UFC Vegas 97: Burns vs Brady – 9.7.2024 – Fight Predictions and Analysis
Welcome to our collaborative coverage of UFC Vegas 97: Burns vs Brady. We’re back at The Apex in Las Vegas this evening after a weekend away from action. Our analysis includes a pick for every bout from Dynes Sports contributors Anthony Marro and Nicholas Marro.
As coverage continues, we will keep our records up to date below. Be sure to check out our full reasoning for every pick though as records will not reflect confidence. We will be picking every fight, but likely only recommend betting on a select few.
Current Record
- Anthony: 221-131-0 (Last Year 307-199-6, 61%)
- Nick: 215-137-0 (Last Year 324-182-6, 64%)
*Fight odds were last updated from Bet99 on 9-6-2024 at 7pm EST
Preliminary Card- Starts 4:00pm EST
Nathan Fletcher -130 vs Zygimantas Ramaska +110
- Anthony: This is a bout at featherweight between Nathan Fletcher and Zygimantas Ramaska. The booking had been set for UFC Vegas 96, but a medical issue pushed it out another two weeks. Both were contestants on this season of The Ultimate Fighter but unfortunately removed from competition. Ramaska was not medically cleared to compete in the semifinal due to injuries sustained in fight one. The same circumstance occurred for Fletcher who had fractured his leg. Both are given an opportunity here to prove they belong in the organization. Ramaska seems a bit less polished than Fletcher in terms of his skill but I very much like his chances in this matchup. We are likely to see both willing to brawl on their feet for their chance at redemption. Ramaska should be in better condition here entering this fight compared to when recording this season. He seems much bigger than Fletcher and more likely of the two to find a finish. Fletcher trains with a good team at Next Generation in Liverpool and I expect to find success later in his fighting career. That being said, Ramaska is a pick I like here getting plus money. Zygimantas Ramaska by Round Two KO
- Nick: Both Ramaska and Fletcher will be making their respective UFC debuts here, having each recently competed on season 32 of The Ultimate Fighter. Nathan Fletcher was eliminated when he dropped a decision to season finalist, Kaan Olfi. In spite of that loss, he’s getting a chance to fight for the UFC as the promotion seems to value his potential. Fletcher is a well rounded fighter who usually hunts for finishes both on the mat and in striking exchanges. He’s athletic, and he generally wears on his opponents with his aggressive and torrid pacing. He’s fought a solid level of regional competition, having primarily fought for Cage Warriors. He trains out of Next Generation in Liverpool, with the likes of Paddy Pimblett and Molly McCann. His greatest strength is his dangerous BJJ, but he’s more of an opportunistic submission fighter as he’s certainly content to stand and trade on the feet. Zygimantas Ramaska started the tournament with a win, but was forced to pull out from the competition as he suffered facial fractures that the commission deemed too severe to permit him to compete. Ramaska is a gifted striker who does his best work striking at range. He moves into range to attack his opponents and then quickly retreats to avoid damage. He’s long for the division, and he carries serious power in all of his limbs. Fletcher is the more well rounded fighter in this match-up, but Ramaska size and technical advantages on the feet are likely going to overwhelm him if and when he tries to close the distance. A low confidence play, but I see clear value on the underdog. Zygimantas Ramaska by Decision
Andre Petroski -280 vs Dylan Budka +220
- Anthony: Next is a matchup at middleweight with Andre Petroski set to face Dylan Budka. It is the second UFC appearance for Budka after coming up short in his promotional debut. While I consider Budka a serviceable grappler, this matchup against Petroski will be a real test of his skills on the mat. He is oftentimes the fighter searching for takedowns. If nothing else, Petroski is a wrestler with good top control as fights hit the mat. He currently averages 4.07 takedowns landed per fight. He does well utilizing constant stance switches to get in deep on his opponent’s legs. Budka could try to get Petroski to the mat early but I do not like his chances of winning this match up there. Neither man has very significant punching power but Budka has a better chance of winning if he is able to connect with his hands. I like the early pressure Budka employs, but over the course of fifteen minutes it seems likely that Petroski’s grappling will win out. I am expecting him to win by decision here today. Budka was heavy at weigh-ins and visibly drained when he stepped on the scale. Andre Petroski by Decision
