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UFC Charlotte: Rozentruik vs. Almeida keeps it moving on the prelims with a fight in the lightweight division between Natan Levy and Pete Rodriguez. Levy is riding a two-fight winning streak into this matchup meanwhile, Rodriguez is coming off a brutal knockout win in his previous bout. With that said, check out our UFC odds series for our Levy-Rodriguez prediction and pick.
Natan Levy (8-1) dropped his UFC debut against Rafa Garcia but has since looked every bit the prospect we thought he was with back-to-back wins in his next two outings. He will look to make it three in a row against the super-dangerous knockout artist Pete Rodriguez.
Pete Rodriguez (5-1) burst onto the scene as an undefeated knockout artist when he got the super short notice call up to face the darkhorse in the welterweight division Jack Della Maddalena where he was knocked out in the first round. He has since gone 1-0 and is now making his lightweight debut this weekend against Natan Levy.
Here are the UFC Odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
UFC Charlotte Odds: Natan Levy-Pete Rodriguez Odds
Natan Levy: -260
Pete Rodriguez: +205
Over 1.5 Rounds: -132
Under 1.5 Round: +104
How to Watch Natan Levy vs. Pete Rodriguez
TV: ESPN
Stream: ESPN+
Time: 11:30 a.m. ET/ 8:30 a.m. PT (Prelims)
Article Continues Below
Why Natan Levy Will Win
Natan Levy is the only fighter on the UFC roster that is from Israel and he represents his country very well. He has a great well-rounded skillset which starts with his karate-based striking and kicking arsenal. Levy utilizes his kicks to keep out the range and power of his opponents which certainly will come in handy in this fight against the heavy-handed Pete Rodriguez.
He also has very good wrestling and submission game. Of his eight wins, three have come by submission which could be the best path to victory in this matchup. Knowing that Rodriguez has yet to go past round 1 in his professional career, Levy will need to take him into deep waters to keep this winning streak going.
Why Pete Rodriguez Will Win
Pete Rodriguez fights out of a great camp at The MMA Lab with the likes of Sean O'Malley, Kyler Phillips, and newly signed Marcus McGhee. His whole game is predicated on slanging some leather to his opponents' chin and knocking them into oblivion just like he did against Mike Jackson.
This will be Rodriguez's first fight at lightweight as he has fought the majority of his professional career at welterweight but has fought as high as light heavyweight as an amateur. His power should translate well down a weight class and should be a lot faster as well. If he can manage his gas tank and land bombs like he knows how to do he can put away Levy and get the biggest win of his career.
Final Natan Levy-Pete Rodriguez Prediction & Pick
Pete Rodriguez is always live for a knockout every single time he steps foot inside that octagon, that is the kind of power that he possesses. From a skill standpoint though, Levy has him beat pretty much everywhere. Levy is a much more technical striker, he is by far the much better grappler, and he has the gas tank to fight hard for 15 minutes. As long as Levy doesn't eat big shots early and gets the fight out of round 1, it is his fight to lose, and should finish Rodriguez in round 2.
Final Natan Levy-Pete Rodriguez Prediction & Pick: Natan Levy -260
