We're back with another prediction and pick for this stacked UFC card from London. This next bout takes place in the Women's Bantamweight (135 lb) Division as two ranked fighters meet for supremacy. No. 4 ranked Ketlen Vieira will take on No. 7 ranked Pannie Kianzad in a pivotal matchup for the rankings. Check out our UFC odds series for our Vieira-Kianzad prediction and pick.
Ketlen Vieira is 13-3 as a professional fighter and has gone 7-3 since joining the UFC. She was once seen as a sure title challenger, but recent struggles keep her waiting in the wings. She's got good wins over Holly Holm and Miesha Tate over her last three, but will be coming in off a loss to Raquel Pennington. She'll look to insert her name back into title talks with a win here. Vieira stands 5'8″ with a 68-inch reach.
Pannie Kianzad is 16-6 and has gone 5-3 since joining the UFC. She, too, lost to Raquel Pennington recently but has gone 4-1 over her last five while doing so. Her last win was a dominant one over Lina Lansberg as she leaped into the rankings. Now, she'll have a chance to overtake Vieira's No. 4 ranking and get one step closer to a title shot. Kianzad stands 5'7″ with a 68-inch reach.
Here are the UFC Odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
UFC London Odds: Ketlen Vieira-Pannie Kianzad Odds
Ketlen Vieira: -166
Pannie Kianzad: +130
Over (1.5) rounds: -360
Under (1.5) rounds: +250
How to Watch Ketlen Vieira vs. Pannie Kianzad
TV: ESPN+
Stream: ESPN App, UFC Fight Pass
Time: 12:00 p.m. ET/ 9:00 a.m. PT (Prelims)
*Watch sports LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why Ketlen Vieira Will Win
Ketlen Vieira was once seen as a sure title challenger at Bantamweight, but recent performances have shunned her from the Main Card as she's forced to fight on the Prelims as a ranked contender. Her last few performances haven't been indicative of her full skill set and she's looking to get back to her old style of fighting. Vieira is a very patient striker and will wait for the right time to attack. Her hallmark is her ground game with four of her wins coming by way of submission. Her last three fights have gone to a decision, so look for her to have a complete game plan coming into this one.
To win this fight, Vieira will have to be aggressive and bring the action to Kianzad. Kianzad is at her best when she's able to open up her striking and fight her kind of fight, so it'll be up to Vieira to stop her impending attacks. To make this her fight, Vieira should look to control the clinch and wear Kianzad on the cage. Vieira has a number of submission possibilities on the ground, so look for her to stay comfortable if the fight goes there. As the slight favorite, she should have enough in her striking to be the better fighter at all three levels in this one.
Why Pannie Kianzad Will Win
Pannie Kianzad isn't one of the more well-known commodities of this division, but she looks like one of the best when she's executing her game plan. When she's fighting her style of fight, Kianzad is very accurate in the pocket and uses patience to time her counters. She varies her strikes and will thrown them to all three levels. She's not quite as seasoned on the ground as Vieira, so look for her to be defensively when forced into grappling situations.
To win this fight, Kianzad will have to stay in Vieira's face when striking and show that she's not willing to back down. Vieira sees success when striking at range, so look for Kianzad to try and smother the distance when landing short shots of her own. If she can get inside and hurt Vieira early, she could have a chance to win with her output and chain-wrestling.
Final Ketlen Vieira-Pannie Kianzad Prediction & Pick
This fight is going to be extremely close stylistically as both women have solid counter striking and good grappling skills. Vieira's last three fights have gone to a decision while Pianzad's last five fights have ended the same. This fight is trending towards another division, so it'll be a matter of which fighter can earn enough control time to steal a pivotal round. On the ground, Vieira should have an advantage if she's offensive as she can't do much off her back. Look for Kianzad to try and smother Vieira with her aggression. This fight has all the makings of a decision, so let's side with the more skilled fighter in Vieira to get this win by the slightest of margins.
Final Ketlen Vieira-Pannie Kianzad Prediction & Pick: Ketlen Vieira (-166)
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