Rodolfo Vieira vs Saparbeg Safarov

Fighter	KD	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Total Str.	TD	TD %	Sub. Att	Rev.	Ctrl
Rodolfo Vieira	1	40 of 70	57%	58 of 93	4 of 15	26%	1	0	6:24
Eric McConico	0	54 of 102	52%	73 of 123	2 of 2	100%	0	0	0:51

Rd	Fighter	KD	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Total Str.	TD	TD %	Sub. Att	Rev.	Ctrl
1	Rodolfo Vieira	1	10 of 13	76%	15 of 19	4 of 9	44%	1	0	3:15
Eric McConico	0	11 of 14	78%	19 of 22	2 of 2	100%	0	0	0:21
2	Rodolfo Vieira	0	20 of 33	60%	27 of 42	0 of 3	0%	0	0	1:48
Eric McConico	0	20 of 46	43%	24 of 51	0 of 0	---	0	0	0:00
3	Rodolfo Vieira	0	10 of 24	41%	16 of 32	0 of 3	0%	0	0	1:21
Eric McConico	0	23 of 42	54%	30 of 50	0 of 0	---	0	0	0:30

Fighter	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Head	Body	Leg	Distance	Clinch	Ground
Rodolfo Vieira	40 of 70	57%	15 of 43	11 of 11	14 of 16	35 of 64	5 of 6	0 of 0
Eric McConico	54 of 102	52%	42 of 87	8 of 11	4 of 4	49 of 95	5 of 7	0 of 0

Rd	Fighter	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Head	Body	Leg	Distance	Clinch	Ground
1	Rodolfo Vieira	10 of 13	76%	4 of 7	2 of 2	4 of 4	8 of 11	2 of 2	0 of 0
Eric McConico	11 of 14	78%	5 of 7	4 of 5	2 of 2	9 of 12	2 of 2	0 of 0
2	Rodolfo Vieira	20 of 33	60%	8 of 20	7 of 7	5 of 6	17 of 29	3 of 4	0 of 0
Eric McConico	20 of 46	43%	16 of 42	2 of 2	2 of 2	18 of 42	2 of 4	0 of 0
3	Rodolfo Vieira	10 of 24	41%	3 of 16	2 of 2	5 of 6	10 of 24	0 of 0	0 of 0
Eric McConico	23 of 42	54%	21 of 38	2 of 4	0 of 0	22 of 41	1 of 1	0 of 0

Rodolfo Vieira vs. Eric McConico
BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Vieira (-225); McConico (+180)

Round 1
It’s grappler vs. not-so-grappler as the middleweights remain in center stage. “The Black Belt Hunter” Vieira (11-4, 6-4 UFC) is coming off his first knockout loss, a head kick to Bo Nickal last November. Earlier in that same night, McConico (10-4-1, 1-2 UFC) had his block knocked off by Baisangur Susurkaev. Someone will shake off the sting of their past crushing defeat, and they have three rounds or fewer to get that done. Referee Kerry Hatley will keep tabs on the middleweights. The fighters decide to touch gloves before testing their mettle.
McConico dips and ducks his way into attack, and when he tosses out a body kick, Vieira slings back a right hand behind the ear that hurts him badly and sets him down. Vieira dives after him and takes hold of a choke attempt, but the slippery McConico is able to get out of the first attempt. Vieira looks to take the back standing, and he is turned around and slides off. When he hits his seat, “The Black Belt Hunter” grabs hold of an armbar. McConico wall-walks with his toes all the way around to contort his arm in a funny direction, but his joints hold up as he takes the pressure off his elbow and gets out of the dangerous predicament. McConico totally escapes, and Vieira follows right after him to complete a double. McConico sits up and uses the fence as his ally to stand back up again, all while keeping the wire as a way to take any submission leverage off of him. Vieira stays tightly pressed against McConico, constantly threatening with something.
Vieira considers dropping to his knees to hit another takedown, and he transitions from a double to a single and lifts McConico’s right leg up between his own legs. McConico stays balanced while hopping around the cage, but the relentless Brazilian drags him to the floor with one hook around the left side. McConico stands up with Vieira clinging to him, and he scrapes the ADCC gold medalist off of him. When separated, McConico offers up a jab, a head kick and a front kick that makes him stumble back. Vieira walks him down without concern, and with his hands down, he takes two big punches on the sides of the face. Vieira tanks them and goes to the body, with McConico throwing back distance-keeping kicks. Vieira shoots when seeing a kick is coming, pressing McConico to the wall and scooping him up to set him down gingerly. “The Black Belt Hunter” rides out the round on top.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Vieira
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Vieira
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Vieira

