Rong Zhu and Kody Steele will face off on the UFC 312 prelims on Saturday, Feb. 8.
Zhu (25-6) is coming off a TKO loss in his last UFC fight. Overall, he’s 2-2 with the promotion. Steele (7-0) is making his UFC debut after impressing on Dana White’s Contender Series back in October.
Here's my Rong Zhu vs. Kody Steele prediction.
Rong Zhu vs. Kody Steele Santos UFC 312 Odds
| Lightweight Bout | Odds |
|---|---|
| Steele Odds | -310 |
| Rongzhu Odds | +250 |
| Over/under rounds | 2.5 (+120 / -154) |
UFC 312 odds via DraftKings as of Friday. Bet on UFC 312 with our DraftKings promo code.
Zhu vs. Steele Prediction, Pick
Billy Ward and I highlighted Kody Steele by submission at +390 as our favorite prop on "The Action Network Podcast."
The line moved to +340, thanks to the listeners, before I could even bet it.
Still, I like Steele's submission prop at +275 or better (projected +250) and would consider his inside-the-distance prop at +110 (projected +102).
Steele is a former combat jiu-jitsu world champion who transitioned to MMA in 2022. He's shown solid striking, wrestling, and cardio for a high-level jiu-jitsu practitioner, giving him a decent floor and ceiling as a prospect, even though he's already in his physical prime (age 29).
Rongzhu is in his second stint in the UFC and has a 1-4 record. His only win was over Brandon Jenkins, who was signed on short notice to replace Rongzhu's original opponent. After a second-finish loss to Drakkar Klose, Jenkins was cut before a traditional third UFC fight.
Steele should have a severe grappling advantage in this matchup — and Rongzhu has four submission losses on his record. If he follows the path of least resistance, Steele should cover his moneyline price and likely finish the fight too.
Pick: Kody Steele by Submission (+350, 0.25u) at FanDuel; bet to +275
