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Contender Series Week 8: Danny Barlow vs. Raheam Forest continues on the fight card with a bout in the heavyweight division between Alexander Soldatkin and Mario Piazzon. Soldatkin is coming into this fight on an 11-fight win streak with 10 of those wins coming inside the distance as he comes into this fight meanwhile, Piazzon is an undefeated Brazilian heavyweight prospect who is coming off a knockout victory as he comes into his first appearance on the Contender Series. With that said, check out our UFC odds series for our Soldatkin-Piazzon prediction and pick.
Alexander Soldatkin (14-3) is one of the more experienced fighters on this season of the Contender Series and in a weight class that Dana White says they always need prospects for. He has fought the majority of the time on the European regional scene with 12 of his 14 victories coming inside the distance as he looks to make a big splash on this week's episode of the Contender Series against Mario Piazzon.
Mario Piazzon (6-0) is an undefeated Brazilian heavyweight prospect who has won all of his professional fights by knockout. His toughness will certainly be put to the test when he takes on the Russian heavyweight prospect Alexander Soldatkin on this week's episode of the Contender Series.
Here are the UFC Odds, courtesy of DraftKings.
Contender Series Week 8 Odds: Alexander Soldatkin-Mario Piazzon Odds
Alexander Soldatkin: -380
Mario Piazzon: +300
Over 1.5 rounds: +180
Under 1.5 rounds: -238
How to Watch Alexander Soldatkin vs. Mario Piazzon
TV: ESPN+
Stream: ESPN+
Time: 8:00 p.m. ET/ 5:00 p.m. PT
Why Alexander Soldatkin Will Win
Alexander Soldatkin is set to face Mario Piazzon on this week's episode of the Contender Series. Soldatkin has a professional record of 14-3, which is more than double the amount of professional experience than Piazzon who just has six professional fights under his belt. Soldatkin has also fought in larger promotions such as Ares FC fighting a much higher level of competition than Piazzon has on the Brazilian regional scene.
Against that higher level of competition, Soldatkin has finished 12 of those 17 opponents showing that he can not only beat solid competition but also finish them. Piazzon has won five of his six fights by knockout and is going to want to stand and bang it out in the center of the octagon. That is going play right into what Soldatkin wants to do and if he's able to just land on Piazzon he could potentially get him out of there.
Why Mario Piazzon Will Win
Mario Piazzon is a bit of a wild card as he has an unblemished record of 6-0 but he has beaten extremely low-level competition in Brazil for a low-level MMA promotion Demo Fight. This fight organization is known for record padding where you will multiple undefeated fighters taking on sub-500 fighters or fighters with losing records.
Piazzon has shown that he can crack and has the power in his hands to end the fight at any moment which will have to come into play against another heavy-handed striker like Alexander Soldatkin. Soldatkin is going to want to keep this fight standing at range which will give Piazzon ample opportunities to land the kill shot and score the big upset and a UFC contract.
Final Alexander Soldatkin-Mario Piazzon Prediction & Pick
This fight has the potential to be a barnburner for however long it lasts between these two heavy-hitting heavyweights. Alexander Soldatkin looks like a heavyweight prospect that the UFC can get behind. He has the build and the power to be a decent addition to the UFC's heavyweight division. Meanwhile, Piazzon looks undersized standing at only 6 feet tall, and will have a ton of trouble with the size of Soldatkin in this fight.
Piazzon also hasn't had to face much adversity against a ton of inferior opponents whereas Soldatkin already has a few losses on his record and has come back stronger each and every time he lost. This could be a fight where experience could play a huge factor in this fight. Piazzon could seemingly have a ton of trouble against someone who could combat with the forward pressure style of fighting that he will bring to the table in this fight. Ultimately, Piazzon is going to look to come forward and be the aggressor looking to land some heavy hooks on Soldatkin but Soldatkin will be the one landing the devastating shots as the shorter Piazzon attempts to get in range where he will then eventually land something flush having Piazzon crashing to the canvas for the knockout and the UFC contract.
Final Alexander Soldatkin-Mario Piazzon Prediction & Pick: Alexander Soldatkin (-380)
