It's time for another betting prediction and pick for UFC Vegas 108 card as we head towards the Middleweight (185) Division for this upcoming bout. Wisconsin's own Nick Klein will take on Russia's Andrey Pulyaev in a bout you won't want to miss! Check out the UFC odds for our Klein-Pulyaev prediction and pick.
Nick Klein (6-2) will make his second UFC appearance following a debut loss to Mansur Abdul-Malik. He's a former Dana White Contender Series standout with a submission win during his audition fight but still chasing the elusive first win with the promotion as the underdog in this one. Klein stands 6-foot-1 with a 77-inch reach.
Andrey Pulyaev (9-3) comes into this bout also having lost his debut fight to Christian Leroy Duncan. He's also a DWCS product and won his audition fight via unanimous decision. He comes into this bout the betting favorite looking to mount his first winning streak in the UFC. Pulyaev stands 6-foot-4 with a 78.5-inch reach.
Here are the UFC Vegas 108 Odds, courtesy of DraftKings.
UFC Vegas 108 odds: Nick Klein-Andrey Pulyaev odds
Nick Klein: +130
Andrey Pulyaev: -155
Over 1.5 rounds: -210
Under 1.5 rounds: -160
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Why Nick Klein will win
- Last Fight: (L) Mansur Abdul-Malik – TKO (standing punches, R2)
- Last 5: 3-2
- Finishes: 2 KO/TKO, 3 SUB
Nick Klein comes into this bout following a tough loss where he couldn't handle a barrage of strikes against the fence. His last five fights have all ended inside the distance, three of which went his way all utilizing the rear naked choke.
Given previous results, we're likely to see Klein force this fight to the ground as he attempts to find the back and work from where he's been most dominant.
Klein comes from a jiu jitsu background, and while his opponent has never been finished by submission, Klein certainly has the ability to stun Pulyaev when he grabs ahold of him. Given his last loss, he shouldn't be too willing to engage in a brawl as his striking still has room to catch up with his grappling.
To earn the win in this one, Klein will benefit from forcing Pulyaev against the fence and threatening with his double-leg takedowns. From the clinch, he can work towards his opponent's back and potentially find a body triangle while standing on the feet.
He'll want to avoid any clean combinations without covering up effectively, but we can expect a dogfight out of Klein if it comes down to that, nonetheless.
Why Andrey Pulyaev will win
- Last Fight: (L) Christian Leroy Duncan – U DEC
- Last 5: 4-1
- Finishes: 5 KO/TKO, 2 SUB
Andrey Pulyaev comes into this bout after facing an extremely tough debut opponent in Christian Leroy Duncan. While he was outmatched in his first fight, Pulyaev showed a great ability to remain calm under duress.
His opponent this time around won't be nearly as skilled as Duncan was in the stand-up game, so expect Pulyaev to have an opportunity to show off a bit more of his striking arsenal in this one.
Of Pulyaev's last five wins, he's notched two by submission and ended one with ground-and-pound. Against a grappling-heavy opponent like Klein, Pulyaev could see some opportunities to surprise Klein with his skills and defensive efforts on the ground.
He's also very dangerous when finding top position or mount, so don't be surprised if he's able to flip the script and become the aggressor on the mats.
Overall, Pulyaev should have a well-rounded enough approach to stop anything coming back his way from Klein. As long as he can manage to remain safe and defensive on the ground, he should be able to stuff the grappling en route to taking this fight over on the feet.
Final Nick Klein-Andrey Pulyaev prediction & pick
This should be another fun fight given both sides' finishing capabilities. Nick Klein is very dangerous once taking the back, so we can expect him to eventually close the distance and shoot for a takedown throughout this fight. However, Andrey Pulyaev will be a tough customer to bring down, boasting an 85% takedown defense and notching numerous wins by submission himself.
I think the betting odds are spot-on with this fight as Andrey Pulyaev should have all the answers for whatever Nick Klein throws at him. Hanging tough for three rounds against a strong striker like Christian Leroy Duncan says a lot about his abilities, while Klein has yet to see the same level of competition as his opponent.
For our final prediction, we'll roll with Andrey Pulyaev to get the win in what should be a hard-fought bout.
Final Nick Klein-Andrey Pulyaev Prediction & Pick: Andrey Pulyaev (-155)
