The UFC London Prelims continue to roll as we bring you another betting prediction and pick for this upcoming Heavyweight bout. No. 15-ranked Mario Pinto of Portugal will take on Brazil's debuting Felipe Franco in a bout that's sure to end early! Check our UFC odds series for the Pinto-Franco prediction and pick.
Mario Pinto (11-0) has gone 2-0 since making his UFC debut in 2025. He's been on a quick rise with back-to-back dominant knockouts over Austen Lane and Jhonata Diniz. After original opponent Mick Parkin had to withdraw, Pinto faces a hungry prospect making his debut. Pinto stands 6-foot-6 with a 79-inch reach.
Felipe Franco (10-1) will make his UFC debut as the No. 12-ranked pro heavyweight in Central and South America. He notably made an unsuccessful attempt at Dana White's Contender Series in September 2025, but finally gets his shot in this short-notice spot. Franco stands 6-foot-1 with a 76-inch reach.
UFC London Odds, courtesy of DraftKings.
UFC London Odds: Mario Pinto-Felipe Franco Odds
Mario Pinto: -900
Felipe Franco: +600
Over 1.5 rounds: +130
Under 1.5 rounds: -166
Why Mario Pinto Will Win
- Last Fight: (W) Jhonata Diniz – TKO (punches from mount, R2)
- Last 5: 5-0
- Finishes: 7 KO/TKO, 1 SUB
Mario Pinto established himself over another dangerous heavyweight in Jhonata Diniz his last time out, seriously damaging his opponent with the boxing throughout the first round. Knocking Diniz down, Pinto wasted no time in securing mount and ending the fight from there. He's quickly proving himself as a dangerous finisher from anywhere, but he'll have to remain diligent through this opponent change and facing a debuting fighter with nothing to lose.
Mario Pinto uses every bit of his 79-inch reach to create distance between him and opponents. He's also very consistent with his low leg kicks and is very mobile for someone his size, so expect Pinto to be looking to control the distance early in this fight. His straight jab down the middle has wobbled opponents in the past and he'll be looking to find a home in it as Franco eagerly tries to rush in on him.
Mario Pinto will have a significant height and reach advantage throughout this fight, so expect him to throw many of his boxing combinations over the top while keeping Franco at distance whenever he looks to explode. His opponent is very unpredictable when throwing his offense, so patience in the striking will be the biggest key to Pinto's success as the massive betting favorite here.
Why Felipe Franco Will Win
- Last Fight: (W) Douglas Felipe Santos – SUB (rear naked choke, R1)
- Last 5: 4-1
- Finishes: 6 KO/TKO, 4 SUB
Felipe Franco comes into this UFC debut following back-to-back wins via knockout and submission in regional South American organizations. At just 25 years old, he's been perfect throughout his amateur and early pro career up to this point, but he floundered in his Contender Series audition by losing via submission to Freddy Vidal. The UFC has been known for keeping prospects like Franco in their back pocket for short-notice bouts like these, so he'll have a second chance to notch the biggest win of his career in what would be the card's biggest upset.
Franco got a bit too eager during his DWCS fight and after exchanging shots with his opponent, he became complacent and gave up his back. During this fight, Franco will have to be much more defensive and sound with his grappling if he wants to stop a surging fighter like Pinto with two UFC wins already under his belt. Look for Franco to be cautious in his approach early while waiting to open up his striking in the pocket.
Franco stands very tall in his striking stance and holds his arm guard high while throwing quick strikes from there. This will aid him against a much taller fighter in Pinto, but Franco should still look to throw shots to the body in hopes of demobilizing his opponent. His quick left jab is one of his biggest tools and if he's able to find the effective range for it early, it should be able to give Franco the early advantage throughout this one.
Final Mario Pinto-Felipe Franco Prediction & Pick
This fight will be tense for as long as it lasts given the knockout potential from both sides. Through two UFC appearances, we haven't seen many weaknesses from Mario Pinto as he was preparing for a scrap against Mick Parkin. Felipe Franco is a formidable opponent with huge knockout upside, but he wasn't able to capitalize in his first fight against UFC-level competition.
There's a reason the betting odds are so skewed in favor of Pinto and we'll have to side with him to win this fight. However, I expect Felipe Franco to be a tough opponent to knock out easily, so we'll take a chance with the over as we could see a later finish in this one.
Final Mario Pinto-Felipe Franco Prediction & Pick: Mario Pinto (-900); OVER 1.5 Rounds (+130)
