UFC Fight Night: de Ridder vs Allen | UFC Picks Today, Best Bets
Tyler Mason
Host · Writer
A middleweight fight headlines UFC Fight Night 262 as former champion and No. 4-ranked Reinier de Ridder faces No. 9-ranked Brendan Allen.
- Arena: Rogers Arena
- Location: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Where to Watch: ESPN+
- Date: October 18, 2025
- Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
UFC Fight Night: Marlon Vera vs. Aiemann Zahabi
No. 7-ranked bantamweight Marlon Vera faces No. 9-ranked Aiemann Zahabi. Vera has lost three of his previous four bouts, most recently losing to Deiveson Figueiredo in August 2024. Zahabi is riding a six-fight win streak, last beating Jose Aldo in May 2025.
Both fighters are five-foot-eight, but Vera has a two-inch reach advantage. Vera has slightly more knock-out power, but it’s minimal. Both men land a similar number of significant strikes per minute, but Vera absorbs 1.24 more. Vera will have a slight edge in the grappling, but it’s probably not enough to have an outsized effect.
I don’t think either fighter has enough of an advantage to finish the other, but I believe Zahabi will edge Vera out in a decision.
💰 Best Bet: Aiemann Zahabi by Points (+110)
UFC Fight Night: Kevin Holland vs. Mike Malott
No. 15-ranked Kevin Holland takes on the unranked Mike Malott. Holland is 3-5 over his previous eight, dropping his last bout to Daniel Rodriguez. Malott is riding a two-fight streak and is 8-1 over his previous nine.
Holland is two inches taller and has a massive eight-inch reach advantage. Malott drops opponents twice as much per 15 minutes, but Holland lands slightly more significant strikes per minute. Malott makes 1.26 more takedowns per 15 minutes, but only 0.13 more submissions.
It’s tough to know what you’re going to get with Holland in each fight. With his long arms, he can lock on a choke unexpectedly, but Malott is no slouch as a submission artist. I think Holland can win this fight at a distance, but he is unpredictable.
💰 Best Bet: Kevin Holland to win (-102)
UFC Fight Night: Reinier de Ridder vs. Brendan Allen
- Odds to Win: de Ridder -210 | Allen +162
- How Will Fight End: KO/TKO +210 | Submission +130 | Decision +190
- Will the fight go the distance? Yes +196 | No -260
Reinier de Ridder is looking to add Brendan Allen to his win streak, while the Canadian tries to build on his last win. De Ridder is riding a five-fight win streak, beating Robert Whittaker in his previous fight. Allen is coming off a win over Marvin Vettori, but lost his previous two bouts before that.
De Ridder is two inches taller and has a three-inch reach advantage. He also drops opponents twice as much per 15 minutes. However, Allen lands 0.9 more significant strikes per minute and absorbs 1.52 more. Both men like takedowns, but de Ridder succeeds on 1.21 more per 15 minutes, while Allen lands 0.54 more submissions.
I think this is an intriguing matchup, but Allen is coming in on short notice, so de Ridder has an edge in preparation.
💰 Best Bet: Reinier De Ridder by Points (+350)
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