UFC Fight Night: Grasso vs Shevchenko 2 Odds & Predictions

WSN

14 September 2023

UFC Fight Night: Grasso vs Shevchenko 2 Odds & Predictions

Alexa Grasso vs. Valentina Shevchenko - Women’s Flyweight Championship

This past March, Alexa Grasso defeated Valentina Shevchenko via submission to win the women’s flyweight championship and become the first woman not named Amanda Nunes to defeat the pound-for-pound great Shevchenko in the UFC octagon.

It was essentially guaranteed after the outcome was read that Grasso would make her first title defense in a rematch against Shevchenko; a fighter who had won nine-fights in a row prior to her loss to Grasso, including seven flyweight title defenses.

Grasso, a former strawweight, moved up to the flyweight division in 2020 and won four fights in a row prior to winning the title.

The UFC and mixed martial arts have been taking off in the country of Mexico and this women’s flyweight title main event takes place on what is the country’s independence day.

These two fighters stand at an equal height and Shevchenko will only have the slightest half-inch reach advantage over the champion.

Despite holding the title, Grasso is listed as the slight betting underdog at +140.

Kevin Holland vs. Jack Della Maddalena - Welterweight Division

Ranked at number 13 and number-14 respectively in the UFC welterweight division, Kevin Holland and Jack Della Maddalena will go toe-to-toe in this weekend’s co-main event and it’s sure to be a fiery one.

After losing his first two professional bouts back-to-back, Jack Della Maddalena has yet to taste defeat - winning his next 15 fights in a row including five wins in the UFC octagon.

After three performance bonuses in a row, Maddalena earned a fight of the night bonus for his split-decision win over Bassil Hafez back in July.

Fan-favorite Kevin Holland has won his last two fights in a row and has two performance bonuses of his own over his last three fights. After knocking out Santiago Ponzinibbio at UFC 287, Holland went on to submit Michael Chiesa in the first round of their UFC 291 bout this past July.

Holland, one of the largest fighters in the welterweight division, will stand four inches taller and have an eight-inch reach advantage over his opponent.

But despite his close, split decision in his last bout, Maddalena is still listed as the -148 favorite over Holland. This could be the upset pick of the main card.

Raul Rosas Jr. vs. Terrence Mitchell - Bantamweight Division

Coming off of his first professional loss at the hands of Christian Rodriguez back in April, top-prospect Raul Rosas Jr. - the youngest fighter on the UFC roster - looks to get his hype train back on the rails this weekend.

In order to do so, he’ll have to defeat Terrence Mitchell - a fighter who is also coming off of a loss in what was his UFC debut in July. Mitchell was defeated via first-round TKO by Cameron Saalman.

Mitchell will stand one-inch taller and have a wild seven-inch reach advantage over the Mexican grappling machine that is Rosas Jr., but it is the 18-year-old who isn’t just favored to win, but at -750, is the biggest betting favorite on the entire main card.

Daniel Zellhuber vs. Christos Giagos - Lightweight Division

Undefeated prior to signing with the UFC, Mexican prospect and massive lightweight Daniel Zellhuber lost his promotional debut via decision.

However, he bounced back from the loss recently when he earned an impressive unanimous decision win over UFC veteran Lando Vannata back in April.

In what will be his third UFC contest, Zellhuber takes on 30-fight veteran Christos Giagos, who is coming off of a first-round knockout win over Ricky Glenn, which earned him a performance bonus.

Giagos has the experience, but Zellhuber - with his three-inch height and six-inch reach advantage - will enter the octagon this Saturday as the -285 favorite.

Fernando Padilla vs. Kyle Nelson - Featherweight Division

Another Mexican-born fighter kicks off the main card, as Fernando Padilla takes on Kyle Nelson in what will be Padilla’s second UFC bout.

Padilla debuted for the promotion earlier this year (April), earning a first-round knockout win over Julian Erosa.

A brown belt in BJJ, Kyle Nelson is coming off of a unanimous decision win over Blake Bilder at UFC 289 this past June. However, prior to that win, Nelson had gone just 1-4-1 over his last six fights.

Padilla - a -250 favorite - will stand two inches taller and enjoy a reach advantage over Nelson of five-inches.