UFC Vegas 79 Odds: Jacob Malkoun vs. Cody Brundage prediction, pick

We're back for yet another prediction and pick for UFC Fight Night from Las Vegas, Nevada. This next bout takes place in the Middleweight (185 lb) Division and features two young prospects. Australia's own Jacob Malkoun will take on factoryX Muay Thai's Cody Brundage.

Jacob Malkoun (7-2) has gone 3-2 since joining the UFC in 2020. He's 2-1 in his last three fights with the loss coming against ranked contender Brendan Allen. Most recently, Malkoun notched a unanimous decision victory over Nick Maximov and after a couple of cancelled fights, he's ready to get back into action against Brundage. Malkoun stands 5'9″ with a 73-inch reach.

Cody Brundage (8-5) has gone 2-4 during his rocky UFC tenure. Nothing's come easy for him under the UFC banner and while he's got solid wins over Dalcha Lungiambula and Tresean Gore, he's lost his last three consecutive fights coming into this bout. Getting finished twice and losing a unanimous decision, Brundage will look to bounce back strong in this one. He stands 6'0″ with a 72-inch reach.

Here are the UFC Odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

UFC Vegas 79 Odds: Jacob Malkoun-Cody Brundage Odds

Jacob Malkoun: -590

Cody Brundage: +390

Over 2.5 rounds: -118

Under 2.5 rounds: -108

How to Watch Jacob Malkoun vs. Cody Brundage

TV: ESPN+

Stream: ESPN App, UFC Fight Pass

Time: 4:00 p.m. ET/ 1:00 p.m. PT (Prelims)

*Watch sports LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*

Why Jacob Malkoun Will Win

Jacob Malkoun is a very fundamental and defensive striker. He moves his head and the pocket while holding a high arm guard and waits to throw counter shots once his opponent over-extends. He leads with his left jab and believes it's his strongest weapon on the feet, so it could turn into a long night from Brundage if Malkoun can begin to find a home in it. He's not flashy by any means, but he's wildly consistent and can take a punch in return, so expect Malkoun to keep his output high and pressure forward in this fight.

On the ground, Malkoun is a very aggressive wrestler and often looks to set up shots with his striking. He fared well against a talented wrestler like Nick Maximov in his last fight, so expect him to be confident in his skills up against Brundage. What's impressive is that Malkoun was able to find a single-leg in open space during that fight and didn't have to lean on the cage to get his opponent down. If the takedowns begin to come easy for him, expect him to dip into that well a number of times against Brundage. His last four fights have seen the final bell, so he's got no problem pushing a high pace for three rounds.

Why Cody BrundageWill Win

Cody Brundage comes into this fight with a great gym behind him in facotryX Muay Thai in Colorado. However, he hasn't had much luck finding a win as he's lost his last three fights, getting finished on two occasions. His most recent loss came against a young, talented striker in Sedriques Dumas, so Brundage will find comfort in know Malkoun has a skill set closer in similarity to his. Brundage, too, uses striking to set up his chain wrestling and can become a problem for opponents if he can find dominant top control. On the feet, Brundage has heavy hands and great power behind his shots, but he'll have to dial it bak and focus on accuracy in this one.

It took Cody Brundage less than 10 seconds to shoot for the takedown in his last fight. Of course, he had the stern wrestling advantage in that one and saw a clear path to victory. The shots won't come as easy against a wrestler in Jacob Malkoun, but Brundage could still see a slight advantage with his wrestling. He's certainly to more active and aggressive grappler of the two, so don't be surprised if Cody Brundage can find an opening and end up in an advantageous position on the ground.

Final Jacob Malkoun-Cody BrundagePrediction & Pick

This fight is going to be very close as both fighters have similar styles to one another. It'll be interesting to see who shoots for the first takedown, but my money would be on Cody Brundage. This betting line seems a bit too wide given Brundage's wrestling ability and this fight may be closer than a lot of people anticipate it to be. Still, we'll go with Jacob Malkoun for the prediction to get the win. The lines are very bettor-friendly, so let's instead take this one to go the distance.

Final Jacob Malkoun-Cody Brundage Prediction & Pick: OVER 2.5 rounds (-118)