UFC 219 is set to occur this Saturday night (Dec. 30) at Las Vegas, Nevada, and let us just say it doesn't scream"quality" like preceding end-of-year UFC cards. The UFC stacks its card of this year in the top to bottom. Instead, in 2017, we now get a major event between Cris Cyborg and Holly Holm. Though it has the potential to be a fantastic fight, it does not necessarily scream"purchase this pay-per-view!" Additionally, this is an extremely hard card to wager on since there aren't a lot of fights that you can find a strong read on. Many of the favorites, such as Cyborg and Khabib Nurmagomedov, deserve to be overwhelming favorites, yet might also easily get merked with their opponents. Danger lurks. That said, we must make a few plays. So let's do the best we can to find some golden underdogs, some worthy props, and a rewarding softball. Also checking out my Best Bets for UFC Futures from a week, where I suggested a couple of'dogs (Carla Esparza and Neil Magny) who hold some value. Golden Underdogs Middleweight: Marvin Vettori (-222) vs. Omari Akhmedov (+187) At first glance, this moneyline in BetOnline seems perfectly acceptable, but when you have a better look at this preliminary matchup, you can find some solid reasons to take the puppy in Omari"The Wolverine" Akhmedov (17-4). Although Marvin Vettori (12-3) is a bigger fighter that loves to throw , averaging 3.13 significant strikes landed per minute, he doesn't possess enough power to shoot Akhmedov out through (T)KO, so this fight could wind up being a grappling event. While Akhmedov has revealed previously he has some power in his hands (seven wins by knockout and two"Fight of the Night" bonuses at the UFC), in which he really shines is in the wrestling department. The Dagestani grappler could easily end up controlling the struggle if the majority is spent in the clinch or on the mat. The only kryptonite I see for Akhmedov is that his gas tank. Can he hit a cardio wall like he did in successive knockout losses to Sergio Moraes and Elizeu Zaleski? In both of those declines, Akhmedov started strong but faded badly in the later rounds. He followed those declines with two hard-working conclusion wins Kyle Noke and Abdul Razak Alhassan, the latter an upset at UFC Fight Night 109. Right now I'm leaning towards"The Wolverine's" hard palms and wrestling acumen for another possibly rewarding upset. Read more here: http://nyme.hu