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UFC Mexico City: Brandon Moreno vs. Brandon Royval continues on the prelims with a fight between promotional newcomer Luis Rodriguez and Denys Bondar in the flyweight division. Rodriguez makes his UFC debut on the heels of five consecutive victories meanwhile, Bondar has dropped both of his fights in the octagon in brutal fashion. With that said, check out our UFC odds series for our Rodriguez-Bondar prediction and pick.
Luis Rodriguez (16-2) got his first impression when he fought on the Contender Series at 20 years old but he fell short to Jerome Rivera by unanimous decision. Since that loss, he has gone 5-0 during a four-year span with three of those five wins coming by of finish. Now, Rodriguez gets to make his UFC debut in front of his home crowd when he takes Ukraine's Denys Bondar in Mexico City.
Denys Bondar (19-4) had numerous fights fall through for a whole year finally making his debut in February 2022 where he suffered a brutal arm break that kept him out of competition for 14 months. He then tried to get back on track against Carlos Hernandez but was brutally knocked out, even though it was ruled a headbutt, which paved the way for another length layoff of eight months. Bondar will be looking to make up for lost time when he flies into enemy territory to take on Luis Rodriguez.
Here are the UFC Odds, courtesy of BetOnline.
UFC Mexico City Odds: Luis Rodriguez-Denys Bondar Odds
Luis Rodriguez: -120
Denys Bondar: +100
Over 2.5 rounds: -160
Under 2.5 rounds: +130
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Why Luis Rodriguez Will Win
Luis Rodriguez got his shot to fight in the UFC just a bit too early at the tender age of 20 years old. That seems to have helped him grow as a fighter as he rattled off five straight wins over the next four years and now at age 24 it could finally be his time to make a run in the flyweight division.
Rodriguez is a powerhouse who can win the fight on the feet with his knockout power or on the mat with his deadly submission game making him a bright Brazilian prospect for this flyweight division. He comes in as seven years younger than Bondar but has amassed a 16-2 record at just 24 years old giving him a plethora of experience. That experience will serve him well in his UFC debut, especially in a matchup against a fighter like Bondar who will be looking to grapple his way to victory. With Rodriguez having multiple ways of winning, as long as he doesn't have an adrenaline dump in his debut he should be able to take it to Bondar and his first win inside the octagon.
Why Denys Bondar Will Win
Denys Bondar looked like a top-notch prospect when he was fighting on the regional scene. He came into the UFC with a ton of high-level experience with a 19-2 record but he has now lost two straight in brutal fashion. Bondar will be looking to finally get into the win column in the UFC when he takes on Mexico's Luis Rodriguez this weekend.
Bondar possesses a smothering grappling game that really could make a legitimate threat in this flyweight division. However, he has made some critical mistakes in both fights that have left him on the wrong end of brutal losses. If Bondar is in full health and has his head on straight he has the tools to make this a very rough UFC debut for Rodriguez. As long as Bondar doesn't shoot himself in the foot, he has a chance to right the ship and get his first UFC victory.
Final Luis Rodriguez-Denys Bondar Prediction & Pick
This should be an exciting fight between these two flyweights looking to make a statement. While Rodriguez did fight in the flyweight division when he fought on the Contender Series, he has been primarily fighting at 135 lbs since that fight as this will be his first fight at 125 lbs in four years. It will be interesting to see how he fares back down at flyweight for this type of grueling fight he will have to combat.
However, Bondar has now just fought two times in the last four years and is now coming back after another tough loss, so it remains to be seen how well he can take damage in this fight. He also has made some rudimentary mistakes in his short time with the promotion it is very hard to trust him at this time. Ultimately, Bondar will look good early until he unfortunately doesn't and that is when Rodriguez either catches him on the feet or in a submission in transition to get his first octagon victory.
Click here for more betting news and predictions
Final Luis Rodriguez-Denys Bondar Prediction & Pick: Luis Rodriguez (-120), Under 2.5 Rounds (+130)
