UFC Vegas 89: Amanda Ribas vs. Rose Namajunas kick off the main card with a fight in the featherweight division between promotional newcomer Luis Pajuelo and Fernando Padilla. Pajuelo secured his contract with a brutal first-round knockout on the Contender Series meanwhile, Padilla is looking to get himself back on track after suffering his first defeat inside the octagon. With that said, check out our UFC odds series for our Pajuelo-Padilla prediction and pick.
Luis Pajuelo (8-1) stepped up to face short-notice replacement Robbie Ring on the Contender Series brutally finishing him via strikes midway through the first round to secure his spot on the UFC’s roster. Now, the Peruvian native will look to impress in his UFC debut when he takes on Mexico’s Fernando Padilla this weekend at UFC Vegas 89.
Fernando Padilla (15-5) came in guns blazing with a knockout victory against Julian Erosa in his UFC debut only to drop his next fight via decision to UFC veteran Kyle Nelson. He will look to rebound in a big way when he steps inside the octagon for the third time as he welcomes Peru’s Luis Pajuelo this weekend at UFC Vegas 89.
Here are the UFC Odds, courtesy of BetOnline.
UFC Vegas 89 Odds: Luis Pajuelo-Fernando Padilla Odds
Luis Pajuelo: +144
Fernando Padilla: -164
Over 1.5 rounds: -200
Under 1.5 rounds: +160
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Why Luis Pajuelo Will Win
Luis Pajuelo like many others on this fight card is a product of the Contender Series. He crushed his short-notice opponent Robbie Ring to a TKO victory in the very first round which secured him a contract. Pajuelo is now making his UFC debut against Dana White Looking for a Fight alumni Fernando Padilla.
Pajuelo has a plethora of kickboxing experience before making the transition to MMA and it shows in his fighting style. He utilizes a ton of thunderous kicks and knees to blast his opponents at distance and then throws heavy hooks once he gets within range. He’s going to need to utilize those kicks mightily in this fight against the taller and longer Padilla to chop down those legs to make him a stationary target. If he can break him down early he has the potential of landing hard shots that could potentially put Padilla away much like he did against Ring this weekend at UFC Vegas 89.
Why Fernando Padilla Will Win
Fernando Padilla got his praise when he was signed on an episode of Dana White Looking for a Fight when he knocked out Cameron Graves. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to make his UFC debut until 23 months later and he wasted no time by knocking out Julian Erosa in less than two minutes. Now, he is coming off his first loss of his UFC career and will be looking to get that one back when he takes on Luis Pajuelo this weekend.
Padilla really looked what many hoped he would in his UFC debut but then laid a dud against Kyle Nelson his next time out. This seemingly looks like a far easier matchup than Nelson as this fight should be fought at kicking range where Padilla is at his best. While Pajuelo is a high-level striker in his own right, we’ve seen in numerous occasions get hurt or visibly rocked which bodes well for Padilla who has the power to make this a short night for Pajuelo and get himself back into the win column this weekend.
Final Luis Pajuelo-Fernando Padilla Prediction & Pick
The main card kicks off with a great scrap in the featherweight division between Luis Pajuelo who’s making his UFC debut and Fernando Padillo who will be welcoming him to the octagon. Pajuelo has shown to have immense power with seven of his eight wins coming by knockout. Meanwhile, Padilla isn’t short on power and he also has the grappling chops which could be key for him in this particular matchup.
This should be an entertaining fight for however long it lasts and it’s going to boil down to who can maintain their range and dictate the pace of this fight. Ultimately, it’s going to look like Pajuelo will be the one to land the heavier shots but Padilla’s length is going to make it extremely difficult for him to land flush and the threat of the takedowns and the submissions will be the advantages that Padilla will need to get the much-needed victory and potentially get back to his finishing ways.
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Final Luis Pajuelo-Fernando Padilla Prediction & Pick: Fernando Padilla (-164), Over 1.5 Rounds (-200)
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