Liam Lindsay

Jairzinho Rozenstruik proved to be too technical for Tuivasa at UFC 305.

The opening round saw a cautious but clear performance from Rozenstruik, who effectively utilized his jab and low kicks to control the distance. Tuivasa struggled to connect with his punches, though he managed to land a couple of low kicks. This pattern continued into the second and third rounds, as Tuivasa found it challenging to close the gap, absorbing a steady stream of jabs and low kicks. Ultimately, Rozenstruik's superior striking carried him to the end of the fight.
Bizarrely, one judge scored the fight 30-27 for Tuivasa, which is undoubtedly one of the worst scorecards in UFC history.

```iframe
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The oddsmakers are always confident in Israel Adesanya.<br><br>He&#39;s lost 3 fights to Alex Pereira, but the oddsmakers still have him as a favorite heading into this weekend.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UFC287?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#UFC287</a> <a href="https://t.co/0MF4krsH1v">pic.twitter.com/0MF4krsH1v</a></p>&mdash; Verdict (@TournamentsMMA) <a href="https://twitter.com/VerdictMMA/status/1825008880360808552">April 5, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
```

What's next for both fighters? As a member of the Verdict Community, let us know in the comments down below.

Jairzinho Rozenstruik Picks Up Bizzare Split Decision Win

Douglas Vegas Bets

A report came out today from reporter Leonardo Guimaraes that top-ranked Bantamweight contenders Deiveson Figueiredo and Cory Sandhagen are set to face off in a main event matchup later this year. This matchup is scheduled for five rounds on May 3rd in Des Moines, Iowa.

## Announcement: Deiveson Figueiredo vs. Cory Sandhagen Bantamweight Main Event

The former Flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo will look to bounce back from his decision loss to Petr Yan late last year in Macau. Cory Sandhagen was last in action late summer in Abu Dhabi against Umar Nurmagomedov, where he lost a decision.

Who are you picking in this amazing Bantamweight main event? Let us know in the comments.

Deiveson Figueiredo vs. Cory Sandhagen Set For Main Event in Iowa

The UFC heads to the Emerald City this weekend as former Flyweight and Bantamweight champion Henry Cejudo headlines against Yadong Song in the main event of a stacked card from the Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, Washington. I went over that fight and every other matchup on the card to give my picks and best bets so let's get into it.

**Odds provided by Duelbits accurate as of 2/20/2025**

## Henry Cejudo +220 vs. Yadong Song -278

A pivotal matchup in the Bantamweight division goes down here in our main event. Henry Cejudo is a former Olympic wrestler who developed a unique striking style out of a karate stance, which he used to earn championships in both the Flyweight and Bantamweight divisions, although he hasn't been consistently active since his retirement back in 2020. Yadong Song is a young boxer entering his prime, who has shown serious potential, with his last fight being a close decision loss to former champion Petr Yan, where he kept the boxing close and showed good defensive grappling skills.

I like this matchup for Song as I believe he has the grappling defense to keep this standing, where he will be landing more frequently with more power.

Prediction: Song by 3rd Round TKO

## Brendan Allen +250 vs. Anthony Hernandez -323

Two top-tier Middleweight grapplers go head to head for the second time in their careers in this fun matchup. Brendan Allen is a highly skilled fighter with great submission skills and solid striking, what concerns me is his cardio looked bad against Nassourdine Imavov, and he has durability questions. Anthony Hernandez is a constant pressure grappler with insane cardio that he uses to drown opponents as he does damage and makes opponents work the entire fight.

I'll pick Hernandez to get another win over Allen, as I believe after the first round, he will be the one controlling the grappling and doing the damage. 

Prediction: Hernandez by 3rd Round TKO

## Rob Font +129 vs. Jean Matsumoto -159

A young prospect steps in to save a fight between these two Bantamweights, although it will take place at a Catchweight. Rob Font has hung around the top of the division with his tremendous high-volume boxing, although his durability is questionable, with him having been rocked badly when fighting hard hitters. Jean Matsumoto is an undefeated prospect with a few UFC wins under his belt, having shown his submission skills against Dan Argueta and then had a stand-up war with Brad Katona, showing his chin and pace, although he took a lot of damage.

