UFC Vegas 58 poster
Ahead of UFC Vegas 58, we take a look at the odds, and predictions for the main card
The talent-stacked lightweight division is seeing a fresh crop of talent emerging up in the ranks, and one of those fighters will lock horns with an experienced veteran this weekend. Former lightweight champion Rafael Dos Anjos clashes against Rafael Fiziev in the main event of UFC Vegas 58.
7th ranked lightweight contender, and fourth degree black belt in jiu-jitsu, Rafael Dos Anjos is a legend of the sport, and has fought the biggest names in the lightweight and welterweight division. He is one of those fighters who isn’t afraid to scrap with anyone.
Dos Anjos faced Anthony Pettis for the UFC Lightweight Championship on March 14, 2015, at UFC 185. The Brazilian won the bout via unanimous decision in a dominant fashion. After the fight, dos Anjos revealed that he had torn his MCL only a few weeks before the bout. The win earned him a Performance of the Night bonus award.
Dos Anjos is known for his aggressive, high-volume striking, physical strength, endurance and superior grappling skills. He will often come out aggressively in a Muay Thai stance, then use feints and kicks to back his opponent against the cage while swarming them with flurries of punches as well as takedowns. He is particularly noted for his left kick to the body and right hook to the head; he uses these strikes to limit his opponent’s lateral movement as they attempt to get their backs away from the fence.
His opponent Rafael Fiziev is a Kazakhastani kickboxer who trains at the renowned Tiger Muay Thai. In his promotional debut, Fiziev faced Magomed Mustafaev on April 20, 2019, at UFC Fight Night 149. He lost the fight by first-round technical knockout. He is also a 3 time Kyrgyzstan Muay Thai Champion (2007, 2008, and 2009). He currently has a record of 5 wins and 1 loss inside the UFC octagon.
Rafael Dos Anjos hasn’t been knocked down in his previous 30 fights, and has only been knocked out once in his debut against Jeremy Stephens. For Fiziev to emerge victorious, he needs to recognize the fact that Dos Anjos is as experienced and tough as they come. He needs to ratify that the Brazilian will be there for for the entire five rounds if needed, and structure his game plan accordingly. Fiziev should make sure that he does not open up all his cards instantaneously, and surprise Dos Anjos with an unforeseen shot.
For Rafael Dos Anjos, sticking to his basics, and making this a tough mixed martial arts contest would be his path to victory. Engaging in a blow-to-blow kickboxing contest wouldn’t be the ideal strategy for him.
Odds -Favorite -Rafael Fiziev (-200) vs. Underdog -Rafael Dos Anjos (+170)
Caio Borralho is a Brazilian mixed martial artist that competes in the UFC middleweight division. He has a record on 11 wins, and 1 loss in hi pro MMA career. Borralho is on an 8 fight win streak, and has 4 knockouts and 3 submissions under his belt. He won his last fight against Omargadzhiev back in April 2022, by unanimous decision.
His opponent, Armen Petrosyan is a Muay Thai fighter who fights in the middleweight division of the UFC. Petrosyan grabbed attention by becoming the World Professional Kickboxing Council (WPKC) Italian Champion in 2006 and the Muay Thai Association (MTA) European Champion in 2007.
Petrosyan began training in Muay Thai after moving to Italy from Armenia. Born in Yerevan, Armenian SSR, Soviet Union (now Armenia), he moved to Gorizia, Italy, at the age of thirteen with his mother, Karine, and sister, Lianna, joining up with his father, Andranik, and older brothers Giorgio and Stepan who had moved to the country a year earlier. Arman Petrosyan is a naturalized Italian citizen.
He and his brother Giorgio Petrosyan was put under a contract of Oktagon management and born in Oktagon events that allow its growth worldwide, he became a two-time Italian champion and a European titlist. He arrived on the world stage in 2010 when he took back-to-back wins over Vuyisile Colossa and Dzhabar Askerov and later appeared as a competitor on the Enfusion reality television show.
Odds- Caio Borralho (-215) [Favorite] vs. Armen Petrosyan (+185) [Underdog]
Said Nurmagomedov (-255) vs. Douglas Silva de Andrade (+215)
Jared Vanderaa (-180) vs. Chase Sherman (+155)
Jamie Mullarkey (-240) vs. Michael Johnson (+200)
Cynthia Calvillo (-150) vs. Nina Nunes (+130)
Ricky Turcios (-190) vs. Aiemann Zahabi (+160)
Antonina Shevchenko (-180) vs. Cortney Casey (+155)
Tresean Gore (-125) vs. Cody Brundage (+105)
Kennedy Nzechukwu (-125) vs. Karl Roberson (+105)
Ronnie Lawrence (-135) vs. Saidyokub Kakhramonov (+115)
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