- Nick: Andre Petroski is a decorated collegiate level wrestler who mostly leans on his powerful grappling to overwhelm and discourage his opponents. He has shown KO power on the regional scene, but he telegraphs his strikes, which means in most matchups he’s best suited to lean on his grappling ability. He is 5-2 since joining the UFC, coming off a dominant decision win over Joshua Fremd back in July. Dylan Budka is 7-3 professionally and just 24-years old. Two of his wins have come via KO and one via submission. He fights out of a small gym via Demolition Fighting in Ohio. Budka is primarily a wrestler. He’s strong for the division, but somewhat slow and plodding when he strikes. He’s coming off an ugly KO loss to Cesar Almeida in his UFC debut, a fight in which he dominated a grappling heavy first round. The line feels wide here as Petroski is generally inconsistent. Still, I see him as the rightful favorite here as he’s the more well-rounded fighter in this match-up. Additionally, Budka appeared to have a terrible weight cut for this match-up. He missed weight by two pounds, and was carried off the scale by his team. Andre Petroski by Decision
Jaqueline Amorim -300 vs Vanessa Demopoulos +240
- Anthony: Vanessa Demopoulos competes here against Jaqueline Amorim at women’s strawweight. She is coming off a win in her last fight this May, beating Emily Ducote by split decision. Demopoulos really has a knack for winning close decisions in the UFC. The judges have given her the nod in four of her previous five appearances. Oftentimes this comes despite Demopoulos losing in terms of strikes landed or effective grappling techniques. Demopoulos is able to win thanks to her high motor and ability to continuously move forward. She is also very good at securing key moments in her fights. Amorim is far more technically skilled than Demopoulos but honestly these betting odds are shocking to me. Amorim is certainly a highly skilled BJJ practitioner but Demopoulos has proven more than capable of winning fights with her own grappling. I do not expect Amorim to secure any positions here that put Demopoulos at threat of being finished. It is great to have a plus money ticket on the underdog here in the event we see yet another judge’s decision. Vanessa Demopoulos by Decision
- Nick: Jaqueline Amorim is 8-1 professionally, coming off an impressive win via submission over a tough out in Cory McKenna. As a former LFA Strawweight Champion Amorim is fairly well-rounded, but her greatest strength is certainly her offensive grappling ability. Six of her eight professional wins have come via submission. She’s excellent on the mat, but she’s small for the division. Her wrestling entries leave a lot to be desired and while her striking has continued to improve, it’s still far from a strength for her at the UFC level. Vanessa Demopoulos was recently awarded her BJJ black belt. She has a powerful wrestling base, showing enough ability to score takedowns against lower level opponents. She can be an effective striker, but her defense is questionable at best. She eats a lot of shots against higher-volume strikers, and offensively she often leaves herself open to counter shots. The price here seems somewhat ridiculous, but I do see Amorim as the rightful favorite. She’s the better technical fighter no matter where this one goes, but it’s tough to back her with confidence as Demopoulos is durable and should have a strength advantage. Jaqueline Amorim by Decision
Gabriel Santos -280 vs Yizha +220
- Anthony: This is a men’s featherweight contest between Yizha and Gabriel Santos. I am excited to see Yizha get another shot at fighting in the promotion after securing numerous wins on Road to the UFC. He is a veteran of 30 professional fights with 19 wins coming by way of finish. Yizha is a talented striker but he also has serviceable jiu jitsu. Many of his submission victories have come against very low-level competition and I do not think he fares well rolling here with Santos. He will need to rely on his hand speed to win this fight at kickboxing range. Santos has poor striking defense and fights much more comfortably when bouts hit the mat. In his last fight we saw Santos able to put David Onama into several compromising positions. At some point in this matchup I expect Santos to secure the back of Yizha and at least threaten with some submission attempts. This certainly seems like a closer bout than odds would suggest, but I do agree with Santos as the rightful betting favorite. It is unlikely I will get to the window and risk my money backing him today. Gabriel Santos by Round Two Submission
- Nick: Gabriel Santos is a former LFA Featherweight Tournament Champion. Prior to his promotion to the UFC, he had notable wins over José Delano, Elvis Brener, and Márcio Barbosa. At just 27-years old he’s already put together a decent regional resume and while he lost his first two fights in the UFC, each loss came against a high level of opponent in Lerone Murphy and Davin Onama respectively. Santos is aggressive on the feet. He does a good job setting traps for his opponents and he’s shown an advanced ability to string together effective combinations. He’s a solid grappler both offensively and defensively, and his speed and overall agility should continue to prove advantageous for him as he attempts to climb the rankings at 145 lbs. Yizha will be making his UFC debut here, as the most recent Road to UFC: Vegas featherweight tournament winner. He secured an impressive win via submission in the tournament final against Kaiwen Li. At 27-years old, Yizha already has a 25-4 professional record. He’s fought against a questionable level of regional opponent, but fourteen of his professional wins have come via submission and five have come via KO. Yizha is relatively well rounded, but his greatest strength is his dangerous BJJ. He’s a decent wrestler with underwhelming takedown entries, but if he can get his opponents to the mat he is very dangerous on top. Yizha has some talent offensively, but Santos has the athleticism and technical prowess defensively to stay a step ahead here. Santos is the better striker, and he’s difficult to take down. Gabriel Santos by Round Two KO