I took Font as the underdog here despite his age concerns, as he will have a big advantage in the striking, and I don't see Matsumoto consistently wrestling enough to win.

Prediction: Font by Decision

## Jean Silva -556 vs. Melsik Baghdasaryan +390

Featherweight strikers clash here in this must-see matchup. Jean Silva is a powerhouse striker who is coming off an impressive pair of wins over Charles Jourdain and Drew Dober, where he showed the dangerous power in his hands and much-improved cardio from earlier performances. Melsik Baghdasaryan is a very fast kickboxer with a good kicking game, although he hasn't shown much finishing or grappling ability in the UFC.

I'll pick Silva, but at this price, I can't even think about betting on him as this is going to be a striking match where Baghdasaryan has a real chance, but the power of Silva is going to cause more damage and lead to a decision win in my mind.

Prediction: Silva by Decision

## Alonzo Menifield -238 vs. Julius Walker +190

Powerful Light Heavyweights collide in this one to open the main card. Alonzo Menifield is a strong and aggressive fighter with a well-rounded offensive attack, although his defense is a concern, with Carlos Ulberg and Azamat Murzakanov taking advantage of his aggression quickly. Julius Walker makes his UFC debut here, he is very inexperienced but is a solid athlete who has finished all six of his pro wins, having shown a decent ground game.

I'm going with Menifield here as he is the much more dangerous and experienced fighter who should have the advantage everywhere this fight goes.

Prediction: Menifield by 1st Round KO

## Ion Cutelaba +147 vs. Ibo Aslan -182

Light Heavyweight finishers will square off in this very interesting matchup. Ion Cutelaba is a wildman with big swinging striking and a solid wrestling attack, but the defense has never been his strong suit. Ibo Aslan is a powerful knockout puncher who has yet to be tested against much real competition and has a questionable ground game.

I've got Cutelaba as the underdog here, as he has a few big advantages in this fight, mainly his experience and his grappling, which I believe will lead him to a victory. With that, Ion Cutelaba is my best bet of the week. 

Prediction: Cutelaba by 2nd Round TKO (Best Bet)

## Andre Fili -109 vs. Melquizael Costa -112

All action Featherweights square off here in the featured prelim. Andre Fili is a slick and battle-tested veteran with good boxing, but his consistency has been an issue. Melquizael Costa is a solid finisher both on the feet and on the mat, although his cardio is questionable, and he hasn't had much success against solid competition.

I lean toward Fili, as I think he is the better striker and wrestler with better cardio but his durability and lack of consistent ability to string wins together makes me hesitate.

Prediction: Fili by 3rd Round TKO

## Nick Klein +700 vs. Mansur Abdul-Malik -1250

The highly anticipated debut of an exciting Middleweight prospect goes down here. Nick Klein is a solid grappler with a good submission game that he has used to finish his last three opponents, although he has yet to face any tough competition. Mansur Abdul-Malik is a very highly touted prospect who has shown thunderous power that he showed in his first-round debut knockout against Dusko Todorovic along with a strong ground game that he showed in his win on Dana White's Contender Series.

I see this being another quick finish for Abdul-Malik as he is just on another level to his opponent, as is reflected in the odds.

Prediction: Abdul-Malik by 1st Round KO

## Ricky Simon +205 vs. Javid Basharat -256

Two high-level Bantamweight grapplers will test their skills against each other here. Ricky Simon is a gritty veteran wrestler who has competed with a lot of tough competition although he has struggled recently suffering three losses in a row. Javid Basharat is a skilled prospect with slick striking and solid grappling who looks to get back in the win column after a few rough results in his last few including a decision loss where he got off to a good start but failed to separate himself against Aiemann Zahabi.

I expect a very close fight here, but I lean slightly towards Basharat with him being the younger fighter who I see having the more effective striking at range.

Prediction: Basharat by Decision

## Austin Vanderford +105 vs. Nikolay Veretennikov -128

A late addition to the card here features a new face at Welterweight. Austin Vanderford is a decently well-rounded fighter who makes his debut here on short notice coming from a long career in Bellator where he had fights with guys like Fabian Edwards and Gegard Mousasi. Nikolay Veretennikov is a tough striker with solid power coming off a loss where he showed heart against highly touted prospect Danny Barlow.