Round 2
Gloves are touched, with Vieira strutting to the center of the cage while pump-faking his way forward. Vieira pitches a naked leg kick that gets him countered over the top, with McConico just missing with a left hand as they consider grappling. McConico grabs a clinch and is wobbled back from a right elbow, and he gathers his thoughts and produces a shiner under Vieira’s left eye with his punches. They take turns going after one another, with McConico gaining the upper hand with a sharp one-two and a short flurry behind it. Vieira takes all of the punches on the jaw, head movement practically nonexistent, but he does not appear fazed. McConico steps through what comes back his way, with Vieira backing off constantly and struggling to fight back. Vieira absorbs a one-two and offers one back, following one punch with a left to the body and a takedown shot.
McConico puts his back immediately to the wire to keep his balance, with Vieira content to lean on him and control him. The Brazilian grinds on his adversary, offering a trip or two while McConico keeps his footing the whole time. McConico leans his head against the fencing, with Vieira stomping on his toes and kicking at the back of his calf. McConico puts his back to the cage again, punching his way out but not landing anything of note while doing so. McConico clips Vieira with a right hook, and he parries a right coming back to his ribs. The round concludes with McConico missing on a pair of big swings.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 McConico
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 McConico
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 McConico

Round 3
Vieira is sucking wind between rounds, but he comes out of his corner fresh enough while offering a glove touch. McConico pecks with his jab while Vieira chips at the lead leg with kicks. Vieira tries to hand-fight, but it leaves him wide open for one-twos fired at his nose. Vieira bounces off the cage when retreating, and he resets and walks into another straight right hand down the pipe. Vieira kicks low and fakes a takedown, with McConico not biting on it and instead feeding the Brazilian a steady diet of jabs. Vieira gets tired of this same pattern, and he rushes forward to engage a clinch.
As Vieira remains tight, the round likely still quite close, he slips his legs between and around McConico’s to take the fight down. When Vieira sells out for it, McConico pancakes him and pushes “The Black Belt Hunter” to his seat. McConico frames off with elbows on the forehead, while Vieira is on his side hoping to reverse his fortunes. Vieira fights his way up, elbowing McConico sharply, and McConico throws back as hard as he can. Vieira shakes it off and digs a right hand to the side. McConico walks Vieira down, boxing him up as Vieira is out of ideas and not swinging back. The American ends the fight with a head kick and raises his arms in the air, very possibly staging the sizeable upset while surviving the danger of Vieira in Round 1.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 McConico (29-28 McConico)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 McConico (29-28 McConico)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 McConico (29-28 McConico)

The Official Result
Eric McConico def. Rodolfo Vieira via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Angelo Bodetti Expert Hesitant picked Apr 19, 2026 (6 days before fight)

Rodolfo Vieira

Angelo picks Rodolfo Vieira but is hesitant, noting that Vieira is a world-class BJJ competitor but doesn't like to be hit and can turn his head away. He acknowledges that Eric McConico could give Vieira a hard time on the feet and that Vieira might shoot desperate takedowns. He says he will stay away from betting on this fight because it could get weird fast, but ultimately picks Vieira as the better MMA fighter and grappler.

Angelo says he's probably going to stay away from this fight betting wise.

"I'm probably going to stay away from this fight betting wise. I'm going to pick Ralffo."

We Want Picks

Big Brady Expert Confident picked Apr 21, 2026 (4 days before fight)

Rodolfo Vieira

Big Brady picks Rodolfo Vieira over Eric McConico. He is very low on McConico, citing low volume, poor chin, and susceptibility to takedowns. He believes Vieira will easily take him down and submit him in the first round, calling it Vieira's easiest fight in years.

Vieira wins by first round submission

"Give me Rodolfo Vieira to win this fight by first round submission."

DFS by the Numbers

Connor Ruebusch Expert Confident picked Apr 24, 2026 (1 day before fight)

Rodolfo Vieira

Connor agrees that Vieira should win easily, calling McConico a 'house gatekeeper' who doesn't belong in the UFC. He points out that McConico has no technical ability and fights scared, while Vieira has the strength and grappling to finish him. Connor also notes that the betting line is accurate and there's no edge.

Vieira opened at -300, McConico at +250; lines haven't moved, indicating no betting value.

"unnecessary fight except for hudolpho viera yep so yeah hudolpho viera his strike output in in the ufc i mean these are ufc stats they're thin so you know give it give it a little grain of salt there but …"

MMA Vivisection

Lucrative James Expert Confident picked Apr 19, 2026 (6 days before fight)

Rodolfo Vieira

James picks Vieira, believing his elite grappling will overwhelm McConico. He notes McConico's struggles on bottom and predicts a first-round submission via arm triangle.

submission in round one

"Vieira via submission in round one is my official prediction."