Andre Lima -175 vs Felipe dos Santos +145
- Anthony: This is a fight at men’s flyweight between Felipe dos Santos and Andre Lima. I am expecting high action here with two young Brazilian’s set to square off. Lima is undefeated as a professional, entering this bout at 9-0. While this was an even money bout to start the week, Lima has been steamed to a moderate favorite. I am a fan of his steady kickboxing and measured approach in the cage. Lima seems like the more reliable athlete while dos Santos will burn hot here earlier. Lipe Detona trains at Chute Boxe Diego Lima and fights with a high-pressure, muay thai attack. While he will not be afraid to engage early with Lima, dos Santos does need to be careful not to overextend himself in round number one. Lima should be able to maintain distance early and keep control of his range during this fight. Dos Santos could look to score an early takedown here but I trust Lima’s ability to scramble and fight back to his feet. Dos Santos has porous takedown defense and often will struggle when fights are grounded. I think it is safe to predict Lima keeping his undefeated record intact here. I wish I had bet him earlier this week at near even odds. Andre Lima by Decision
- Nick: Andre Lima enters this match-up at just 25-years old. He is 9-0 professionally, with five of his eight wins coming by knockout. Lima is a dangerous offensive striker with surprising power for his frame. He does an excellent job mixing elbows into his combinations. He’s aggressive and throws a lot of volume in exchanges, and he’s shown he is more than willing to take shots to throw them. Lima is coming off a solid decision win over Mitch Raposo, and prior to that he secured a controversial win in his UFC debut (where he was awarded the victory via DQ after he was bitten by his opponent Igor Severino). Lima does a good job checking kicks. He’s defensively sound for his age and generally remains calm in exchanges despite how aggressive he can be offensively. Felipe dos Santos is 8-1 professionally, fighting out of Chute Boxe in Brazil. Like many of his Chute Boxe teammates, dos Santos is extremely aggressive and dangerous both on the feet and on the mat. He’s coming off a narrow decision win over Victor Altamirano, and at 23-years old it’s safe to expect he’s to continue to show considerable improvements in all facets of his game. Each of these fighters has flaws, and they are both extremely dangerous offensively. That being said, Silva should have a considerable power advantage here. I expect he can work behind his powerful leg kicks to stay a step ahead here. I don’t like the price, but I expect Silva to land the more damaging shots in this matchup. Andre Lima by Decision
Isaac Dulgarian -2500 vs Brendon Marotte +1200
- Anthony: Next is a featherweight bout between Brendon Marotte and Isaac Dulgarian. This is the first appearance for Dulgarian since suffering his first career loss this spring. Dulgarian came up short in a very close split decision against Christian Rodriguez. Clearly the public is happy to support Dulgarian here once more, as he is the largest betting favorite on tonight’s card. At featherweight Dulgarian has tremendous size and superb upper body strength. His boxing is crisp and with great hand speed, Dulgarian often finds it easy to close distance using his fists. He will be confident striking against Marotte and letting his combinations go. Dulgarian also moves forward with powerful kicks that dig to his opponent’s bodies. Marotte has only appeared once in the promotion but that debut did not go his way. Terrance McKinney was able to stop Marotte with a knee in just 20 seconds. The kid certainly has some decent grappling skills but against Dulgarian I expect him to be outclassed. Marotte does not have the hand speed to cause any issues here for Dulgarian on the feet. Marotte’s BJJ skills are for real but against a wrestler of Dulgarian’s caliber, he will struggle to find a submission. This should be an easy win for the favorite. Isaac Dulgarian by Round One KO