I'll pick Vanderford here as I give him the grappling edge here and I like that he has faced very tough competition outside of the UFC.

Prediction: Vanderford by Decision

## Nursulton Ruziboev -286 vs. Eric McConico +220

Middleweight finishers square off here early on the card. Nursulton Ruziboev is a dangerous striker early in fights with solid wrestling although against Joaquin Buckley his cardio was a clear issue as he was getting beat up late. Eric McConico is a solid fighter with good experience on the regional scene, although he is now in his mid-thirties making his debut and we have seen him hurt and finished several times before.

Ruziboev likely gets another early finish here as McConico is making his debut later in his career and we have seen him hurt and finished by lower-level fighters.

Prediction: Ruziboev by 1st Round KO

## Modestas Bukauskas -278 vs. Raffael Cerqueira +220

Light Heavyweight strikers kick things off in this fun matchup. Modestas Bukauskas is a solid kickboxer coming off a wild fight with Marcin Prachnio where he had to fight through some adversity to get a late submission win. Raffael Cerqueira was a dangerous and fast finisher on the regional scene but he is coming in off a disastrous debut where Ibo Aslan was able to unload on him without consequence.

I'm taking Bukauskas here as there is just no way I can pick Cerqueira after what we saw from him in his first UFC fight and Bukauskas is not an easy fight by any stretch.

Prediction: Bukauskas by 2nd Round TKO

UFC Fight Night: Cejudo vs. Song Odds Breakdown

Dana White has announced on Instagram live tonight that Flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko will be taking on Manon Fiorot in the co-main event of UFC 315. This fight is scheduled for May 10th from the Bell Center in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

## Announcement: Valentina Shevchenko vs. Manon Fiorot, Flyweight Title Fight

This will be the first defense of Shevchenko's second title reign after she reclaimed the belt with a decision win over Alexa Grasso at UFC 306. Fiorot has waited a long time for this fight with her last appearance being a unanimous decision win over Erin Blanchfield last March.

## UFC 315 Full Card

Belal Muhammad vs. Jack Della Maddalena, Welterweight Title Fight

Valentina Shevchenko vs. Manon Fiorot, Flyweight Title Fight

Alexa Grasso vs. Natalia Silva, Flyweight

Gilbert Burns vs. Michael Morales, Welterweight

Brad Katona vs. Bekzat Almakhan, Bantamweight

Hailey Cowan vs. Nora Cornolle, Bantamweight

Marc-Andre Barriault vs. Bruno Silva, Middleweight

Who do you like in this big Flyweight matchup? Let us know in the comments.

Valentina Shevchenko vs. Manon Fiorot Booked For Co-Main Event at UFC 315

In a shocking twist, Dana White has announced that Belal Muhammad will be making the next defense of his Welterweight title against Jack Della Maddalena rather than Shavkat Rakhmonov, who is out with injury. This fight is scheduled for May 10th from the Bell Center in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

## Announcement: Belal Muhammad vs. Jack Della Maddalena, Welterweight Title Fight

This will be the first time Muhammad defends his title after winning the belt at UFC 304 last year with a decision over Leon Edwards. Jack Della Maddalena returns here for the first time in over a year after defeating Gilbert Burns with a dramatic third-round knockout at UFC 299.

## UFC 315 Full Card

Belal Muhammad vs. Jack Della Maddalena, Welterweight Title Fight

Valentina Shevchenko vs. Manon Fiorot, Flyweight Title Fight

Alexa Grasso vs. Natalia Silva, Flyweight

Gilbert Burns vs. Michael Morales, Welterweight

Brad Katona vs. Bekzat Almakhan, Bantamweight

Hailey Cowan vs. Nora Cornolle, Bantamweight

Marc-Andre Barriault vs. Bruno Silva, Middleweight

Who are you picking in this interesting Welterweight matchup? Let us know in the comments.

Belal Muhammad to Defend Welterweight Title Against Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 315

It was made official by Dana White tonight that the UFC has signed Patricio Pitbull, and his debut has been set against former Interim Featherweight champion Yair Rodriguez. This matchup is scheduled for April 12th at the Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida.

