fight losing streak, and she's priced as an underdog on Saturday. Her opponent is Luana Santos of Brazil, who's a perfect 3-0-0 since joining the UFC promotion.
Keeping with the theme, I'm going to ride with the underdog once again. While Santos has yet to suffer a blemish in the UFC, she's not nearly as battle-tested as O'Neill. The Scottish-Australian has fought Ariane Da Silva (#13), and while it was a losing effort (SUB - Armbar), it's still a top-15 opponent. O'Neill also has a win over the legendary Roxanne Modafferi (S-DEC), where she out-struck her 229-120 over 15 minutes.
Speaking of striking, O'Neill is an insanely high-volume striker, averaging 8.41 significant strikes per minute. She owns a 66% takedown defense rate, which is paramount as she squares off against Santos, who lands 2.03 takedowns per minute. Ultimately, I think O'Neill will get back in the win column here. She has the edge on the feet, but she's also a submission threat in her own right, boasting a brown belt in BJJ while having two submission wins. I think it's worth a shot on O'Neill, who's fighting in front of her home crowd.
Bet: Casey O'Neill Moneyline (+130)