UFC Vegas 86: Jack Hermansson vs. Joe Pyfer continues on the main card with a fight in the middleweight division between Rodolfo Vieira and Armen Petrosyan. Vieira was able to get back into the win after a scare early on to get the second-round submission, meanwhile, Petrosyan is coming off consecutive victories with wins in four out of his last five fights. With that said, check out our UFC odds series for our Vieira-Petrosyan prediction and pick.
Rodolfo Vieira (9-2) had a ton of hype surrounding coming into his UFC debut as a 6-0 undefeated multiple-time Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu world champion. He got the quick submission in his UFC debut only to drop two of his next three fights but got back in track in his most recent victory against Cody Brundage. Vieira hopes to get on his first winning streak in the UFC when he takes on Armen Petrosyan this weekend at UFC Vegas 86.
Armen Petrosyan (8-2) secured his contract after a brutal head-kick knockout on the Contender Series. His striking has been on full display during his time in the UFC out-striking each opponent he has faced thus far with his lone blemish coming against surging prospect Caio Borralho. He hopes to extend his winning streak to three when he takes on Rodolfo Vieira this weekend at the UFC Apex.
Here are the UFC Odds, courtesy of BetOnline.
UFC Vegas 86 Odds: Rodolfo Vieira-Armen Petrosyan Odds
Rodolfo Vieira: -118
Armen Petrosyan: -102
Over 1.5 rounds: -170
Under 1.5 rounds: +140
*Watch sports LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why Rodolfo Vieira Will Win
Rodolfo Vieira looked poised to break out after his UFC debut performance but “The Black Belt Hunter” has certainly not lived up to his expectations. After that debut performance, he went on to lose two out of his next three but is now 3-2 in the biggest MMA organization. Vieira will take on Armen Petrosyan in a must-win fight this weekend at UFC Vegas 86.
Vieira is by far the most credentialed Jiu Jitsu practitioner in the entire UFC but that hasn't translated all that well since signing up with the promotion. He is a physical specimen that has some plus wrestling abilities but his cardio woes were his biggest weakness in his two losses in the octagon. He gets to take on a kickboxer in Petrosyan he has had trouble in past fights with defending takedowns and getting controlled on the mat just like in the Caio Borralho. While Vieira has been making strides in his striking, he's going to need to do what he does best and that is take Petrosyan to the mat and keep him there, if he's able to do that he will be able to get on his first winning streak in his UFC career.
Why Armen Petrosyan Will Win
Armen Petrosyan was once a professional kickboxer before making the switch to MMA and it has shown with his striking prowess inside the octagon. His blistering head kick knockout on the Contender Series led to a 4-1 start to his UFC career and is now looking to extend his winning streak to three when he takes on Rodolfo Vieira this weekend at UFC Vegas 86.
Petrosyan more than not will be the better striker when he's in the octagon and this matchup against Vieira will be no different. While Vieira has certainly been improving his striking it still has yet to catch up to his grappling and that's where Petrosyan can take advantage. Petrosyan isn't on the level of Vieira in the grappling so he will need to do his best to keep this fight at kicking distance to get the job done. Seeing as Petrosyan has been progressing in his defensive wrestling and has cardio, if he can just not get backpacked when taken down and can get up he has the ability to score the upset in this matchup.
Final Rodolfo Vieira-Armen Petrosyan Prediction & Pick
This is a classic grappler vs. striker matchup as Rodolfo Vieira and Armen Petrosyan go to battle this weekend. Vieira was on the verge of losing back-to-back fights when he got dropped by Cody Brundage but he was able to fight through the adversity by taking Brundage down and submitting him. Petrosyan on the other hand is coming off one of his most dominant performances where he beat surging prospect Christian Leroy Duncan in every aspect of the fight even utilizing his improved wrestling. Ultimately, Vieira is going to be hunting for the takedowns early and often but as long as Petrosyan can stay safe on the mat and make Vieira work for those takedowns you can expect Vieira to gas as he always does and that is where Petrosyan can capitalize and finish Vieira late or get the unanimous decision victory.
Click here for more betting news and predictions
Final Rodolfo Vieira-Armen Petrosyan Prediction & Pick: Armen Petrosyan (-102), Over 1.5 Rounds (-170)
Follow Us
Subscribe