We're back for another prediction and pick as Prelim action continues from UFC Austin. This next bout takes us to the Welterweight (170) Division as we'll see Wellington Turman take on Jared Gooden with both fighters desperately needing a win for their record. Check out our UFC odds series for our Turman-Gooden prediction and pick.

Wellington Turman (18-7) has gone 3-5 during his time in the UFC since 2019. He's had to face staunch competition since arriving to the division and has notable wins over Sam Alvey and Misha Cirkunov. However, he's been on a downslide of late and lost two consecutive fights heading into this one. He'll be the moderate favorite in this must-win situation. Turman stands 6'0″ with a 72-inch reach.

Jared Gooden (22-9) has gone 1-4 in the UFC since 2020. He's struggled to get his career off the ground and was forced to fight in other organizations following his loss and weight miss against Randy Brown. After more than a year away from the UFC, Gooden returned and missed weight again during his last loss to Carlston Harris. This may be his last chance to make an impression on Dana White and the promotion. Gooden stands 6'0″ with a 77-inch reach.

Here are the UFC Odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

UFC Austin Odds: Wellington Turman-Jared Gooden Odds

Wellington Turman: -210

Jared Gooden: +162

Over 2.5 rounds: -164

Under 2.5 rounds: +128

How to Watch Wellington Turman vs. Jared Gooden

TV: ESPN+

Stream: ESPN+

Time: 4:00 p.m. ET/ 1:00 p.m. PT (Prelims)

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

Why Wellington Turman Will Win

Wellington Turman comes into this fight with a great gym behind him in Teixeira MMA. His base is Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and he's got great grappling for someone of his size. Eight of his wins have come by way of submission, but he's only been able to notch one of those under the UFC promotion. Still, Turman will have the stern grappling advantage in this fight and still has yet to be submitted in his professional career. With both he and Gooden needing a win to possibly save their UFC careers, expect Turman to do what he knows best and try to finish this fight on the ground.

Turman has seemed a step slow in his last two fights, but those were both against aggressive fighters in Andre Petrovski and Randy Brown. While Jared Gooden is equally dangerous, he's a bit less aggressive in the way he moves in the octagon. He doesn't march forward a whole lot and his foot movement isn't the best, so Turman will greatly benefit from circling away from Gooden and not giving his a clean target to hit. The more Turman can make Gooden miss, the more it'll tire his arms out. From there, Turman should look to find a takedown and finish this fight with a submission. He won't make much of an impression with a decision-win, so expect Turman to be going for the finish in this one.

Why Jared Gooden Will Win

Jared Gooden will be returning to the UFC for another chance following his last loss to Carlston Harris. His last two UFC fights have been losses at Welterweight and Gooden has failed to make weight both of those times. We know nothing angers Dana White more than fighters missing weight, so it'll be very interesting to see if Gooden can make the scale ahead of this opportunity. Gooden fights behind a boxing base and likes to keep his fights standing. While his movement throughout the octagon isn't the most fluid, he poses a tremendous threat when he digs his heels in and swings from the pocket. If he can back Turman up and land a few bombs on him, this could be a short night at the office for Gooden.

The key for Jared Gooden to win will be to keep this fight standing and find Turman with his strong hooks. Gooden isn't very good on the ground and he's shown a susceptibility to the takedown. He's also never been submitted in his career, so he may give Turman some unexpected issues if this hits the mat. Gooden's key to victory will be his boxing shots to the body. He's actually very good about mixing his strikes up and keeping opponents guessing – he could stand to do serious damage if he's able to throw those hooks to Turman's body.

Final Wellington Turman-Jared Gooden Prediction & Pick

This isn't the best fight on paper and both of these guys are in desperate need of a win. Jared Gooden will have to make weight and it'll be interesting to see if he's made any improvements to his game since leaving the UFC momentarily. I predict Wellington Turman will have the upper hand here with his grappling abilities and toughness. Expect him to take this fight to the mat and win off control time. Both guys have never been submitted and will both be avoiding the knockout, so don't be surprised if this one sees the distance.

Final Wellington Turman-Jared Gooden Prediction & Pick: Wellington Turman -210; OVER 2.5 Rounds (-164)