UFC Shanghai: Lawrence Lui vs. Hector Santiago Predictions & Odds

Bantamweight contender Lawrence Lui will welcome promotional newcomer Hector Santiago in an exciting match at UFC Shanghai on Saturday inside Oriental Sports Center in Pudong District, China.

Fresh off a win in his octagon debut, Lui enters the match as the betting favorite with -285 UFC odds, while Santiago is going to be the betting underdog with +225 odds.

UFC Shanghai: Lawrence Lui vs. Hector Santiago Fight Odds

• Lawrence Lui: -285
• Hector Santiago: +225

UFC Shanghai: Lawrence Lui vs. Hector Santiago: Tale of the Tape

UFC Shanghai: Lawrence Lui vs. Hector Santiago: Prediction

I predict a decision win for Lui over Santiago because he’s the more well-rounded fighter. Lui is more of a grappling-heavy fighter and only uses his forward-pressure and striking to set up level change and takedowns.

Meanwhile, Santiago comes from a striking-heavy background and competed in various striking-only combats like kickboxing and karate. This makes him a vulnerable target in clinch battles and takedowns.

Though Santiago holds the clear advantage in striking and power, I still believe that Lui’s constant pressure and persistent movement forward will cause him problems because he’ll be worried too much about the threat of takedowns.

Lawrence Lui’s Recent Fight Results

Lui competed in the Road to UFC tournament last year and won his two fights against Qinghe Zhang and Van Y Nghiem to earn a roster spot. Earlier this year, he made his official promotional debut against Sulangrangbo and eked out a split decision win.

Hector Santiago’s Recent Fight Results

Santiago was a WAKO kickboxing world champion before transitioning to MMA in 2024. He has racked up wins against Pedro Freitas, Pedro Sousa, Thiago Santos, Mateus Sales, Fernando Henrique, and Paulo Nogueira, while his lone career defeat was to Maycon Alcino.