Lucrative MMA

MMA Lock of the Night Expert Hesitant picked Apr 21, 2026 (4 days before fight)

Rodolfo Vieira

Vieira is a high-level BJJ black belt who has improved his striking, but he is 36 and has a questionable gas tank. McConico is well-rounded but makes mistakes on the feet that will allow Vieira to get takedowns. Vieira should eventually get the fight to the ground and find a submission, but the -225 price is steep.

Vieira by submission

"I think Vieta will eventually start getting to his grappling, wearing Monaco down, and I think that eventually leads to a Vieta submission victory."

MMA Lock of the Night

Zane Simon Expert Confident picked Apr 24, 2026 (1 day before fight)

Rodolfo Vieira

Zane believes Rodolfo Vieira should easily win this fight, as Eric McConico is a poor fighter with no future in the UFC. He notes that Vieira has a massive strength advantage and should be able to take McConico down and submit him, similar to his win over Anthony Hernandez. Zane emphasizes that McConico lacks technical ability, assertiveness, and has never beaten a quality opponent.

Vieira opened at -300, McConico at +250; lines haven't moved, indicating no betting value.

"he should go out there and just run through maconico whether he takes him down he should fight him exactly the way he fought when he lost to anthony hernandez yeah just dump the gas tank out there and choke …"

MMA Vivisection

LOSS vs Bo Nickal

KO R3 2:24 · UFC 322 · Nov 15, 2025

Totals

Fighter	KD	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Total Str.	TD	TD %	Sub. Att	Rev.	Ctrl
Bo Nickal	1	77 of 121	63%	94 of 143	2 of 3	66%	1	0	1:28
Rodolfo Vieira	0	24 of 64	37%	31 of 71	0 of 6	0%	0	0	1:00

Per Round

Rd	Fighter	KD	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Total Str.	TD	TD %	Sub. Att	Ctrl
1	Bo Nickal	0	28 of 46	60%	37 of 60	2 of 2	100%	1	1:05
1	Rodolfo Vieira	0	7 of 19	36%	11 of 23	0 of 2	0%	0	0:32
2	Bo Nickal	0	38 of 59	64%	46 of 67	0 of 0	---	0	0:23
2	Rodolfo Vieira	0	14 of 39	35%	17 of 42	0 of 4	0%	0	0:28
3	Bo Nickal	1	11 of 16	68%	11 of 16	0 of 1	0%	0	0:00
3	Rodolfo Vieira	0	3 of 6	50%	3 of 6	0 of 0	---	0	0:00

Significant Strikes

Fighter	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Head	Body	Leg	Distance	Clinch	Ground
Bo Nickal	77 of 121	63%	56 of 93	13 of 19	8 of 9	64 of 103	7 of 9	6 of 9
Rodolfo Vieira	24 of 64	37%	7 of 38	6 of 12	11 of 14	23 of 63	1 of 1	0 of 0

Significant Strikes Per Round

Rd	Fighter	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Head	Body	Leg	Distance	Clinch	Ground
1	Bo Nickal	28 of 46	60%	22 of 38	4 of 5	2 of 3	16 of 29	6 of 8	6 of 9
1	Rodolfo Vieira	7 of 19	36%	2 of 10	1 of 3	4 of 6	6 of 18	1 of 1	0 of 0
2	Bo Nickal	38 of 59	64%	27 of 45	7 of 10	4 of 4	37 of 58	1 of 1	0 of 0
2	Rodolfo Vieira	14 of 39	35%	4 of 24	4 of 8	6 of 7	14 of 39	0 of 0	0 of 0
3	Bo Nickal	11 of 16	68%	7 of 10	2 of 4	2 of 2	11 of 16	0 of 0	0 of 0
3	Rodolfo Vieira	3 of 6	50%	1 of 4	1 of 1	1 of 1	3 of 6	0 of 0	0 of 0

Play-by-Play

View on Sherdog

Bo Nickal vs. Rodolfo Vieira
BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Nickal (-225), Vieira (+185)

Round 1
Dan Miragliotta is the referee. Nickal opens with a jab and then a left. He backs up and lands a front kick and a leg kick. They collide and Nickal lifts Viera and executes an emphatic slam. He unleashes a barrage of short punches to the head as Vieira strands. Nickal switches to knees and then lands an elbow that cuts the grappling ace. Vieira turns nickal into the fence and lands some close quarters offense of his own. Nickal frees himself and they’re back int the center of the Octagon. Nickal just misses a left. Vieira ducks under a high kick and Vieira shoots for a takedown against the fence. Nickal briefly threatens with a guillotine but Vieira is OK. Vieira stands and Nickal lands a hard elbow before they break. Vieira fires off a straight right .Nickal has a head kick blocked. A couple lefts land for the American. Vieira probes with a low kick. Nickal pumps a jab and then lands a front kick. Vieira keeps the pressure on , but Nickal is active with his striking, particularly left hands. Another left and a jab get through for Nickal. The round ends without further incident.

