UFC Odds: Petrino-Turkalj prediction, pick, how to watch
The UFC Fight Night Main Card is finally here and it opens up with an exciting Light Heavyweight (205 lbs) fight between two Contender Series alum. Brazil’s undefeated prospect Vitor Petrino takes on “The Pleasure Man” Anton Turkalj making his second UFC appearance. This fight is a banger to open up the Main Card!
Vitor Petrino is undefeated as a mixed martial artist at 7-0 and will be making his debut after a TKO victory on DWCS. He’s fought in a number or amateur organizations and seen success, so he’s hoping that his skills will translate well to the UFC octagon. He seems to be a promising prospect from Brazil and is on the fast-track fighting on a main card in his debut. Petrino stands 6’2″ with a 77-inch reach.
Anton Turkalj is 8-1 in his MMA career and lost his only debut fight in the UFC to a surging prospect in Jailton Almeida. Turkalj had a solid win on DWCS, but has not backed up his big words with any exciting fights. He’ll be hungry to get his first UFC win in a huge spot against a debuting fights. Anton Turkalj stands 6’4″ and has a 78-inch reach.
Here are the UFC Odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
UFC Odds: Vitor Petrino-Anton Turkalj Odds
Vitor Petrino: -106
Anton Turkalj: -114
Over (2.5) rounds: +122
Under (2.5) rounds: -156
How to Watch Vitor Petrino vs. Anton Turkalj
TV: ESPN+
Stream: ESPN+
Time: 6:00 p.m. ET/ 3:00 p.m. PT (Main Card)
*Watch sports LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why Vitor Petrino Will Win
Vitor Petrino looked very impressive in his DWCS fight and seems to be a UFC-ready prospect, but questions still remain in the competition he’s faced. It’ll be a huge spot on a main card against a good opponent, so Petrino will have to shake any pre-fight jitters early and stay focused on the task at hand. He’ll have a significant striking advantage over Turkalj, so he’ll want to keep this one standing and snap his hard leg kicks at his opponents. His hands are very fast and he’s moves around the octagon with great fluidity for someone his size. He has KO-power in his hands and can put Turkalj out if he lands just a few.
Vitor Petrino will have to avoid any wild scrambles on the ground where Turkalj can catch him off guard. His opponent is very savvy in transitions on the ground, so look for Petrino to chase top position where he’s able to hold opponents down. If Petrino can go out there and be clean with his striking, he should be the more focused fighter in this matchup.
Why Anton Turkalj Will Win
Anton Turkalj has a unique striking background at trains at a great camp in Sweden with Alexander Gustaffson and Khamzat Chimaev. He fought rather conservatively in his DWCS audition, but seemingly had enough of a personality to be given a shot in the UFC. He was steamrolled by Jailton Almeida and will need to make some changes in his preparations for this fight. Turkalj will have to be consistent with his striking output to offset the movement of Petrino, so look for him to bounce around and pop the jab often.
Most of Turkalj fights have been back-and-forth affairs where he gets caught in bad positions and has momentum swings throughout. He’s very resilient but will often put himself in bad spots in the grappling. If he took his camp seriously, he will have worked his cardio and should try to wear Petrino out and work the takedown. Petrino has good takedown defense, but if Turkalj can get him down, he could hold top position enough for a decision win.
Final Vitor Petrino-Anton Turkalj Prediction & Pick
This is a very hard fight to pick as both men have limited time inside of the octagon and not much film to base a study off of. Turkalj shines in the chain wrestling and by wearing his opponents down with ground-and-pound. If he’s able to swing takedowns easily, it’ll be his fight to lose. However, Petrino has very good wrestling defense and will be tough to bring down. I expect Turkalj to eat some big shots when closing the distance – let’s take Petrino to edge Turkalj out in this close fight.
Final Vitor Petrino-Anton Turkalj Prediction & Pick: Vitor Petrino (-106)
