The UFC is back in Atlantic City on Saturday night and the fight card is filled top-to-bottom with exciting bouts. We'll be giving you a betting prediction and pick for this next bout in the Middleweight (185) Division. Philly's own Andre Petroski will take on Australia's Jacob Malkoun. Check out our UFC odds series for our Petroski-Malkoun prediction and pick.
Andre Petroski (10-2) has gone an impressive 5-1 during his UFC stint since 2021. He opened his tenure with five unbeaten bouts and dropped his last fight to Michel Pereira in the first round. He's a strong prospect in the division and he's looking to get back on track with a win here. Petroski stands 6'0″ with a 73-inch reach.
Jacob Malkoun (7-3) comes into this fight with a 3-3 UFC record since 2020. He made his debut as a fresh 4-0 prospect and has been learning on the job since making the UFC roster. He's 3-2 in his last five with a recent win over Nick Maximov and his latest loss against Cody Brundage. Malkoun stands 5'9″ with a 73-inch reach.
Here are the UFC Odds, courtesy of BetOnline.
UFC Atlantic City Odds: Andre Petroski-Jacob Malkoun Odds
Andre Petroski: +210
Jacob Malkoun: -250
Over 2.5 rounds: -180
Under 2.5 rounds: +150
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Why Andre Petroski Will Win
Andre Petroski was on an impressive unbeaten streak until he ran into an extremely focused Michel Pereira in his last fight. Petroski is typically a volume wrestler and does his best work from top position on the ground. From there, he's very effectively in chasing submissions and out-muscling his opponents with arm triangles and rear chokes. Malkoun has a boxing background, so Petroski should be able to find success if he's able to put Malkoun on his back and limit his striking.
Petroski comes into this fight as the surprising underdog, so the oddsmakers are clearly putting some stock into his last loss against Pereira. He still has a ways to go for his striking to catch up to his wrestling, but he's got a great camp behind him full of Philadelphia-based fighters, so his striking had to have been a focal point during this camp. If Petroski can close the distance and work his way inside for the takedown, he could have an advantage during this one.
Why Jacob Malkoun Will Win
Jacob Malkoun comes into this fight with a very good boxing base as his background. He's an extremely hard-hitter and will be able to match Petroski's power shot for shot. During his last fight, Malkoun showed off his boxing prowess against Cody Brundage and also dominated that fight on the ground. He was seconds away from locking a rear-naked choke when he threw illegal elbows to the back of Brundage's head, eventually disqualifying him from the bout. It was a severe mental mistake that cost him the fight, but we can't look past the fact he was convincingly in control up to that point.
Having faced fighters like Phil Hawes and Brendan Allen, Malkoun will certainly have more experience in the big show over Petroski. He's also the more active striker and attempts more takedowns per fight, so it could be Malkoun who's dictating where this fight takes place. If he keeps it standing and mixes in periodical level changes, he should do enough to get this win on the scorecards.
Final Andre Petroski-Jacob Malkoun Prediction & Pick
Both of these Middleweights are looking for a signature win to propel their stock in the division and they'll both have a willing dance partner during this fight. Both fighters have similar skill sets and both excel with their offensive grappling. Andre Petroski is a force of nature with his strength and he'll be threatening the arm triangle if he finds mount or top position. Jacob Malkoun is a great grappler in his own right and will make it extremely difficult for Petroski to gain any ground on him.
Jacob Malkoun is being given the slight edge on the betting lines due to his experience and striking advantage so I think the juice on him is warranted. If Petroski can't find a takedown during this fight, Malkoun will piece him up in the stand-up game.
For our prediction, we're going to ride Jacob Malkoun as the decent favorite and we like this fight to see the distance. Both fighters are extremely tough to put away and we should see a stalemate from the two on the ground. Let's roll with the betting favorite to get the win here.
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Final Andre Petroski-Jacob Malkoun Prediction & Pick: Jacob Malkoun (-250); OVER 2.5 Rounds (-180)
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