- Nick: Isaac Dulgarian is 6-1 professionally, with all of his wins coming via first round finish. He’s coming off the first loss of his career, a narrow decision loss to Christian Rodriguez. In spite of the result, it was good to see Dulgarian fight for fifteen minutes as that was the first fight of his career that made it out of the first round. He’s an extremely aggressive striker with true KO power, but he’s going to need to learn to monitor his pace as he starts to take on a higher level of opponent. He’s a competent wrestler both offensively and defensively, but his power on striking exchanges is certainly his greatest strength. Brandon Marotte fights out of a solid camp via New England Cartel, but he has only found success against an extremely low level of competition. He has power on the feet and decent BJJ, but he really hasn’t found success at this level. He was completely dominated in his UFC debut, a KO loss to Terrance McKinney back in October of 2023. He’s undersized for the division, and he has a questionable chin/durability. The price on Dulgarian feels ridiculous here, but Marotte doesn’t seem to be UFC level. It feels like the UFC is giving Dulgarian a lay-up as a means to get back in the win column. Isaac Dulgarian by Round One KO
Main Card- Starts 7:00pm EST
Rongzhu -250 vs Chris Padilla +200
- Anthony: The main card opens with this lightweight bout between Chris Padilla and Rongzhu. Padilla is coming off a huge win in his UFC debut, upsetting James Llontop as a heavy betting underdog. The twenty fight veteran has a well-rounded skill set, highlighted by early action in round number one. Padilla is always quick to get after opponents and initiate exchanges that force them to defend. Rongzhu seems like a steady presence that can tame Padilla but his resume really does not impress me. The recent wins on Road to the UFC do benefit Rongzhu but most of his career has been spent fighting even lower level opponents than Padilla. A strong base in wrestling could prove to be the edge for Rongzhu in this matchup but I really view this as an extremely volatile fight to predict. Rongzhu has good kickboxing but I think he will struggle to match Padilla’s reaction time. He is the far bigger athlete. Padilla seems like the value side here as a sizable underdog once again. Not only do I view Padilla as having great finishing equity but I could also see him winning a decision here as the pace of this bout dwindles. Chris Padilla by Round Two Submission
- Nick: Rongzhu is a highly technical striker with an aggressive style and outstanding countering ability. He’s a competent wrestler, but he’s still learning to transition between his striking and his grappling. He was once an extremely highly regarded prospect, but he was cut from the UFC after mixed results as an underdeveloped raw talent. He worked his way back to the promotion, returning here as he recently captured a Road to UFC: Las Vegas tournament title at lightweight. Rongzhu certainly seems stronger than his first stint in the promotion, but at just 24-years old he’s still somewhat raw in his abilities. Chris Padilla is 14-6 professionally, coming off an impressive upset submission win over James Llontop in his UFC debut. At 28-years old, Padilla has been fighting professionally for more than a decade. Padilla has decent fundamentals both at striking range and on the mat, but he’s small for the division and it seems he really doesn’t have any standout skill. This is a low level and volatile match-up, but I do see Rongzhu as the rightful favorite. He’s the more effective striker, and he should be able to mostly keep this fight standing. Rongzhu by Round Three KO
Trevor Peek -130 vs Yanal Ashmouz +110
- Anthony: Next is a good scrap at lightweight between Yanal Ashmouz and Trevor Peek. I am always going to tune in for a Trevor Peek fight, expecting an exciting brawl as soon as the first horn sounds. Through four fights in the promotion, Peek has put on display his granite chin and hyper aggressive style. Peek puts everything into his strikes and connects flush from numerous angles. While I consider his footwork a bit rudimentary, Peek uses a square stance to unload on opponents and connect with combinations that are hard to answer. Peek is also effective switching stances and blasting out powerful kicks as a southpaw. Ashmouz is a game opponent that will oblige Peek here at boxing range. Ashmouz moves quicker than Peek despite sharing a similar build. He is strong when it comes to scoring takedowns but I do not expect much grappling at all from Ashmouz in this fight. He can beat Peek with more sophisticated striking as long as he can avoid getting caught first. I favor Peek’s durability in this matchup and a more proven track record against upper level competition. At near even money I will be betting on Peek today. Trevor Peek by Round Two KO
- Nick: Trevor Peek is 9-2 professionally, but he’s only been fighting as a pro since 2020. Peek is an extremely aggressive brawler who throws hooks from wild angles and chases KOs with reckless abandon. His skills are still far from refined, but he gets by on his outstanding chin, toughness, and overall athleticism. He is 2-2 in the UFC against a questionable level of opponent, but his style and general toughness have him touted as fan favorite in spite of his inconsistencies. Ashmoz seems decent everywhere, but he’s slow in his movement and he’s only found success against low level opponents. He did secure an impressive win via KO in his UFC debut, which came as an underdog to a decent prospect in Sam Patterson. He has since lost via decision to Chris Duncan, and he has been out of action since that fight took place back in July of 2023. Ashmouz will have technical advantages here, but Peek’s ridiculous durability and pace should make it difficult for him to execute. I expect Peek to weather an early storm here until he finds a way to take over as he mixes in his grappling. Trevor Peek by Decision
