UFC 291: Dustin Poirier vs. Justin Gaethje continues on the prelims with a fight in the middleweight division between Roman Kopylov and Claudio Ribeiro. Kopylov is coming off back-to-back wins for the first time in his UFC career meanwhile, Ribeiro was able to secure his first UFC victory in his last fight. With that said, check out our UFC odds series for our Kopylov-Ribeiro prediction and pick.

Roman Kopylov (10-2) has looked like a brand new fighter than we saw in his first two fights with the promotion. He is coming off back-to-back knockout wins over Punahele Soriano and Alessio Di Chirico two tough competitors. Now he takes on a relative newcomer in Contender Series alumni Claudio Ribeiro in his third fight with the promotion this weekend at UFC 291.

Claudio Ribeiro (11-3) came into his UFC debut off one of the craziest knockout victories in Contender Series history. He, unfortunately, didn't have the same success against Abdul Razak Alhassan in his debut fight. Ribeiro was able to get that loss back just four months later when he finished Joseph Holmes in round two.

Here are the UFC Odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

UFC 291 Odds: Roman Kopylov-Claudio Ribeiro Odds

Roman Kopylov: -215

Claudio Ribeiro: +172

Over 1.5 Rounds: -134

Under 1.5 Rounds: +106

How to Watch Roman Kopylov vs. Claudio Ribeiro

TV: ESPN

Stream: ESPN+

Time: 8:00 p.m. ET/ 5:00 p.m. PT (Prelims)

Why Roman Kopylov Will Win

Roman Kopylov is a well-rounded fighter with a strong striking game and a solid ground game. In his 10 wins, nine of them have been by knockout which makes him a dangerous opponent for Ribeiro to just stand and bang with which is what he prefers to do.

Ribeiro is a tough fighter, but he is not as technical as Kopylov. He is a more explosive striker than Kopylov, but he is not as technical. All 11 of Ribeiro's wins have come by knockout but he has been knocked out in one of his two losses, with his most recent loss coming against Abdul Razak Alhassan by knockout in his UFC debut.

Kopylov has shown he can take a punch when he has gone up against heavy hitters in each of his last three fights. That would be a major factor in this fight because of the power that Ribeiro possesses. If Kopylov can stay out of range like he did against Soriano, he can punish Ribeiro in the later rounds as he gasses per usual.

Why Claudio Ribeiro Will Win

Claudio Ribeiro has showcased impressive striking skills throughout his career. He possesses a diverse striking arsenal, including powerful punches, kicks, and knees. His striking accuracy and technique have been evident in his previous fights, allowing him to effectively damage his opponents.

Ribeiro has demonstrated solid defensive skills, including effective head movement and footwork. This could help him evade Kopylov's strikes and counter with his own offensive combinations. By avoiding significant damage, Ribeiro can maintain control of the fight and dictate the pace

Ribeiro is coming off a solid outing in his previous fight, which adds to his momentum heading into UFC 291. A victory in his most recent bout can boost his confidence and mental preparedness, giving him an advantage over Kopylov

Final Roman Kopylov-Claudio Ribeiro Prediction & Pick

This is going to be a banger in the middleweight division when Roman Kopylov and Claudio Ribeiro square off at UFC 291 this weekend. Both Kopylov and Ribeiro combine for 20 knockouts which makes it safe to assume that this one is not seeing the judge's scorecards. Kopylov has shown fantastic striking abilities in his last two wins against Di Cherico and Soriano and if he is able to utilize that in this fight against Ribeiro he should keep his winning ways going.

While Ribeiro is extremely dangerous with 11 knockouts to his name, he leaves himself open to counters when he throws these wild combinations. Also, Ribeiro throws everything into his punches which has shown to gas him out the later this fight goes. Meanwhile, Kpylov showed that he can go for a hard 15 minutes in there against elite athletes like Albert Duraev and the later this fight goes the more it favors the Kopylov side. Ribeiro's chance of winning would be either to utilize grappling that seemed to be non-existent against Alhassan or catch Kopylov early. As long as Kopylov is able to weather the early storm his chances increase dramatically. Ultimately, Kopylov will keep his composure as he has done in his recent fights, stay defensively sound, and punish Ribeiro in the later portion of this fight.

Final Roman Kopylov-Claudio Ribeiro Prediction & Pick: Roman Kopylov (-215), Under 1.5 Rounds (+106)