## Announcement: Yair Rodriguez vs. Patricio Pitbull

For Rodriguez, this will be his first appearance since losing to Brian Ortega in their rematch in February of last year. Pitbull makes his long-awaited UFC debut here, coming off a knockout win over Jeremy Kennedy last March.

## UFC 314 Full Card

Alexander Volkanovski vs. Diego Lopes, Featherweight Title Fight

Michael Chandler vs. Paddy Pimblett, 5-Round Lightweight Fight

Nikita Krylov vs. Dominick Reyes, Light Heavyweight

Yair Rodriguez vs. Patricio Pitbull, Featherweight

Geoff Neal vs. Carlos Prates, Welterweight

Virna Jandiroba vs. Yan Xiaonan, Strawweight

Dan Ige vs. Sean Woodson, Featherweight

Chase Hooper vs. Jim Miller, Lightweight

Alberto Montes vs. Roberto Romero, Lightweight

Sumudaerji vs. Mitch Raposo, Flyweight

Darren Elkins vs. Julian Erosa, Featherweight

Sedriques Dumas vs. Michal Oleksiejczuk, Middleweight

Who are you picking in this fun Featherweight clash? Let us know in the comments.

Patricio Pitbull's UFC Debut Set Against Yair Rodriguez at UFC 314

During his Instagram live tonight Dana White announced that the co-main event for UFC 314 would be Lightweight contenders Michael Chandler and Paddy Pimblett going head to head in a five-round fight. This matchup is scheduled for April 12th at the Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida.

## Announcement: Michael Chandler vs. Paddy Pimblett

Chandler will be competing for the first time since losing a decision to Charles Oliveira at UFC 309 last year. Paddy Pimblett will look to continue his win streak here after beating King Green with a first-round submission his last time out at UFC 304.

## UFC 314 Full Card

Alexander Volkanovski vs. Diego Lopes, Featherweight Title Fight

Michael Chandler vs. Paddy Pimblett, 5-Round Lightweight Fight

Nikita Krylov vs. Dominick Reyes, Light Heavyweight

Yair Rodriguez vs. Patricio Pitbull, Featherweight

Geoff Neal vs. Carlos Prates, Welterweight

Virna Jandiroba vs. Yan Xiaonan, Strawweight

Dan Ige vs. Sean Woodson, Featherweight

Chase Hooper vs. Jim Miller, Lightweight

Alberto Montes vs. Roberto Romero, Lightweight

Sumudaerji vs. Mitch Raposo, Flyweight

Darren Elkins vs. Julian Erosa, Featherweight

Sedriques Dumas vs. Michal Oleksiejczuk, Middleweight

Who are you taking in this fun Lightweight matchup? Let us know in the comments.

Michael Chandler vs. Paddy Pimblett Set For 5 Round Co-Main Event at UFC 314

The Featherweight title is set to be vacant with champion Ilia Topuria moving up in weight, and with that, Dana White announced that former champion Alexander Volkanovski will be taking on Diego Lopes for the belt. This fight is scheduled for UFC 314 on April 12th from the Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida.

## Announcement: Alexander Volkanovski vs. Diego Lopes Featherweight Title Fight

This will be Volkanovski's first fight back since losing his title to Ilia Topuria at UFC 298 last year. Diego Lopes earns his first title opportunity here after his dominant decision win over Brian Ortega at UFC 306.

## UFC 314 Full Card

Alexander Volkanovski vs. Diego Lopes, Featherweight Title Fight

Michael Chandler vs. Paddy Pimblett, 5-Round Lightweight Fight

Nikita Krylov vs. Dominick Reyes, Light Heavyweight

Yair Rodriguez vs. Patricio Pitbull, Featherweight

Geoff Neal vs. Carlos Prates, Welterweight

Virna Jandiroba vs. Yan Xiaonan, Strawweight

Dan Ige vs. Sean Woodson, Featherweight

Chase Hooper vs. Jim Miller, Lightweight

Alberto Montes vs. Roberto Romero, Lightweight

Sumudaerji vs. Mitch Raposo, Flyweight

Darren Elkins vs. Julian Erosa, Featherweight

Sedriques Dumas vs. Michal Oleksiejczuk, Middleweight

Who do you have in this amazing Featherweight title fight? Let us know in the comments.

