UFC Vegas 114 is less than 24 hours away …
It all goes down in “Sin City” this weekend (Sat., March 14, 2026) inside the Meta Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada. In the main event, two ranked Featherweights collide as UFC veteran Josh Emmett tries to hold off the surging young prospect Kevin Vallejos.
We have a weekly series at MMAmania.com called “Weekend Lock,” where we share one bet that we predict will slap in “Sin City” when the chaotic dust settles. We also want to hear what our readers think (that’s
you!), so please tell us your most confident UFC Vegas 114 betting lock in the comments section below (see full UFC Vegas 114 odds here)
Last week’s recap: Max Holloway did not defeat Charles Oliveira; in fact, he got dominated for five rounds — who saw that coming?
Let’s keep rolling below:
Buried on the UFC Vegas 114 prelims are two aging Middleweights who love to go to decision: Brad Tavares and Eryk Anders. I’m locking in this fight to go to a decision (-185).
Here’s why:
The biggest reason is simple — neither fighter finishes often, and both have built a reputation throughout their career as durable (for the most part), grinding competitors who frequently see the judges’ scorecards.
Tavares, the longest-tenured Middleweight on the roster, has made a career out of measured, technical fights that stretch the full 15 minutes. A large chunk of his UFC appearances have gone the distance, thanks to his patient striking style, solid defense, and durability. He’s rarely reckless and almost never puts himself in positions that lead to quick finishes. For what it is worth, he hasn’t scored a finish inside the Octagon since 2018, stopping Krzysztof Jotko via technical knockout (see that here).
Anders, meanwhile, follows a similar pattern. While he has knockout power, his fights regularly slow into grinding striking battles or clinch-heavy affairs that favor rounds over finishes. Like Tavares, he’s proven incredibly tough to put away … unless he faces someone with a lot of power (like this).
Add it all together, and the numbers support a long fight. Between them, the pair have logged thousands (not really) of UFC bouts and only a handful of recent stoppages. Their styles also clash in a way that naturally drags fights into deeper waters — Tavares’ calculated kickboxing against Anders’ pressure-based approach tends to produce competitive rounds rather than sudden finishes.
In other words, this looks like a classic Apex fight: experienced veterans trading technical exchanges over three rounds while banking minutes rather than hunting a finish.
What could go wrong?
Tavares is one win away from breaking the all-time Middleweight win record, and Anders is competing in his retirement fight — meaning they could try to leave an impression by being ultra aggressive. Also, while they have shown a lot of durability throughout their careers, both were stopped in their most recent outings.
Still, given their history and stylistic tendencies, Tavares vs. Anders going to a decision (-185) feels like one of the safest plays on the UFC Vegas 114 card.
Brad Tavares To Win By KO/TKO/DQ: +450
Brad Tavares To Win By Submission: +2500
Brad Tavares To Win By Decision: +215
Eryk Anders To Win By KO/TKO/DQ: +350
Eryk Anders by Submission: +2500
Eryk Anders To Win By Decision: +165
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