UFC Vegas 87: Jairzinho Rozenstruik vs. Shamil Gaziev continues on the prelims with a fight between L’udovit Klein and promotional newcomer AJ Cunningham in the lightweight division. Klein has won three out of his last four fights and is coming off a dominant decision victory his last time out meanwhile, Cunningham is stepping in on less than a week’s notice for his UFC debut after a dominant first-round TKO in his last fight. With that said, check out our UFC odds series for our Klein-Cunningham prediction and pick.

L’udovit Klein (20-4-1) has won three out of his last four fights and was originally slated to face off against Spain’s Joel Alvarez but visa issues had him withdraw from the bout. Now, Klein will be looking to improve his 4-2-1 UFC record when he takes UFC newcomer and Contender Series alumni AJ Cunningham who’s stepping in on less than a week’s notice at UFC Vegas 87.

AJ Cunningham (11-3) didn’t have his fight on the Contender Series go his way when he was finished by Steven Nguyen in the second round. However, he did get back on track with a first-round TKO in his last fight which was good enough for the UFC to give him a call to take this fight on less than a week’s notice this weekend at UFC Vegas 87 against L’udovit Klein.

Here are the UFC Odds, courtesy of BetOnline. 

UFC Vegas 87 Odds: L’udovit Klein-AJ Cunningham Odds

L’udovit Klein: -900

AJ Cunningham: +600

Over 1.5 rounds: -105

Under 1.5 rounds: -125

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Why L’udovit Klein Will Win

L’udovit Klein has had some mixed success inside the octagon with a 4-2-1 record. He is however coming off a dominant decision victory against a bright prospect Ignacio Bahamondes but that came after a lucky majority draw after Jai Herbert committed a foul and was deducted a point. Klein was originally slated to face off against Joel Alvarez but due to visa issues, Alvarez was rebooked to a later fight against Mateusz Rebecki. Now, Klein will be squaring off against short-notice newcomer AJ Cunningham.

Klein has exceptional kickboxing skills and utilizes those leg kicks to hammer his opponents’ legs, body, and head. He also has power in his hands which was evident in his fight against Mason Jones. In this matchup against Cunningham, he will need to use those kicks to keep him from just pressing the action and being the aggressor much like Steven Nguyen did. Ngyuen was able to negate the forward pressure with a stiff jab and kicks and that is right up Klein’s alley if he can do that he will be able to make it four wins in his last five fights this weekend.

Why AJ Cunningham Will Win

AJ Cunningham got his shot to make a good first impression on Dana White and the matchmakers when he fought against Steven Nguyen in the Contender Series. Unfortunately, it didn’t go his way, but his toughness stood out after taking all the damage he took in that fight and was still standing even though the fight was ultimately stopped. Cunningham will be stepping in on less than a week’s notice for Joel Alvarez to make his UFC debut.

Cunningham is a close training partner with Bryce Mitchell who will likely be in his corner for his fight. He brings a tenacity that is truly hard to match and has the willingness to go toe-to-toe with anyone. We’ve seen it in the past where relentless pressure has broken Klein as it did in his fight against Jair Herbert and his fight against Nate Landwehr and if there is anything that can replicate that it’s Cunningham. If he can do that he can cause a massive upset on short notice and make a statement in his UFC debut.

Final L’udovit Klein-AJ Cunningham Prediction & Pick

This should be an absolute barnburner between these two lightweight prospects. Klein should have the speed and power advantages on the feet but it’s Cunningham who has the heart and aggressive nature that can combatant his shortcomings. While people shouldn’t write off Cunningham due to his fight on the Contender Series as he’s shown he is better than that, this is still a tough matchup on short notice. Ultimately, Klein will do what he does best which is utilize his speed and technical striking abilities on the feet that will have Cunningham miss on the feet and just outstrike and outpoint him to a unanimous decision victory.

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Final L’udovit Klein-AJ Cunningham Prediction & Pick: L’udovit Klein (-900), Over 1.5 Rounds (-105)