We're back to continue our betting coverage of the UFC Vegas 113 Main Card, turning our attention towards this next fight in the Heavyweight Division. No. 6-ranked Jailton Almeida of Brazil will take on Russia's prospect Rizvan Kuniev in a high-stakes bout in the rankings. Check our UFC odds series for the Almeida-Kuniev prediction and pick.
Jailton Almeida (22-4) is an impressive 8-2 through his first 10 UFC bouts since 2022. He notched consecutive round-one finishes over Alexandr Romanov and Serghei Spivac, but lost a close split decision to Alexander Volkov his last time out. Almeida stands 6-foot-3 with a 79-inch reach as the betting favorite.
Rizvan Kuniev (13-3-1) will make his second walk to the UFC octagon following a debut loss to Curtis Blaydes via split decision. Originally scheduled to fight Ryan Spann, he's now tasked with his second ranked opponent in jus two UFC fights. Kuniev stands 6-foot-4 with a 76-inch reach.
Here are the UFC Vegas 113 Odds, courtesy of DraftKings.
UFC Vegas 113 Odds: Jailton Almeida-Rizvan Kuniev Odds
Jailton Almeida: -155
Rizvan Kuniev: +130
Over 1.5 rounds: -140
Under 1.5 rounds: +110
*Watch sports LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*
Why Jailton Almeida Will Win
- Last Fight: (L) Alexander Volkov – S DEC
- Last 5: 3-2
- Finishes: 8 KO/TKO, 13 SUB
Jailton Almeida remains one of the best pure grapplers inside this heavyweight division, but his game plan hit a brick wall in Alexander Volkov during his last fight. Volkov completely dominated the significant striking total 123-27, but it was Almeida's seven landed (nine attempted) takedowns that earned him the split nod. Had it not been for his sure grappling, Almeida wouldn't have put up much of a fight standing against Volkov.
Clearly, his opponent this time around won't be as experienced of a striker, but it's apparent that Almeida will need to improve his striking chops moving forward if he wants to contend for a belt one day. Kuniev is a dangerous knockout threat and won't waste any time finishing from top position, so Almeida will have to be first in landing a big exchange and gaining the respect of his opponent.
If he's able to become a threat in the striking, it should open the door for Almeida to shoot his double-leg takedowns and finish fights with his grappling. The biggest key to success will be mixing his martial arts and providing different looks to keep the rather inexperienced opponent guessing throughout this fight.
Why Rizvan Kuniev Will Win
- Last Fight: (L) Curtis Blaydes – S DEC
- Last 5: 3-1-0-1
- Finishes: 6 KO/TKO, 3 SUB
After finishing both of his Dana White's Contender Series auditions, Rizvan Kuniev made a massive leap forward in facing a championship-level opponent like Curtis Blaydes. Regarded as one of the top wrestlers in the UFC, Blaydes went 2/15 on his takedown attempts on Kuniev, an impressive display from the Russian making his debut. In this fight, takedown defense will be the key to his success as he'll have the tools to control the fight from the feet if he can discourage Almeida from shooting takedowns.
Still, Kuniev fell behind in the striking totals against Blaydes and still has a ways to go before he can become comfortable and fluid on his feet. He's most dangerous off the clinch breaks and could land meaningful strikes if he's able to connect with his elbows from there. He hasn't faced a ton of adversity up to this point, but his chin looked extremely durable against a talented opponent like Blaydes.
Kuniev comes into this fight with great confidence and doesn't believe Almeida's jiu jitsu will be able to combat his defensive wrestling. Kuniev has also yet to be finished in his career, so expect a free three rounds of effort out of him once again.
Final Jailton Almeida-Rizvan Kuniev Prediction & Pick
Rizvan Kuniev will have another massive task ahead of him in just his second UFC fight, but it's clear the UFC matchmakers see a ton of potential in his stock and would like to have him fighting ranked opposition. Jailton Almeida is coming off a wake-up call loss against Alexander Volkov and it'll be interesting to see how much his striking improves heading into this fight.
While Kuniev was able to stop the takedowns from Curtis Blaydes, he may have more trouble against an agile takedown specialist like Almeida. Almeida moves more like a light heavyweight fighter and his athleticism will be a huge advantage for him in this one.
While Kuniev is certainly a great prospect, this level of competition so soon may be too much to handle as opposed to slowly building him up with experience and winnable fights. For our final pick here, we'll roll with the slight favorite in Almeida as his team should have prepared him well ahead of this one.
Final Jailton Almeida-Rizvan Kuniev Prediction & Pick: Jailton Almeida (-155); OVER 1.5 Rounds (-140)
