The UFC Edmonton Prelims continue to roll as we’re set for another betting prediction and pick for the action-packed night of fights. This next bout takes place in the Bantamweight (135) Division as Ukraine’s Serhiy Sidey will take on Marathon MMA’s Garrett Armfield. Check out our UFC odds series for our Sidey-Armfield prediction and pick.
Serhiy Sidey (10-2) will be making his second UFC appearance following a loss in his debut bout to Ramon Taveras in a split decision. He’s a Contender Series product and has has championship experience in smaller organizations, so look for him to get on track in this fight as he looks for his first UFC win. Sidey stands 5’11” with a 72-inch reach.
Garrett Armfield (10-4) has gone 2-2 since joining the UFC in 2022. After back-to-back wins over Toshiomi Kazama and Brad Katona, Armfield dropped his most recent bout to Brady Hiestand via submission. He’ll look to bounce back in this fight as he looks to upset as the betting underdog. Armfield stands 5’6″ with a 70-inch reach.
Here are the UFC Edmonton Odds, courtesy of DraftKings.
UFC Edmonton Odds: Serhiy Sidey-Garrett Armfield Odds
Serhiy Sidey: -142
Garrett Armfield: +120
Over 2.5 rounds: -188
Under 2.5 rounds: +145
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Why Serhiy Sidey Will Win
Serhiy Sidey is a very calculated striker and will be fighting in front of hometown fans from his adopted region of Ontario, Canada. He prefers to do most of his damage on the feet with seven wins by way of knockout and he brings a technical game on the feet into this bout. He tends to pressure forward with striking feints and he’s very hard to read from the opponents’ standpoint. He also snaps his leg kicks very quickly and can stifle Armfield’s movement if he’s able to find a home in the low calf kick.
Serhiy Sidey has the power necessary to put down opposition, but he’ll have to be wary of Armfield’s ability to shoot takedowns as we haven’t seen a large sample size of Sidey fighting from those positions. Still, he’s far more precise with his striking than Armfield and I expect him to play a game of cat and mouse while forcing his opponent forward and countering with his straight shots. Look for Sidey to be very accurate and crisp with his striking.
Why Garrett Armfield Will Win
Garret Armfield is a tough opponent for anyone and he finds success from his sheer will and determination. He was billed as the underdog against Brad Katona but defied the odds and came away with a hard-fought win. When listed as the betting favorite against Hiestand, it was clear Armfield was a step slower and lacked the athleticism to keep up with the speed of his opponent. He may have to slow things down in this fight and drag Sidey to the ground if he wants to have a chance at the decision nod.
As the case with his opponent, Armfield is also fully capable of shutting the lights out and ending the fight early with six of his ten wins coming by way of knockout. Armfield has a background in wrestling and while he hasn’t used that part of his game a whole lot to start his career, he could certainly find success in doing so against his opponent. Look for Armfield to be the significantly stronger fighter if these two tie-up in the clinch.
Final Serhiy Sidey-Garrett Armfield Prediction & Pick
This should be a competitive clash given the determination behind Armfield’s game and Sidey’s striking prowess in the pocket. While Armfield certainly has the greater knockout ability, Sidey has the faster hands and uses much more of his striking arsenal through the use of his kicks and spinning attacks.
If this fight remains on the feet, Serhiy Sidey will have the better chance of striking his way to a decision victory with how calculated he is through the chaos of a fight. Armfield will certainly get some looks during the live line betting, but only if he’s able to secure takedowns and win some control time on the ground.
For our prediction, we have to back the clean striking and decision-making of Serhiy Sidey. As long as he focuses on defense and doesn’t become overzealous in chasing the knockout, he should be able to take this fight by decision.
Final Serhiy Sidey-Garrett Armfield Prediction & Pick: Serhiy Sidey (-142)