The UFC is back in Mexico City with 13 fights featuring a number of Latin American fighters looking to impress the crowd. The opening bout takes place in the Middleweight (180) Division and features Wisconsin's Wes Schultz taking on Aruba's Damian Pinas. Check our UFC odds series for the Schultz-Pinas prediction and pick.
Wes Schultz (8-2) will make his UFC debut following a successful submission win on Dana White's Contender Series. He's fought on a number of regional cards and holds a 4-1 record with LFA, coming into this debut a moderate betting underdog. Schultz stands 6-foot-1 with a 77-inch reach.
Damian Pinas (8-1) will also make his UFC debut after securing a DWCS contract with a knockout in the first round. Coming in from Shooto Brasil, he's won his last four consecutive bouts heading in and will be confident in a successful debut here. Pinas stands 6-foot-1 with a 79.5-inch reach.
UFC Mexico City Odds, courtesy of DraftKings.
UFC Mexico City Odds: Wes Schultz-Damian Pinas Odds
Wes Schultz: +210
Damian Pinas: -258
Over 1.5 rounds: +154
Under 1.5 rounds: -200
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Why Wes Schultz Will Win
- Last Fight: (W) Mario Mingaj – SUB (Suloev stretch, R1)
- Last 5: 4-1
- Finishes: 2 KO/TKO, 5 SUB
During his Dana White's Contender Series bout, Wes Schultz notched a Suloev stretch submission that was likely seen by many fans for the first time. The intricate leg lock requires a fighter to stretch his opponent's leg over their head, threatening a tear to the hamstring. Schultz has five of his eight career wins by submission and will be threatening with his decisive jui jitsu throughout this whole fight.
Schultz is a natural athlete and although his striking isn't up to par with his grappling, he's very sound and technical with his boxing up to this point. He'll certainly be at a striking disadvantage in this one, but he's typically able to use the straight jab to close the distance and shoot in for a takedown. On the ground, he'll certainly be in his own realm and threatening to finish the fight by chasing submissions.
Wes Schultz should look to start this fight fast and immediately close the distance between him and Pinas. He wants to avoid allowing his opponent to settle into a comfortable striking rhythm, so the more Schultz can remain close and constantly pressuring, the more success he'll have as the underdog dictating the pace.
Why Damian Pinas Will Win
- Last Fight: (W) Victor Costa – KO (jab, R1)
- Last 5: 4-1
- Finishes: 7 KO/TKO, 1 SUB
Damian Pinas finishing his Contender Series audition with a flush jab followed by a cross to knock his opponent out. It was his fifth knockout win in six fights, the lone bout being a disqualification when he landed an illegal kick. Up to this point, Pinas has been virtually flawless against his opponents and hasn't faced a ton of adversity on the feet. During this debut, he'll have to polish his skills to perfection and be mindful of the takedown attempts coming from his opponent.
Evident during his DWCS knockout, Damian Pinas uses a stiff jab to gauge the distance while constantly keeping his right hand loaded. He generates a ton of power thanks to his physical strength and has proven his ability to end the fight with one punch. Expect the same approach from him as he'll look to slowly, yet decisively walk down his opponent, close the distance, and hunt for the knockout blow.
Pinas has a solid chin coming into this fight, but it'll be interesting to see how he handles getting hit during the heated exchanges. He's often willing to engage in a brawl knowing his punches will be the ones to end the fight, but expect a much more disciplined approach defensively from Pinas as he tries to secure a debut win.
Final Wes Schultz-Damian Pinas Prediction & Pick
This should be a fun fight as both sides are eager to make their UFC debuts. Wes Schultz is a dangerous submission artist and will be looking to take this fight to the ground where he's most comfortable fighting from. Damian Pinas is a devastating knockout artist with stellar boxing, so every second on the feet will be an opportunity for him to end the fight with one punch.
While Schultz should put up a solid fight during the grappling exchanges, I expect Pinas' strikes to be much more damaging and effective when he's able to land. None of his opponents have been able to sustain his damage through three rounds, so expect Pinas to be looking for the finish in this one.
For our final pick, we'll roll with the betting favorite and the total under as this card could get off to a fast start.
Final Wes Schultz-Damian Pinas Prediction & Pick: Damian Pinas (-258); UNDER 1.5 Rounds (-200)