Alexander Volkanovski and Diego Lopes Set For Vacant Featherweight Title

Dana White went on Instagram live tonight to make several announcements, including Sean Brady replacing Jack Della Maddalena against former Welterweight champion Leon Edwards. This fight is scheduled for March 22nd at the O2 Arena in London, England.

## Announcement: Leon Edwards vs. Sean Brady Welterweight Main Event

This will be Edwards' first fight since losing his belt to Belal Muhammad in a decision last summer at UFC 304, which ended his twelve-fight win streak. Brady will be making his first appearance since an impressive main event win over Gilbert Burns last year, which was his second victory in a row.

## UFC London Full Card

Leon Edwards vs. Sean Brady, Welterweight

Jan Blachowicz vs. Carlos Ulberg, Light Heavyweight

Molly McCann vs. Istela Nunes, Strawweight

Nathaniel Wood vs. Morgan Charriere, Featherweight

Jai Herbert vs. Chris Padilla, Lightweight

Kevin Holland vs. Gunnar Nelson, Welterweight

Shauna Bannon vs. Puja Tomar, Strawweight

Andrey Pulyaev vs. Christian Leroy Duncan, Middleweight

Marcin Tybura vs. Mick Parkin, Heavyweight

Caolan Loughran vs. Nathan Fletcher, Bantamweight

Lone'er Kavanaugh vs. Felipe dos Santos, Flyweight

Jordan Vucenic vs. Chris Duncan, Lightweight

Who are you picking in this new main event? Let us know in the comments.

Sean Brady Steps in For Main Event Against Leon Edwards in London

It was an incredible back-and-forth battle while it lasted, but the veteran Jared Cannonier won over Gregory Rodrigues in the fourth round of their main event matchup at the UFC Apex.

## Result: Jared Cannonier def. Gregory Rodrigues via 4th Round TKO (0:21)

Rodrigues got off to a very strong start, scoring two knockdowns in the first round and walking forward the entire time. The second round saw Cannonier start to land more often and make it an even fight through two rounds. The third saw Rodrigues begin to push back landing some good shots before a late elbow from Cannonier sent him to the canvas where he barely survived the round. It was clear at the start of the fourth that Rodrigues had not recovered and Cannonier was able to quickly jump on him and finish the fight.


>"I could do this for five more rounds if we needed to" - Jared Cannonier

What did you think of the fight? Let us know in the comments.

Jared Cannonier Survives Early Onslaught to Finish Gregory Rodrigues

The UFC is back in the Apex tomorrow, headlined by Middleweight contenders Jared Cannonier and Gregory Rodrigues facing off. The official weigh-ins took place today; here are the results.

## Main Card 7 PM EST

**Middleweight:** Jared Cannonier (185.5) vs. Gregory Rodrigues (186)

**Featherweight:** Calvin Kattar (146) vs. Youssef Zalal (146)

**Middleweight:** Edmen Shahbazyan (185.5) vs. Dylan Budka (186)

**Lightweight:** Nazim Sadykhov (156) vs. Ismael Bonfim (156)

**Middleweight:** Rodolfo Viera (185.5) vs. Andre Petroski (186)

**Featherweight:** Connor Matthews (146) vs. Jose Delgado (146)

## Prelims 4 PM EST

**Strawweight:** Angela Hill (115.5) vs. Ketlen Souza (115.5)

**Flyweight:** Jesus Aguilar (125.5) vs. Rafael Estevam (126)

**Welterweight:** Khaos Williams (169.5) vs. Gabriel Bonfim (170.5)

**Bantamweight:** Vince Morales (136) vs. Elijah Smith (135.5)

**Heavyweight:** Don'Tale Mayes (266) vs. Valter Walker (245)

**Bantamweight:** Julia Avila (135.5) vs. Jacqueline Cavalcanti (134.5)

*The Lightweight Fight between Jared Gordon and Mashrabjon Ruziboev was canceled after an issue with Ruziboev