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UFC Vegas 81: Sodiq Yusuff vs. Edson Barboza continues on the prelims with a fight in the bantamweight division between Chris Gutierrez and Alatengheili. Gutierrez was originally scheduled to face off against Montel Jackson at UFC Vegas 80 last week but Jackson pulled out due to injury meanwhile, Alatengheili was scheduled to face Rani Yahya this weekend but he also had to withdraw due to injury. With that said, check out our UFC odds series for our Gutierrez-Alatengheili prediction and pick.
Chris Gutierrez (19-5-2) was riding a 7-0-1 record into a fight against Pedro Munhoz back in April where he ultimately lost a lopsided fight via unanimous decision. The pace and pressure that Munhoz was able to put on Gutierrez was the difference maker in the fight. Now, Gutierrez will look to put only his second loss of his UFC career behind him when he takes on Alatengheili this weekend at UFC Vegas 81.
Alatengheili (16-8-2) is coming into this fight winning six out of his last eight fights with one of those fights being a draw against Gustavo Lopez back in September 2021. He isn't the most active fighter in the division only fighting twice in the last two years but he has won two straight as he takes on the stiffest competition to date in his UFC career Chris Gutierrez this weekend at the UFC Apex.
Here are the UFC Odds, courtesy of DraftKings.
UFC Vegas 81 Odds: Chris Gutierrez-Alatengheili Odds
Chris Gutierrez: -285
Alatengheili: +230
Over 2.5 Rounds: -280
Under 2.5 Rounds: +210
How to Watch Chris Gutierrez vs. Alatengheili
TV: ESPN+
Stream: ESPN+
Time: 4:00 p.m. ET/ 1:00 p.m. PT (Prelims)
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Why Chris Gutierrez Will Win
Chris Gutierrez was looking for that one signature win to put him into the top 10 of the bantamweight rankings but unfortunately, the step up in competition against Pedro Munhoz was just too much for him. Munhoz was able to just come forward and get within boxing range to land his combinations which is something that Gutierrez can't let Alatengheili do in this matchup.
This is certainly a more forgiving matchup than the one he had last week against Montel Jackson. Alatengheili will be at a respectable size disadvantage here and his whole game is predicated on landing big shots and using his grappling to overwhelm his opponents which is something that Gutierrez combats well against. As long as Gutierrez can keep this fight at kicking range, he should have no problem outstriking Alatengheili on the outside for the majority of this fight.
Why Alatengheili Will Win
Alatengheili is now getting ready for a much different challenge than what he was originally pegged with at the start of his fight camp. He went from taking on a grappler in Rani Yahya to now taking a rangy kickboxer in Chris Gutierrez. Both provide difficulties in different ways. With Yahya, the gameplan may have been to keep the fight standing since he would've had a big power advantage on the feet but now he can get back to his bread and butter his wrestling and grappling in this fight against Gutierrez.
While Gutierrez is certainly a very dangerous striker, he is also susceptible to being taken down and controlled on the mat. He has been taken down in four out of his last six fights which bodes well for Alatengheili in this matchup. If he can replicate the success that Munhoz had on the feet when he was pressuring he can inside the leg reach of Gutierrez to take the fight to the mat where he can control him for a unanimous decision victory.
Final Chris Gutierrez-Alatengheili Prediction & Pick
This should be a banger of a fight between these two bantamweight contenders. Gutierrez is so fluid on the feet with his movement and his ability to get in and out of range quickly while firing deadly counters and leg kicks throughout the fight. He will need to do that and then some against a powerful puncher and grappler in Alatengheili.
As for Alatengheili, the game plan should be simple and that is to make Gutierrez fight off his back foot with his back against the cage at all times and attempt takedowns. He will be at a massive disadvantage if he's not able to get on the inside of the height and reach of Gutierrez to be just stuck out at range. Ultimately, this fight should be fairly easier to navigate for Gutierrez than his previous matchup against Jackson as he will keep this fight on the feet at kicking range just punishing Alatengheili as he attempts to get into boxing range as he outstrikes him to win a wide decision victory.
Final Chris Gutierrez-Alatengheili Prediction & Pick: Chris Gutierrez (-285), Over 2.5 Rounds (-280)
