The last UFC Fight Night of the year, UFC Fight Night: Song vs. Gutiérrez aka UFC Fight Night 233 has two intriguing bouts at the top of its card. For the main event, a bantamweight contest between Song Yadong and Chris Gutiérrez is expected to headline the event as both fighters are aiming for a rise in their divisional rankings. Moreover, a light heavyweight fight between Khalil Rountree Jr. and former UFC Light Heavyweight Championship challenger Anthony Smith is also set to take place at the event. On an interesting note for your UFC Fight Night 233 betting, Rountree was originally slated to face Azamat Murzaknov one week earlier at UFC on ESPN 52. However, the latter had to pull out due to complications from pneumonia.
For this report, SBS will be going over what to look for from each fighter, a predicted winner in each bout, and even more notes about UFC Fight Night 233 betting.
| UFC Fight Night 233 Main Event Bouts | The Pick |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Song Yadong vs. Chris Gutiérrez | Song | -330 | -330 | -330 |
| Khalil Rountree Jr. vs. Anthony Smith | Rountree Jr. | -240 | -240 | -240 |
Fighter Spotlight: Song Yadong
Recognized as the No. 7 overall fighter in the UFC bantamweight rankings, Song (20-7-1) has been a solid combatant since joining the UFC. Making his UFC debut in November 2017, the Chinese fighter has gone 9-2-1 since his first-round submission win against Bharat Khandare. Moreover, the 25-year-old is coming off a TKO victory against Ricky Simón in April which also earned him Performance of the Night honors. One of the younger fighters in the UFC, Song has notched the Performance of the Night award an impressive five times to date. Moreover, Song was scheduled to headline this event against Petr Yan, but the latter had to withdraw citing an injury.
Fighter Spotlight: Chris Gutiérrez
Gutiérrez, like Song, is coming off a win but has had limited rest coming into this fight. At the UFC Fight Night event in October, Gutiérrez (20-5-2) was able to pull off an impressive unanimous decision win over Alateng Heili. While he did fall to Pedro Munoz in April, the American combatant still has had some impressive outings in his career. This includes a KO win over Frankie Edgar at UFC 281 and also a Performance of the Night TKO outing against Danaa Batgerel (spinning backfist and elbows). With him coming into this fight on short notice, he could surprise Song by offering some new looks from the abridged scouting report.
Prediction: Song has the potential to be a rising star in the promotion and should take care of business against the short-rested Gutiérrez.
Fighter Spotlight: Anthony Smith
A veteran competitor, Smith has been a professional fighter since 2008 and is a top ten combatant in the UFC light heavyweight rankings (eight). A fighter with an impressive six Performance of the Night outings, Smith has a career record of 37-18. The Nebraskan is coming off a split-decision win over Ryan Spann in late August in a bout that went the distance in Singapore. With 20 knockout victories in his career, along with 14 submission wins, the veteran fighter could jump up the rankings with a big outing here especially on short rest.
Fighter Spotlight: Khalil Rountree Jr.
As noted above, Rountree was initially slated to take on Murzakanov, but this clash will be a great measuring stick battle against Smith, a consistently strong light heavyweight contender. A fighter with three Performance of the Night outings in his career, Rountree is coming off a Performance of the Night outing with a TKO win over Chris Daukaus. Another fighter with sensational power (eight career knockouts), the 33-year-old is riding a four-fight winning streak and could be on a title shot trajectory if he can take down Smith.
Prediction: A stellar and powerful bout, take the younger Rountree to narrowly defeat Smith.
After you are all squared away regarding your UFC Fight Night 233 bets, make sure to also check out the great variety of information available to you at SBS. Of course, for the best UFC Fight Night 233 bets and beyond, the UFC betting sites guide is a must-read page for all the latest UFC and MMA betting markets. Moreover, if you want to stay on top of your UFC Fight Night 233 picks while on the go, our best betting apps breakdown is a must-read page as it covers the nuances of mobile betting. Finally, if you are perhaps intrigued by the prospect of higher-stakes betting, then the VIP sports betting sites rundown is a great resource for you. Here you can learn more about the cost and benefits of VIP sports betting.
About the Author
As a devout aficionado of sports, Chris Boline has carved a career within the athletic realm. A skilled scribe, he boasts a decade-long portfolio that encompasses coverage of the NBA G League, the Los Angeles Chargers, football and basketball across the country. Beyond his professional pursuits, Chris is deeply invested in his community and dedicates his leisure hours to serving on boards, collaborating with community organizations, and cherishing the company of loved ones. CURRENTLY Business Development and freelance sports writing RESIDES IN Reno, NV EDUCATION University of Nevada BS and MBA EXPERTISE -Sports writing proficiency in: NFL, NBA, UFC, boxing, golf, and some motor sports -Topical news -Promotional and marketing ideas/updates -Business development Summary Chris Boline serves in a business development sales capacity as his day job. He has previously held sales/marketing positions with The Applied Companies (TAC), KTVN 2 News and the NBA G League’s Reno Bighorns, affiliate of the Sacramento Kings. He is a Reno native and is a member of various community boards including the Nevada Sagebrush Alumni Chapter, NCET and the College of Business Alumni Association (COBAA). Chris graduated from the University of Nevada in 2015 with a bachelors in management and economics and also earned his MBA from Nevada in 2023. More about Chris: Past president of the College of Business Alumni Association (COBAA) 2022-23 Two-time honoree for University of Nevada Alumni Chapter of the Year (Nevada Sagebrush Alumni Chapter, 2017 & COBAA, 2021) 2021 NCET award for Professional Services Organization of the Year with TAC Northern Nevada Human Resources Association 2020 Best Places to Work-Northern Nevada, Second Place with TAC 2016-17 Reno Bighorns MVP from the Sacramento Kings The Nevada Sagebrush editor-in-chief 2013-15 Associated Collegiate Press 2015 Four-year Non-daily Newspaper Pacemaker honoree University of Nevada, Reno College of Business Dean's List honoree (5x) from 2011-2015 Nevada Press Association award for Best Sports Column – Community in 2015 Education
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