UFC 298: Hernandez vs Kopylov Betting Analysis and Prediction

The most underrated upcoming UFC fight this weekend on the UFC schedule is this middleweight matchup between Anthony Hernandez and Roman Kopylov. The winner of this one will move forward to the top of the middleweight division in their next octagon appearance.

Read more for the official Hernandez vs Kopylov prediction before you place any of your bets on this weekend’s card.

Anthony Hernandez vs Roman Kopylov Information

Anthony Hernandez vs Roman Kopylov

Location of the game: Honda Center, Anaheim, California, United States

Date & Time: February 17, 2024.10 PM ET main card start

How to Watch: ESPN+ PPV

Last Fight Record

Hernandez is coming off a third-round TKO win over Edmen Shahbazyan last May.

Kopylov is coming off a second-round KO over Josh Fremd in September.

Anthony Hernandez vs Roman Kopylov Betting Analysis

Anthony Hernandez

Hernandez is an American MMA fighter with a record of 11-2, including 2 TKO/KO wins and 7 submissions. He’s the former LFA middleweight champion and has won one post-fight bonus in the UFC. He’s currently the #15 ranked middleweight contender in the company.

Hernandez is a 6’0” orthodox fighter with a 75” reach at the age of 30 years old. In the octagon, he averages 4.33 significant strikes landed and 3.36 absorbed per minute. He lands at an impressive 62% rate and also mixes in a whopping 6.79 takedowns per 15 minutes.

Roman Kopylov

Kopylov is a Russian mixed martial artist with a professional MMA record of 12-2, including 11 TKO/KO victories under his belt at the age of 32. He is the former Fight Nights Global middleweight champion and has won two Performance of the Night bonuses in the UFC.

Kopylov is listed as a 6’0” southpaw with a 75” reach and an average fight time of 10:38. He averages 4.72 significant strikes landed and 4.11 absorbed per minute in the UFC while having a 60% striking defense. He also has a very stingy 92% takedown defense.

Updates

The UFC and ESPN have not issued any injury reports.

Anthony Hernandez vs Roman Kopylov Betting Preview

The Hernandez vs Kopylov prediction depends on a few factors in this matchup: the betting lines and the styles of these fighters. When you know there’s a fight you want to bet on coming up on the UFC fight schedule, you need to prepare by studying those things.

Starting with the available UFC odds, Hernandez is coming in as the -255 betting favorite over the +215 Russian. The odds favor the bout ending inside the distance at -260 too.

Stylistically, Hernandez isn’t the prettiest striker fighter you’ll ever see. but he will win fights from his output and pressure. He is constantly moving forward and always looks to drown his opponents in their own exhaustion and win fights by breaking them.

Kopylov is a very good all-around martial artist with solid Russian grappling skills paired with some very sharp and technical kickboxing. He has fast, whippy kicks and snappy jabs and counters that make him very dangerous. He has won four fights in a row and they’ve all been via KO. 

These two are listed as identical in size so there won’t be much of a physical advantage from either man–maybe Hernandez isn’t in as good condition from the eye test, but he has shown he has great cardio and uses it as one of his main weapons.

Knowing these lines and the styles of the UFC fighters is essential to making a prediction on Saturday night.

Anthony Hernandez vs Roman Kopylov Best Bets and Prediction

After carefully breaking down this matchup, our official Hernandez vs Kopylov prediction is Kopylov getting his hand raised on Saturday night in Anaheim. 

It’s going to be a tough test, but Kopylov has the wrestling ability to keep the fight away from the ground and the striking ability to knock Hernandez out at any second.

On top of that, getting Kopylov at those underdog odds for your UFC predictions is going to be worth it every single time. This is arguably the best underdog pick you can make on this card, with a legitimate reason behind it. Kopylov might be facing heavy oversight from oddsmakers this time.

• Pick: Kopylov +215.

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