Sean Zerillo is eyeing the Fight-Goes-to-Decision prop at +123, calling it a pure price discrepancy. Featherweight bouts have ended in a decision roughly 52% historically (and 68% the past two years), so the plus-money tag implies barely a 44% chance—far too low in Zerillo’s model. He conceded both men swing big, but Lee owns a six-inch reach edge and should be able to jab and clinch enough to survive Santos’s blitzes. Zerillo expects a high-paced ‘Fight of the Night’ style scrap that nevertheless lasts the full 15 minutes more often than the odds suggest, projecting 55–57% to see the cards.

Billy Ward said he likes Daniel “Willie Cat” Santos but is deliberately holding fire until the money-line drifts to +130 or even +140. Ward argued that Santos opened as the favorite for a reason—sharper boxing, nonstop pressure and Lee’s documented trouble when forced backward (e.g., the Hyder Amil knockout). However, Santos has not fought in nearly two years and is jumping from bantamweight to featherweight, so Ward wants extra cushion in case ring rust or size proves real. He noted that historically when an opener flips from fav to dog the book’s original read is correct more often than the closing market, so plus 130 is the “greedy but fair” trigger. Anything shorter he will simply pass rather than force action.

DFS Army still leans toward Daniel "Willie Cat" Santos for tournaments even after his price drifted to $8,300. They project Santos to land takedowns and control time—he was 3-for-4 in takedowns and logged 4+ minutes of top control versus Johnny Munoz—and carries legitimate KO pop that Lee has yet to face at the UFC level. The recent withdrawal against Davy Grant explains market hesitation, but unless the medical issue lingers, Santos’ combination of grappling volume and one-punch power provides 100-point upside in contests where ownership will now slide Lee’s direction.

Cody Saftic took a small money-line stab on Daniel “Willy Cat” Santos after re-watching tape and concluding the Brazilian brings the superior minute-winning tools. Lee has landed fewer than 50 significant strikes in all three UFC appearances and looked lost whenever pushed backward, absorbing 85% of Hyder Amil’s attempted head shots. Santos, by contrast, fired 69 significant strikes in under eight minutes against John Castaneda, mixes in takedowns (1.4 per 15 minutes) and owns two regional KO wins via spinning back-kick—evidence of the athletic creativity Lee lacks. Cody noted that Santos’ stocky frame and lower center of gravity should let him crowd Lee’s 6-inch reach edge, pin him to the fence, and either out-work him or hit reactive doubles. While Saftic will reassess after weigh-ins given Santos’ history of pullouts, he believes the Chute Boxe product’s higher pace, pocket durability and wrestling upside justify a plus-money flutter in what profiles as a pressure-versus-precision clash.

The Weasle predicted Daniel ‘Willycat’ Santos will break Li Zhe Young with relentless pressure and score a late third-round TKO. He pointed out that Santos mirrors Charles Oliveira’s stance and walk-down style, throws volume in the pocket, and welcomes chaos. Li’s tape shows decent linear footwork but almost zero head movement; he was repeatedly tagged by Hider Amil. Against Santos’ forward march, that stationary head is an invitation for hooks and body shots. Weasle expects Li to survive early but accumulate damage until referees step in.

Bedtime MMA backed Daniel "Mini Oliveira" Santos despite the Brazilian jumping up a division on short notice against Jung Yong Li. He acknowledged Li’s sizable height and reach advantage and even predicted Santos "gets rocked in round one," but noted Santos trains with a high-end camp, carries a relentless pressure style, and will be cutting less weight than usual. Expecting a cardio edge, clinch knees to the body, and intermittent submission threats whenever Li tries to tie up, he forecast Santos out-working the bigger man over three rounds for a 29-28 unanimous decision.

Kunath is backing Daniel "Willycat" Santos to win a decision over G. Young Lee. After dropping his short-notice debut to veteran Julio Arce, Santos rebounded with two wins that showed he can build a full-camp game plan. Kunath compared Lee to previous hype trains who looked great in short-notice spots but regressed once expectations rose, citing Cameron Smotherman and Lando Vannata as cautionary tales. Santos brings a classic Chute Boxe package—knees, front kicks, and elbows—well suited to punish Lee’s straight-line entries. He also wields a sneaky long right hand "like Charles Oliveira dropping Gaethje" that Kunath believes can score the bigger moments for judges. On the mat, Santos owns the superior jiu-jitsu and will shoot his own takedowns rather than flop to guard. Kunath’s only concern is Lee’s size advantage at range, but he trusts Santos’ preparation and all-terrain skill set to bank at least two of three rounds. Play: Santos by decision.