Cody Durden -300 vs Matt Schnell +240
- Anthony: This is a fight at bantamweight between Matt Schnell and Cody Durden. Durden is appearing on short notice here today after filling in for the injured Alessandro Costa. Schnell was originally scheduled to fight at flyweight this weekend but the change of opponent has also resulted in a move up weight. Perhaps Schnell’s chin will look better competing here at 135 pounds. We have seen Schnell knocked out in both previous octagon appearances at flyweight. The 34-year-old struggles to respond when head strikes begin connecting. Durden is not known for having great power but his boxing can certainly hold up against Schnell. It also seems likely that Durden would shoot here in this matchup. Durden’s wrestling is high-level enough to bring Schnell to the mat and likely keep him there. On average, Durden scores 4.60 takedowns per fight. He is the rightful favorite in this matchup but I don’t feel comfortable betting him on such short notice. Durden enters this fight coming off back-to-back losses just like Matt Schnell. Cody Durden by Decision
- Nick: Cody Durden is a well-rounded and gritty fighter who finds most of his success using his wrestling to keep pressure on his opponents. He’s more than competent on the feet, but in most matchups we see him try to score takedowns to control position and grind out wins on the scorecards. Durden is coming off an ugly KO loss to Bruno Silva from back in July, a fight in which he was dominating until he got caught and finished in the second round. Durden is taking this fight on short notice, and coming off back-to-back losses for the first time since 2018. Matt Schnell is sometimes considered a slow starter, but he has underrated power on the feet. His striking is decent, but his offensive grappling is his greatest strength as a BJJ black belt with ten of his sixteen professional wins coming by way of submission. His durability/chin is of major concern, which is likely why this line is so wide in this particular matchup. He has been out of action since March, following a brutal KO loss to a tough out in Steve Erceg. Schnell’s durability is of major concern here, but it could improve with him moving up a weight class. Additionally, Durden has only won via KO once across his ten fights in the UFC. This is a low confidence play, but I’ll take a shot on Schnell as the underdog here. If he can extend this to the scorecards, he’ll be very live for the upset. Matt Schnell by Decision
Steve Garcia -185 vs Kyle Nelson +155
- Anthony: The featured bout is a fight at featherweight between Kyle Nelson and Steve Garcia. I am very excited to see these fighters clash as both enter on rather impressive win streaks. Garcia has won four fights in a row, finishing all of them with his hands. His boxing is exceptional, throwing punches in slick combinations and ripping hard to his opponent’s body. He lands on average five significant strikers per minute with a 56 percent rate of accuracy. Nelson is a durable fighter who does well at boxing range, but here in a fight with Garcia I expect him to eat a lot of clean shots. Nelson is slow to react as opponents begin to unload against him. While Nelson could weather the early storm from Garcia, it will take a lot to stop that forward pressure. Garcia’s striking will keep Nelson limited on offense and largely forced to fight on his back foot. Nelson finds a way to win these close decisions but I do not advise betting him as the underdog today. Garcia will pour on the volume and find a way to knock down Nelson. The Canadian was two pounds heavy at Friday’s weigh-ins. Steve Garcia by Round Two KO
- Nick: Steve Garcia is a decent striker with surprising power for his frame. He is far from technical on the feet, but he can eat a punch and keep pushing forward as he does a good job keeping volume on his opponents. He’s a decent grappler, but he’s certainly more content to stand and trade on the feet. He’s coming off four straight wins via KO. Kyle Nelson is a powerful striker, but fairly unconventional in his approach. He has flashed decent power, but mostly against mediocre competition. He’s often there to be countered in exchanges due to his hyper-aggressive style. He usually comes out strong, but we do see him fade at times if he can’t put his opponents away early. Both of these fighters are underrated in general, but I do see value on the underdog in this match-up. Nelson had been training to take on a top level opponent in Calvin Kattar, and Garcia is moving into this match-up on short notice as a late replacement. This should be a fun fight for however long it lasts, but I’ll back Nelson on a full camp. Kyle Nelson by Decision
Natalia Silva -300 vs Jessica Andrade +240
