Preview: UFC 313 Prelims

Middleweights

Armen Petrosyan (9-4, 3-3 UFC) vs. Brunno Ferreira (12-2, 3-2 UFC)

ODDS: Petrosyan (-148), Ferreira (+124)

This should be an enjoyable striking match. Petrosyan got to the UFC on the back of some quick knockouts, but the Armenian did well to adapt a bit against better competition. The finishes dried up, but Petrosyan proved effective as a volume-heavy striker who could overwhelm his opponents enough to score some decision wins. Petrosyan’s first two UFC bouts—a victory over Gregory Rodrigues and loss to Caio Borralho—have aged well, but rather than continue to run up the ladder, it does seem like he has started to hit a ceiling. Rodolfo Vieira quickly took him down and scored a submission, and Petrosyan then struggled to track down Sharabutdin Magomedov before getting knocked out. Ferreira makes for a tricky next test, as “The Hulk” has turned out to be a much more effective fighter than his limited game would suggest. Ferreira is a power puncher without many other weapons and ideas, but he has proven capable of carrying his power during the rare occasions that his fights have gone any length of time. This would be a much easier call if Petrosyan wrestled much, as Ferreira hasn’t had much of an answer against that change-up, but if this is going to be a striking match for 15 minutes, the Brazilian has a surprisingly decent chance of scoring a finish even if Petrosyan is generally the defter striker. The pick is Ferreira via second-round knockout.

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