UFC Brazil Odds: Rodolfo Vieira-Armen Petrosyan prediction, pick, how to watch
Who will prevail in this striker vs. grappler matchup? Check out our UFC odds series for our Vieira-Petrosyan prediction and pick.
We're back with another prediction and pick for UFC Brazil as we see Main Card action on ESPN+ live from Sao Paulo, Brazil. This next fight takes place in the Middleweight (185 lbs) Division as Brazil's own Rodolfo Vieira takes on Armenia's Armen Petrosyan.
Rodolfo Vieira (9-2) has gone 4-2 since joining the UFC in 2019. He's famously a world champion Brazilian Jiu Jitsu practitioner and has eight of his nine wins in MMA by way of submission. He's alternated wins and losses going 3-2 in his last five fights, notching submissions in those wins. He will once again have the massive grappling advantage while surrendering skills on the feet. Vieira stands 6'0″ with a 70-inch reach.
Armen Petrosyan (9-2) has gone has gone 3-1 since joining the UFC in 2021. While he suffered his only loss to Caio Borralho, he's got wins over notable fighters likes Gregory Rodrigues, AJ Dobson, and Christian Leroy Duncan most recently. With five wins by knockout and three decisions, Petrosyan is always willing to kickbox for three rounds, something he'll look to do against Vieira. Petrosyan stands 6'3″ with a 71-inch reach.
Here are the UFC Odds, courtesy of DraftKings.
UFC Brazil Odds: Rodolfo Vieira-Armen Petrosyan Odds
Rodolfo Vieira: -110
Armen Petrosyan: -110
Over 2.5 rounds: +135
Under 2.5 rounds: -175
How to Watch Rodolfo Vieira vs. Armen Petrosyan
TV: ESPN+
Stream: ESPN+, Watch ESPN
Time: 9:00 p.m. ET/ 6:00 p.m. PT (Main Card)
*Watch sports LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why Rodolfo VieiraWill Win
Rodolfo Vieira is coming into this fight having looked very slow in his previous fight. He struggles against aggressive strikers and was badly damaged in the first round against Cody Brundage. Vieira is never a solid striker when he's in the cage and mainly fights behind the threat of his takedown. He has good power in his hands, but he's still working on stringing together combinations and landing them accurately. Still, he was able to weather the storm as he does so many times and ended up catching Brundage in a submission. The fight completely changes for Vieira on the ground and he should look to do exactly that against Petrosyan.
Up to this point, Rodolfo Vieira has a 100% takedown rate in the UFC. It's extremely impressive and he should be able to find them easily against Petrosyan's 36% takedown defense rate. Still, it's worth noting that Petrosyan has never been submitted, so Vieira should not underestimate his abilities to escape and get to his feet. Cardio will be a huge area of focus as we've seen him gas out before, so expect Vieira to either save himself for Round 3 or try to put this away in Round 1.
Why Armen Petrosyan Will Win
Armen Petrosyan is coming into this fight with momentum from his previous two wins over viable competition. This may not be the best striker he's ever faced, but it'll certainly be the biggest submission threat Petrosyan has had to deal with. Still, he's never been submitted and while he's prone to the takedown, does a very good job of getting back to his feet. In the striking, Petrosyan will have the massive advantage over Vieira and can surely win this fight if he's able to keep it there. It will be very interesting to see how much Petrosyan can improve his takedown defense and contend on the ground from his previous fight heading into this one.
Armen Petrosyan will have to get creative in ways to keep this fight at striking range and from Vieira getting a hold of him. He's very crisp with his leg kicks and could do serious damage if Vieira is lazy about checking. Furthermore, Petrosyan will have the much faster hands and does a great job of getting out in front of his opponents' punches. Expect Petrosyan to go over the top with his punches as the taller fighter and look for him to tie Vieira up along the fence.
Final Rodolfo Vieira-Armen PetrosyanPrediction & Pick
This fight is about as close to style vs. style as you can get and the betting lines indicate a dead-even fight. Rodolfo Vieira will come into this fight looking to get it to the ground where he feels most comfortable and end this fight with a submission. He can almost guarantee a takedown if he wants it and his biggest question will be whether his cardio can hold up.
Armen Petrosyan has to know what he's up against and while he may not have many BJJ World Champs to train with, he's certainly going to be working on his grappling skills ahead of this one. If this fight stays on the feet, expect Petrosyan to get the easy win and cruise to a decision.
If this fight was happening anywhere else, I'd probably side with Armen Petrosyan's ability to get back to his feet and eventually tire Vieira out in the striking. However, Vieira will be fighting in a massive spot in front of his home fans and it's certain he'll be looking for the quick submission. Flipping a coin, let's take Rodolfo Vieira to get this win.
Final Rodolfo Vieira-Armen Petrosyan Prediction & Pick: Rodolfo Vieira (-110); Wins by Submission (+175)