- Anthony: The co-main event is a women’s flyweight fight between Natalia Silva and Jessica Andrade. Silva has now won five fights in a row since joining the UFC. The Brazilian is facing tougher competition each time out and passing those tests with flying colors. Viviane Araujo proved to be a tough out for Silva, but she was again able to work through positions and take over that fight late. Silva has exceptional speed when striking, hitting opponents and moving out of the pocket before fire returns. Andrade poses a serious threat to Silva here striking early but as this fight goes on, the more technically skilled athlete should start building on her lead. Andrade is a proven veteran in this sport but her most recent performances have been a bit lackluster. Andrade is willing to fight anyone at any weight class. Flyweight is a good place for Andrade to compete, but I do not want to back her here after two straight wins at strawweight. Her power is not quite as meaningful facing girls at 125 pounds. Silva is the rightful favorite in this spot and I expect her to find a way to win. This is likely going to the judge’s scorecards and I expect Andrade will struggle to win rounds. Natalia Silva by Decision
- Nick: Natalia Silva is relatively well-rounded, with seven of her seventeen professional wins coming via submission and five coming via KO. She is coming off five-straight wins under the UFC banner and eleven consecutive wins overall. She most recently secured an impressive win via decision over Viviane Araujo, a fight in which she showcased dramatic improvements in her striking abilities. Lately, her shots have been more powerful, and her footwork is developing into a major strength for her when she’s striking at range. Jessica Andrade fights out of a compact stance and she’s easily one of the most powerful punchers in WMMA. She lands nearly 7 significant strikes per minute in the UFC, and she’s fought and won against the majority of the elite women on the roster. She is coming off a solid decision win over Marina Rodriguez at UFC 300, but it seems her career could soon be winding down, as she’s taken a lot of damage in many of her fights. Andrade has a considerable advantage in experience here, but this feels like two fighters’ who are seeing their careers head in opposite directions. While the price feels inflated, I still expect Silva can outstrike Andrade at range and then mix in her grappling if/when she needs to. Natalia Silva by Decision
Sean Brady -185 vs Gilbert Burns +155
- Anthony: The main event comes at welterweight with Sean Brady set to face Gilbert Burns. This should be a great tilt between top ten combatants and legitimate title contenders at 170 pounds. Burns is ranked #6 in the division despite suffering losses in both previous appearances. I was very impressed by Burns facing Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 299 his last time out. Della Maddalena found a way to win in the waning minutes, but not before getting worked by Burns the two rounds prior. He is a scary man to face, boasting a 3rd degree black belt in BJJ as well as two hands that do not discriminate. Brady is probably eager to test his grappling against Burns but I am eager to see how striking exchanges play out in this matchup. Brady’s boxing is still a work in progress and it seems he generates little to now power behind his strikes. Burns hits much harder than Brady and has the confidence to close distance and engage at lengths with his hands. Brady’s wrestling is better than that of Burns but it will be hard for him to advance position or attempt many subs for fear of getting reversed. Burns is going to have no problem wasting a few minutes of this fight underneath Brady if he needs to. I think Burns poses the greater finishing threat in this matchup and likes his chances to win rounds thanks to his fists. Brady may be able to outwork Burns and win this fight via decision, but I am not confident predicting Brady is the fresher fighter in rounds four and five. I consider this matchup a tough one to predict and for that reason I side with the underdog. These are two volatile fighters and I’d rather take my chances getting plus money with Durinho. Gilbert Burns by Round Four KO
- Nick: Sean Brady is one of the more exciting prospects we have at welterweight, coming off a dominant win via submission over a tough out in Kelvin Gastelum. He is a decent offensive striker and competent on the feet, but his greatest strength is certainly his extremely strong and powerful grappler ability. He has elite submission ability as a decorated black belt in jiu jitsu, and he’s strong enough to take his opponents’ necks from unconventional positions. Gilbert Burns is an extremely talented grappler with outstanding BJJ ability. His striking continues to improve every time we see him fight, but he is looking to ground his opponents in most of his match-ups. He has nine professional wins via submission and seven via KO. He’s been competing against the class of the division, but there is no denying he’s in the twilight of his career. This is a tough fight to predict as these are two very similar fighters with similar skill sets. Brady will have a youth and athleticism advantage here, but Burns has much more experience against a tougher level of competition. At the current odds, I prefer backing Burns as the better technical striker with more experience fighting in main events. Gilbert Burns by Round Three KO
-Nick Marro
Twitter: @NickMarroDFS
-Anthony Marro
Twitter: @AnthonyMarro_
Photo: UFC.com