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UFC Vegas 97: Gilbert Burns vs. Sean Brady continues on the prelims with a fight between Andre Petroski and Dylan Budka in the middleweight division. Petroski got back into the win column after suffering back-to-back losses in his last fight meanwhile, Budka is still searching for his first win inside the Octagon. With that said, check out our UFC odds series for our Petroski-Budka prediction and pick.
Andre Petroski (11-3) kicked off his UFC career winning each of his first five fights only to lose his next two after receiving a step up in competition. He was finished in both fights against Jacob Malkoun and Michel Pereira but was then able to get back on track against Josh Fremd in his last fight. Petroski will be looking to get back on a winning streak when he takes on Dylan Budka this weekend at the UFC Apex.
Dylan Budka (7-3) received his contract after a dominant win on the Contender Series in 2023 and then made his UFC debut 7 months later. However, his UFC debut didn't go as planned where he was eventually finished by former Glory kickboxer Cesar Almeida. Budka will be searching for the first win of his UFC career when he steps inside the Octagon this weekend to take on Andre Petroski.
Here are the UFC Vegas 97 Odds, courtesy of DraftKings.
UFC Vegas 97 Odds: Andre Petroski-Dylan Budka Odds
Andre Petroski: -278
Dylan Budka: +225
Over 2.5 rounds: -175
Under 2.5 rounds: +135
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Why Andre Petroski Will Win
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Andre Petroski was on the cusp of breaking into the top 15 of the middleweight rankings until he met up with Michel Pereira who knocked him out in just a minute into the fight. He was then subsequently finished in his next fight, in the most bizarre fashion, against Jacob Malkoun but then was able to get back into the win column against Josh Fremd albeit a boring decision where he just controlled Fremd for 15 minutes. Petroski will be searching for the finish this time around when he takes on Dylan Budka this weekend at UFC Vegas 97.
Petroski is a legitimate grappling threat where he is at his best when he is in control on the canvas. On the feet, he is quite basic throwing heavy overhand rights with the occasional leg kick until he's able to get in close range to level change and take his opponent to the canvas. Petroski excels when he's up against other wrestlers and grapplers and that is exactly what Budka brings to the table. While Budka is a good grappler in his own right, he seems to be outmatched in technique and strength. If Petroski can avoid the big shots on the feet and take this fight to the canvas he has a great shot at getting back to the win column with another dominant showing or a finish.
Why Dylan Budka Will Win
Dylan Budka looked like he would be a prospect to watch out for after his win on the Contender Series last season. Unfortunately, his gas tank wasn't able to push a hard pace outside of five minutes to where Cesar Almeida was then able to finish him in the second round. Now, Budka is desperately needing to make a statement this weekend when he steps in there with Andre Petroski.
Dylan Budka will be fighting against a similar type of fighting style as himself this weekend in Andre Petroski. This could be a fight where the wrestling and grappling cancel themselves out and we see these two slug it out on the feet. If that is the case that is where Budka will excel as he will be the cleaner striker of the two and with how Petroski does have some durability issues there is a chance if Budka lands flush he could land the kill shot finishing Petroski and gets his first win inside the Octagon.
Final Andre Petroski-Dylan Budka Prediction & Pick
This should be a great scrap between these two middleweight fighters. Both fighters need a statement win this weekend and we can expect a high-paced fight right from the get-go. Ultimately, while both of these fighters do their best work on the canvas, Petroski is the one who has the better technique, the stronger fighter, and the more dangerous submission artist, and if he's able to take Budka down he should control him until the submission presents itself and gets the tapout before we hit the judge's scorecards.
Final Andre Petroski-Dylan Budka Prediction & Pick: Andre Petroski (-278), Under 2.5 Rounds (+135)
