by Jazz Ray
Monday, Aug 03, 2026If you're a fight fan, August is packed with action. The month kicked off with a strong card in Belgrade, and four more UFC events are still on the schedule, including Islam Makhachev defending his title and . Here’s a look at some of the biggest fights and a couple picks to go with them. If you're playing, shop around for the best lines, whenever possible. You can see quite a variance in fight lines, often more than other sports.
On August 8, 2026, the UFC Fight Night main event at the Apex in Las Vegas features a lightweight clash between Poland's Mateusz Gamrot and Australia’s Quillan Salkilld. A week out, the 26-year-old Salkilld (12-1) is a -138 to a -160 favorite. A well-rounded fighter with a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt and solid striking, he has won 12 straight since dropping his UFC debut, with his last three victories all coming in the first round.
The 35-year-old Gamrot enters at 26-4. He holds a clear edge in experience and has faced tougher competition. His recent form has been mixed—alternating wins and losses over the past two years. After a split-decision loss to Dan Hooker, he beat Ludovit Klein, then lost to Charles Oliveira before submitting Esteban Ribovics in his most recent outing. Primarily a wrestler and grappler with a strong freestyle base and competent striking, Gamrot has gone the distance in 15 of his 30 pro fights, including six of his last nine.
The Pick: Salkilld at -140. Gamrot has been inconsistent lately and is the older fighter. Take the younger prospect riding a 12-fight win streak.
On August 15, 2026, UFC 320 in Philadelphia headlines a welterweight title fight between champion Islam Makhachev and Ian Machado Garry. Makhachev is 28-1 overall and 16-0 in his last 16 bouts. His only career loss came to Adriano Martins, who has gone just 1-6 with a no-contest since that upset. Beyond that early setback, Makhachev has consistently beaten elite competition and is a heavy favorite against Garry (17-1), with odds ranging from -320 to -390 two weeks before the fight. A victory would give the Dagestani the UFC record for most consecutive wins.
Garry fell to undefeated Shavkat Rakhmonov but has rebounded with two straight wins. True to form, the talkative Irishman continues his pre-fight trash talk.
The Pick: Islam Makhachev by decision. That specific prop isn’t listed yet, but it should come in at a significantly better price than simply backing Makhachev to win. Garry’s last six fights have all gone the distance, and 10 of Makhachev’s wins have been by decision.
The August 22 UFC Fight Night main event pairs middleweights Anthony Hernandez and Gregory Rodrigues. No odds are available yet; I’ll update closer to the fight. There is a line for the August 29 UFC Fight Night main event at the Oriental Sports Center in Shanghai, China. Bantamweights Umar Nurmagomedov and Song Yadong meet, with Nurmagomedov (20-1) a heavy -450 to -520 favorite. After his loss to Merab Dvalishvili, the Dagestani has responded with back-to-back wins and remains a top-tier fighter. Song (23-9) scored a win over Charles Oliveira in his last outing. While Oliveira is a legend, he is now 38 and has dropped four of his past five. Prior to that, Song split his previous six fights, with losses to Petr Yan, Sean O’Malley, and Cory Sandhagen.
The Pick: Nurmagomedov wins comfortably. Fighting in his home country is Song’s only advantage. And that won't save him. He has struggled against elite competition, and the well-rounded Nurmagomedov ranks as the best opponent he has faced.
On August 8, 2026, the UFC Fight Night main event at the Apex in Las Vegas features a lightweight clash between Poland's Mateusz Gamrot and Australia’s Quillan Salkilld. A week out, the 26-year-old Salkilld (12-1) is a -138 to a -160 favorite. A well-rounded fighter with a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt and solid striking, he has won 12 straight since dropping his UFC debut, with his last three victories all coming in the first round.
The 35-year-old Gamrot enters at 26-4. He holds a clear edge in experience and has faced tougher competition. His recent form has been mixed—alternating wins and losses over the past two years. After a split-decision loss to Dan Hooker, he beat Ludovit Klein, then lost to Charles Oliveira before submitting Esteban Ribovics in his most recent outing. Primarily a wrestler and grappler with a strong freestyle base and competent striking, Gamrot has gone the distance in 15 of his 30 pro fights, including six of his last nine.
The Pick: Salkilld at -140. Gamrot has been inconsistent lately and is the older fighter. Take the younger prospect riding a 12-fight win streak.
On August 15, 2026, UFC 320 in Philadelphia headlines a welterweight title fight between champion Islam Makhachev and Ian Machado Garry. Makhachev is 28-1 overall and 16-0 in his last 16 bouts. His only career loss came to Adriano Martins, who has gone just 1-6 with a no-contest since that upset. Beyond that early setback, Makhachev has consistently beaten elite competition and is a heavy favorite against Garry (17-1), with odds ranging from -320 to -390 two weeks before the fight. A victory would give the Dagestani the UFC record for most consecutive wins.
Garry fell to undefeated Shavkat Rakhmonov but has rebounded with two straight wins. True to form, the talkative Irishman continues his pre-fight trash talk.
The Pick: Islam Makhachev by decision. That specific prop isn’t listed yet, but it should come in at a significantly better price than simply backing Makhachev to win. Garry’s last six fights have all gone the distance, and 10 of Makhachev’s wins have been by decision.
The August 22 UFC Fight Night main event pairs middleweights Anthony Hernandez and Gregory Rodrigues. No odds are available yet; I’ll update closer to the fight. There is a line for the August 29 UFC Fight Night main event at the Oriental Sports Center in Shanghai, China. Bantamweights Umar Nurmagomedov and Song Yadong meet, with Nurmagomedov (20-1) a heavy -450 to -520 favorite. After his loss to Merab Dvalishvili, the Dagestani has responded with back-to-back wins and remains a top-tier fighter. Song (23-9) scored a win over Charles Oliveira in his last outing. While Oliveira is a legend, he is now 38 and has dropped four of his past five. Prior to that, Song split his previous six fights, with losses to Petr Yan, Sean O’Malley, and Cory Sandhagen.
The Pick: Nurmagomedov wins comfortably. Fighting in his home country is Song’s only advantage. And that won't save him. He has struggled against elite competition, and the well-rounded Nurmagomedov ranks as the best opponent he has faced.