Sherdog Scores
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Nickal
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Nickal
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Nickal

Round 2
Vieira opens with a solid right hand. Vieira catches Nickal coming forward with another rigth. Nickal steps in with a hard body kic. Nickal freezes Vieira with a combination, then lands another body kick. Nickal lunges in and lands another left hand. A couple jabs form Nickal snap Vieira’s head back. Nickal is winning exchanges, relying on combinations and superior hand speed. Vieira is bleeding profusely now. The Brazilian counters a kick with a right and then shoots for a takedown against the fence. Vieira gets an underhook and lands some punches before Nickal frees himself. Another straight left gets through for Nickal. Vieira lands a right as Nickal moves forward. Nickal rocks Vieira with a left and then finds the range on a short uppercut. Vieira is still in the fight, but he’s still bleeding and his eye is swelling shut. Nickal sprawls on a takedown with about 20 seconds left. Nickal lands some short punches and a knee as Vieira stands.

Sherdog Scores
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Nickal
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Nickal
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Nickal

Round 3
Vieira lands a decent right during an initial exchange. Nickal pumps out his jab. Nickal lunges in with a left and then lands another left to the body. Another lunging left connects for the Penn State All American. Nickal with a hard inside leg kick. The crowd is getting restless with the pace of the bout, which is mostly one shot at a time — but that’s working well for Nickal. Nickal connects on a 1-2 and then seemingly out of nowhere,
he unleashes a left head kick that lands clean. An unconscious Vieira collapses in a heap on the canvas
, and Nickal knows he needs no follow-up offerings. Nickal climbs on the cage and flips off the crowd in celebration as he rebounds from his first career defeat in emphatic fashion.

The Official Result
Bo Nickal def. Rodolfo Vieira via KO (Head Kick) R3 2:24

Angelo Bodetti Expert Hesitant picked Nov 9, 2025 (6 days before fight)

Bo Nickal

Angelo picks Bo Nickal but is hesitant due to the high price (-220) and Nickal's recent loss. He believes Nickal will play it safe, use his scrambling skills, and win a decision. He thinks the opening odds (Nickal as underdog) were more accurate. He expects a boring fight and does not bet.

"I'm going to pick Bo here because I think what he's going to do is play it safe... I don't think I'm going to touch these minus 220 odds though."

We Want Picks

Big Brady Expert Lean picked Nov 12, 2025 (3 days before fight)

Bo Nickal

Big Brady picks Bo Nickal but is unenthusiastic, calling it the worst fight on the card. He expects a boring decision, similar to Nickal's fight with Paul Craig, where Nickal avoided grappling and struck for 15 minutes. Brady believes Nickal can dictate where the fight takes place but thinks both fighters may prefer to strike, leading to a sloppy decision. He predicts Nickal wins a 'greasy decision' with the crowd behind him.

decision

"I'm going to say Bo Nickel wins a greasy decision."

DFS by the Numbers

Cody Saftic Expert Confident picked Nov 12, 2025 (3 days before fight)

Rodolfo Vieira

Cody picks Vieira as a value underdog. He notes that Bo Nickal's striking has looked poor in recent fights and that he may be hesitant to wrestle Vieira due to his BJJ. Cody believes that if the fight stays on the feet, Vieira can out-strike Nickal, and if it goes to the ground, Vieira has the advantage. He also speculates that the UFC may be setting Nickal up to fail.

"Too much value there. PRP pick. PRP pick Rodolfo Vieira. Don't love it. I really don't, but there's some serious value there."

Bookie Beatdown

Connor Ruebusch Expert Hesitant picked Nov 14, 2025 (1 day before fight)

Rodolfo Vieira

Connor also picks Vieira but is hesitant, agreeing with Zane that the fight is a coin flip. He notes that both fighters have shown they can melt down, and expects a staring contest. Connor mentions that Vieira has a jab but Bo Nickal is southpaw, which could lead to a miserable fight.

Odds: Vieira opened +140, jumped to +175, currently +194. Connor says 'I think it's likely to be bad and decisive'.

"I'm still going to pick Vera in that fight, but yeah, it could, it could be a real coin flip."

MMA Vivisection

Daniel Vreeland Expert Lean picked Nov 13, 2025 (2 days before fight)

Bo Nickal

Daniel sees this as Nickal's fight to lose, as he has the wrestling to neutralize Vieira's jiu-jitsu and the athleticism to improve rapidly. However, he is cautious because Nickal looked broken in his last fight and needs to show he has rebounded. He picks Nickal but plans to watch and learn rather than bet heavily.

