We're back with another prediction and pick for the UFC Noche Prelims at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. We turn our attention towards the Middleweight (185 lb) Division for this next bout between fearsome finishers. Russia's Roman Kopylov will take on Pittsburgh's own Josh Fremd. Check out our UFC odds series for our Kopylov-Fremd prediction and pick.

Roman Kopylov (11-2) has gone 3-2 since joining the UFC in 2019. His UFC tenure started rocky with consecutive losses to Karl Roberson and Albert Duraev. After a number of cancelled bouts, Kopylov got active in 2022 and has won three fights in a row heading into this bout. He finished all three of those fights by KO/TKO and will be hoping to do the same against Fremd. Kopylov stands 6'0″ with a 75-inch reach.

Josh Fremd (11-4) has gone 2-2 since joining the UFC last year. Amassing a 5-1 combined record with Bellator and LFA, Fremd has picked up back-to-back wins after losing his fights two fights in the UFC. He seems to be figuring out his flow and would do a ton for his stock if he can stop the surging Roman Kopylov. Fremd stands 6'4″ with a 76-inch reach.

Here are the UFC Odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

Noche UFC Odds: Roman Kopylov-Josh Fremd Odds

Roman Kopylov: -360

Josh Fremd: +260

Over 2.5 rounds: +126

Under 2.5 rounds: -160

How to Watch Roman Kopylov vs. Josh Fremd

TV: ESPN+

Stream: ESPN App, UFC Fight Pass

Time: 7:00 p.m. ET/ 4:00 p.m. PT (Prelims)

*Watch sports LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*

Why Roman Kopylov Will Win

Kopylov was originally slated to fight Chris Curtis in an extremely competitive matchup. Curtis had to pull out due to injury, so Anthony Hernandez stepped in on short notice. Shortly after, Hernandez had to pull out at the last minute, so Josh Fremd took the call and will step in against Kopylov. Kopylov will have to adjust his game plan after being matched up against two strikers, but at this point he's willing to fight whoever will get in there with him. Roman Kopylov comes into this one following a stunning head kick knockout in his last fight. Look for his striking confidence to be through the roof against the short notice Fremd.

To win this fight, Kopylov should look to keep it on the feet and maintain safe striking distance. Fremd is a bigger guy and will bulk up come fight time, so we may see Kopylov struggle to size him up early on. However, Kopylov trains at a great gym and has a ton of wrestlers as training partners to work with, so he should have no issues hanging tough through the grappling. Kopylov has a phenomenal 90% takedown defense and could control this fight if he's able to negate the wrestling for Josh Fremd.

Why Josh Fremd Will Win

Josh Fremd steps into this spot on short notice with a great chance to jump ahead in the rankings with a win. Kopylov is farther along than Fremd is in his development, but that's not to say that Fremd's aggressive wrestling can't give him an edge in this one. He'll stand about four inches taller than his opponent and could see some success if he's able to close the distance and grab a hold of Kopylov. Fremd mainly uses his striking to set up the takedown, so look for him to march forward aggressively and take the first shot of this fight. If he can land an early takedown, look for Fremd to have success in controlling Kopylov on the ground.

Fremd will be outmatched in the striking, but he'll have a height and reach advantage to work with, so he'll benefit greatly from creating space and closing with the clinch when Kopylov is compromised. Fremd should look to back Kopylov up and get him against the cage where he can't sustain too much damage. The leg kicks from Kopylov will be a constant theme in this one, so Fremd should look to get out in front and check a few of these kicks.

Final Roman Kopylov–Josh Fremd Prediction & Pick

Josh Fremd is confident in his abilities to get Kopylov down and keep him there for the duration of the fight. If Kopylov is sloppy, he could give up the takedown and find himself in a world of trouble against a fluid grappler like Fremd. Fremd is also the bigger man, so it'll be interesting to see how the size plays a role in him trying to get the initial takedown.

For our prediction, we'll go with Roman Kopylov to get the win. His takedown defense looks better with each fight and he's levels above Fremd in the striking. He's notched his last three wins by knockout, so don't be surprised if he goes out a similar way in this one.

Final Roman Kopylov-Josh Fremd Prediction & Pick: Roman Kopylov (-360); Wins by KO/TKO (-115)