"As a pure pick, I'm going to take Bo Nickel, but I'm going to sit back and relax and enjoy the show."

Half the Battle

Lucrative James Expert Lean picked Nov 9, 2025 (6 days before fight)

Bo Nickal

Lucrative James picks Bo Nickal to win by decision, but with low confidence after Nickal's poor performance against Paul Craig. He believes Nickal has better wrestling and striking, and can defend Vieira's takedowns and submissions. He expects Nickal to use his athleticism to control the fight on the feet and avoid danger on the ground. He predicts a decision win for Nickal.

by decision

"I'm going to pick Bo Nickel here. I'm going to pick Bickel via decision."

Lucrative MMA

MMA Lock of the Night Expert Confident picked Nov 13, 2025 (2 days before fight)

Bo Nickal

Nickal lands bigger shots on the feet, stuffs Vieira's takedowns, and punishes him with enough volume to win on the scorecards. Vieira won't step on the gas like Paul Craig did.

"I expect Nickel to land bigger shots on the feet, stuff the takedowns of Vieiraa and punish him with enough volume to end up winning this fight on the scorecards."

MMA Lock of the Night

Paul Shaughnessy Expert Confident picked Nov 12, 2025 (3 days before fight)

Rodolfo Vieira

Paul agrees with Cody, noting that he already bet Vieira at plus odds. He points out that Nickal's striking has been exposed and that Vieira is a live underdog. Paul thinks that even if the fight is a close striking affair, Vieira has a chance to win a decision. He is comfortable with the value and believes it's a good betting spot.

"I already bet it. Bet it like plus 205."

Bookie Beatdown

The MMA Guru Expert Hesitant picked Nov 12, 2025 (3 days before fight)

Bo Nickal

The Guru hesitantly picks Bo Nickal to win a close 29-28 decision. He notes that Nickal has learned from his loss to Dolidze and should be able to outpoint Vieira, who lacks finishing threat on the feet and has cardio issues. However, he acknowledges Vieira's submission threat and the possibility of a grappling exchange. The Guru expects a low-action striking match.

"I'm going to go bow nickel, though. I am going to go bow nickel. I think he'll figure out Rodo Vieiraa."

THE MMA GURU

Zane Simon Expert Hesitant picked Nov 14, 2025 (1 day before fight)

Rodolfo Vieira

Zane picks Vieira but is hesitant, noting the fight is entirely dependent on whether Vieira can get out of his own head. He highlights that both fighters have similar problems with inexperience and mental fragility, and expects a bad fight. Zane thinks it's a coin flip and would be happy with even odds.

Odds: Vieira opened +140, jumped to +175, currently +194. Zane says 'I would be happy as to this was at dead, even odds'.

"I have to pick it off over here. Same. But if he doesn't show up, like if he gets in his own head about this fight, then it could be very touch and go."

MMA Vivisection

WIN vs Tresean Gore

DEC R3 5:00 · UFC Fight Night: Taira vs. Park · Aug 02, 2025

Totals

Fighter	KD	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Total Str.	TD	TD %	Sub. Att	Rev.	Ctrl
Rodolfo Vieira	0	89 of 159	55%	96 of 169	1 of 14	7%	0	0	3:14
Tresean Gore	0	41 of 114	35%	50 of 125	0 of 0	---	0	0	0:02

Per Round

Rd	Fighter	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Total Str.	TD	TD %	Ctrl
1	Rodolfo Vieira	15 of 26	57%	19 of 30	1 of 7	14%	2:09
1	Tresean Gore	11 of 25	44%	13 of 27	0 of 0	---	0:00
2	Rodolfo Vieira	36 of 66	54%	36 of 66	0 of 3	0%	0:19
2	Tresean Gore	14 of 45	31%	15 of 46	0 of 0	---	0:02
3	Rodolfo Vieira	38 of 67	56%	41 of 73	0 of 4	0%	0:46
3	Tresean Gore	16 of 44	36%	22 of 52	0 of 0	---	0:00

Significant Strikes

Fighter	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Head	Body	Leg	Distance	Clinch	Ground
Rodolfo Vieira	89 of 159	55%	51 of 118	22 of 25	16 of 16	87 of 155	2 of 4	0 of 0
Tresean Gore	41 of 114	35%	22 of 88	4 of 10	15 of 16	41 of 114	0 of 0	0 of 0

Significant Strikes Per Round

Rd	Fighter	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Head	Body	Leg	Distance	Clinch	Ground
1	Rodolfo Vieira	15 of 26	57%	7 of 17	4 of 5	4 of 4	13 of 23	2 of 3	0 of 0
1	Tresean Gore	11 of 25	44%	3 of 15	2 of 3	6 of 7	11 of 25	0 of 0	0 of 0
2	Rodolfo Vieira	36 of 66	54%	23 of 51	8 of 10	5 of 5	36 of 65	0 of 1	0 of 0
2	Tresean Gore	14 of 45	31%	11 of 38	0 of 4	3 of 3	14 of 45	0 of 0	0 of 0
3	Rodolfo Vieira	38 of 67	56%	21 of 50	10 of 10	7 of 7	38 of 67	0 of 0	0 of 0
3	Tresean Gore	16 of 44	36%	8 of 35	2 of 3	6 of 6	16 of 44	0 of 0	0 of 0

Play-by-Play

View on Sherdog

Tresean Gore (189.5: Missed Weight) vs. Rodolfo Vieira
BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Vieira (-225); Gore (+185)

Round 1
Aiming to go on the run everyone expected out of him, Vieira (10-3, 5-3 UFC) will gladly accept a large percentage of his foe’s purse for missing weight by three and a half pounds. Unable to clock in at the middleweight cap, Gore (5-3, 2-3 UFC) may find himself at a serious disadvantage going against a lights-out grappler like “The Black Belt Hunter.” Necks may be threatened early and often in this preliminary contest, with referee Mark Smith telling them to get going as they touch ‘em up. They touch gloves despite the weight offense.
Vieira resides in the center of the Octagon jabbing the body, and Gore is warned for outstretched fingers. A jab from Vieira gets Gore’s attention, and he lands another and a low kick to follow. Gore lets loose his own hard calf kick, and he wings a right hand that bangs into the guard. Vieira shoots in for a single, pushing the heavier man to the wall but not putting him down. Rather than stick around in the clinch, Vieira pushes off and takes a right hand on the outside from his foe. Vieira shoots for another single, and Gore shuts it down in the open cage. Both men trade sharp jabs, and the Brazilian races forward to pursue a double. Like the other two, Gore stops it, so Vieira doubles down with a body lock as he tries to muscle “Mr. Vicious” to the floor. Gore posts off his hand to stay afloat, and he escapes yet again.
Gore turns his hips into an especially powerful low kick, and he doubles up with a kick to the same spot. Vieira sprints forward, clasping his hands beneath the backside of his opponent and securing the takedown he has sought for several minutes now. Gore hits the floor, and Vieira sits on top of him in a partial mount position with Gore sitting straight up against the wall. Gore pulls one leg out, and then wriggles the second out to pop back to his feet. Vieira clings to him from behind while standing, and Gore hand-fights to break the grip around him. Vieira jams a knee to the body, and Gore answers this and pushes away to get some space. Vieira probes him with jabs, and Gore swings harder with his responses. Vieira connects with a hefty leg kick, countering one flying his way with a right hand. The Brazilian leans to avoid a looping right hand as the bell sounds.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Vieira
Chris Laporte scores the round: 10-9 Vieira
Dayne Fox scores the round: 10-9 Vieira

Round 2
As the second round begins, both men jab at one another. Vieira dodges a front kick, and Gore is warned again for his fingers pointed towards his opponent. Vieira goes to the body and head, ducking a fierce right hand for a takedown shot. Gore stonewalls him, and the jabs fly from both sides. Vieira swings hard with three punches, missing with all but the end of one, although he follows with a one-two and a single. Gore breaks off from the shot and wings a trio of punches that come up short, but they have Vieira on guard. They land punches at the same time, and Vieira chains a one-two behind his jabs. Vieira kicks low, and Gore does the same. Vieira surprises his foe with a powerful right hook, and his punches back Gore to the wall. Vieira times a punch to duck under for a single, keeping Gore on one leg but not grounding him.
Vieira lands an inside leg kick that disrupts an overhand right after they split apart, and he gets off a second before Gore can respond. Vieira bops Gore in the nose with several jabs, staying busy with his leg kick. A hard right hand from Vieira makes Gore have to blink it out, and Vieira dances away from the counters and is right in Gore’s face with three flying fists. Gore misses a head kick by a matter of inches, and Vieira aims a right hand to the ribs and takes a right hand from the other direction. Vieira snaps the head back with a jab, and his leg kick is starting to give Gore issues. Gore rakes Vieira in the eye, and Smith warns him to knock it off. Vieira plants a one-two on the jaw, and Gore pushes off with his thumb that swipes the eyeball. Smith calls time, and he issues a hard warning to the fouling fighter. They resume after a 30-second break, and Vieira gets right behind his jab again. The jab stops Gore from loading up on much, although Gore does loop a big right hand that hits Vieira in the back of his shoulder. The horn blares.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Vieira
Chris Laporte scores the round: 10-9 Vieira
Dayne Fox scores the round: 10-9 Vieira

Round 3
As Gore opens up to start the last round, Vieira shoots in on his hips for a takedown. Gore shuts it down, and the two start driving home jabs. Gore gets a little more active with kicks from both legs, but Vieira is still chipping at him any time he can. Vieira winds up and knocks Gore back with a mighty left hand, and Gore is tough as nails as he is staring to show damage. The low kicks are making Gore’s knee buckle as they connect, and Vieira’s one-two continues to find its target. The Brazilian races forward after a single, lifting Gore’s leg up but ultimately only backing him to the wall. Gore breaks free and circles out to take a few jabs off the forward bow. Gore kicks the body, and Vieira catches it and thinks about trying something before letting it go to roast Gore’s ribs with a few heavy blows. Gore reaches his man with a left hook, but it is one-and-done as Vieira goes to his body with punches.
Gore’s right hand marks up Vieira’s left cheek, popping a mouse beneath it that starts trickling blood. Vieira pays it no mind, continuing to beat on the body. “The Black Belt Hunter” strings a number of punches together that sets up a takedown shot, but the heavier Gore is able to shut it down when he puts his back to the fence. Vieira abandons it and wipes his face, and he looks outside the cage to listen to instructions and paws out a jab that Gore does not like. Vieira plants a one-two on the cheek, and his leg kick make Gore hobble back. Gore tries to sit down on a right hand, but Vieira is in his face with a one-two that he is starting to put some mustard behind. Gore pitches a low kick, and Vieira pursues a double. While it does not get his man down, Vieira bullies Gore until the match concludes. Barring something strange, this should be Vieira’s first win that goes the distance.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Vieira (30-27 Vieira)
Chris Laporte scores the round: 10-9 Vieira (30-27 Vieira)
Dayne Fox scores the round: 10-9 Vieira (30-27 Vieira)

The Official Result
Rodolfo Vieira def. Tresean Gore via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)

LOSS vs Andre Petroski

Decision R3 5:00 · UFC Fight Night: Cannonier vs. Rodrigues · Feb 15, 2025

Totals

Fighter	KD	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Total Str.	TD	TD %	Sub. Att	Rev.	Ctrl
Rodolfo Vieira	0	58 of 99	58%	60 of 101	1 of 11	9%	0	0	1:50
Andre Petroski	0	55 of 111	49%	58 of 114	0 of 2	0%	0	0	0:05

Per Round

Rd	Fighter	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Total Str.	TD	TD %	Ctrl
1	Rodolfo Vieira	14 of 26	53%	14 of 26	0 of 4	0%	0:24
1	Andre Petroski	13 of 34	38%	13 of 34	0 of 1	0%	0:02
2	Rodolfo Vieira	24 of 40	60%	24 of 40	0 of 3	0%	0:27
2	Andre Petroski	22 of 37	59%	23 of 38	0 of 0	---	0:00
3	Rodolfo Vieira	20 of 33	60%	22 of 35	1 of 4	25%	0:59
3	Andre Petroski	20 of 40	50%	22 of 42	0 of 1	0%	0:03

Significant Strikes

Fighter	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Head	Body	Leg	Distance	Clinch	Ground
Rodolfo Vieira	58 of 99	58%	31 of 66	6 of 8	21 of 25	53 of 93	5 of 6	0 of 0
Andre Petroski	55 of 111	49%	26 of 72	7 of 13	22 of 26	54 of 109	0 of 0	1 of 2

Significant Strikes Per Round

Rd	Fighter	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Head	Body	Leg	Distance	Clinch	Ground
1	Rodolfo Vieira	14 of 26	53%	5 of 14	1 of 2	8 of 10	14 of 26	0 of 0	0 of 0
1	Andre Petroski	13 of 34	38%	4 of 18	3 of 8	6 of 8	13 of 34	0 of 0	0 of 0
2	Rodolfo Vieira	24 of 40	60%	14 of 29	5 of 6	5 of 5	22 of 37	2 of 3	0 of 0
2	Andre Petroski	22 of 37	59%	11 of 25	3 of 3	8 of 9	22 of 37	0 of 0	0 of 0
3	Rodolfo Vieira	20 of 33	60%	12 of 23	0 of 0	8 of 10	17 of 30	3 of 3	0 of 0
3	Andre Petroski	20 of 40	50%	11 of 29	1 of 2	8 of 9	19 of 38	0 of 0	1 of 2

Play-by-Play

View on Sherdog

Andre Petroski vs. Rodolfo Vieira
BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Vieira (-245), Petroski (+200

Round 1
It’s an all-grappling extravaganza in the middleweight division, with Vieira (10-2, 5-2 UFC) one of the best submission artists in BJJ possibly putting things together finally and making a run. Standing in his way will be Petroski (12-3, 7-2 UFC) out of Renzo Gracie Philly, who knows his way in and out of a sub—both of the Philly variety and the necktie. The clock begins when referee Herb Dean says go, and the fighters acknowledge him and one another by tapping their hands together. Petroski lands a heavy low kick, and he keeps his guard up to defend from a surprisingly fast one-two. Vieira fakes for a takedown shot that draws a serious reaction out of Petroski, but he calms himself down and tosses out a head kick. Petroski chips at the front leg, and Vieira kicks him back far heavier. Vieira jabs the body with a front kick and takes a right hand on the chin to force a reset. Leg kicks come from both sides, and Vieira’s bobbing is keeping Petroski cautious. When Vieira crushes him, Petroski brains him with a powerful left hook that sends him hurtling face-first to the mat. The Brazilian bounces off the ground and back to his feet seemingly no worse for wear from the flash knockdown. More low kicks fly from both ends, and Petroski kicks Vieira coming in and shakes up his entry. Petroski wraps three punches on the side to further get Vieira’s attention, prompting the Brazilian to shoot in on his hips. Petroski stuffs the shot and gets back to kickboxing range, keeping his uppercut on the read to time as an intercepting strike. When Vieira does not shoot, Petroski lashes out with a left hook. The fighter both go after additional leg kicks, tossing them in when there is an opening. Vieira dives after a single, and the American turns when stopping it and breaks away. Petroski jabs the body and checks a kick, and a right hand from over the top nicks his cheek and causes a thin trickle of blood to flow. Vieira targets the blood spot with a few punches, and Petroski answers him with a successful takedown. Rather than play in the guard, Petroski bails on the position and stands, and he takes a front kick on the way up. The round ends.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Petroski
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Petroski
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Petroski

Round 2
There is a clap of hands from the middleweights to get going, and Vieira jabs out and follows one with a stern right hand. Petroski circles away, not letting Vieira cut him off or corner him. When Petroski commits to an overhand right, Vieira shoots and fails. Petroski backs him off and dings him with a right hand, and he shuts down a secondary shot and works his way out. Vieira reaches his man with a right hand, and both fighters try to sweep the leg. There are single jabs from both sides to multiple targets, and Vieira uses a jab to set up a takedown. Petroski hits his seat for less than a second before springing off the floor, where he leans on the cage and tries to spin out. Vieira loads up on three power punches with Petroski’s back to the wall, and Petroski gets out before taking more and clubs Vieira on the nose with a right hook. Vieira strings together straight punches, landing cleanly on the American without too much concern about anything coming back. Vieira keeps giving chase throwing big punches, and Petroski’s head movement and footwork is on point enough to not take too much damage. The jiu-jitsu player cracks Petroski with a straight right, keeping to simple combinations of maybe three or so. Petroski walks into a jab that is so clean, he high-fives his opponent for hitting him with it. Petroski jams the front leg with a kick that makes Vieira stagger for a second, and he tags Vieira coming in with a right hand. The Brazilian is stood up with a jab when advancing, and he takes a pounding body kick right at the bell.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Vieira
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Vieira
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Vieira

Round 3
The fighters touch ‘em up leading into the last round, and Vieira gets right in Petroski’s grill throwing punches and kicks. Petroski potshots him from afar, circling away not far from the cage while launching a front kick that brushes past the chin. Vieira grips a single and fails to ground his opponent, and Petroski makes him pay for the naked shot with a solid overhand right. Petroski doubles up on low kicks and checks one after, with the Brazilian’s limb welted, swollen and bright red. Vieira sprints in for a takedown, and when Petroski’s backside hits the canvas, he turns and climbs back upright using the fence as his ally. Vieira clings on from the back, hands clasped around the waist, and Petroski shakes it off and batters the lead wheel with a ferocious kick. Vieira’s jab has drawn some swelling of Petroski’s right eye, and he reacts every time there is a pump-faked takedown. Petroski beats down the front leg a few more times to visible success, and a shot from the jiu-jitsu ace is labored and does not reach the finish line. Petroski marks up Vieira’s face with his right hand, bloodying the cheek and going after it a few times. The American thumps up the body with a kick, and Vieira is right there in front of him with a one-two down the pipe. Petroski fires off an even heavier two-punch salvo, and his work on the front leg has slowed Vieira just enough to get in and out. Vieira shoots for a double that is stopped in its tracks, and Petroski walks him down and punches him square in the face. As if to send a final message, Petroski partially hits a single, and Vieira scampers away at the bell.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Petroski (29-28 Petroski)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Petroski (29-28 Petroski)
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Petroski (29-28 Petroski)

The Official Result
Andre Petroski def. Rodolfo Vieira via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Angelo Bodetti Expert Confident picked Feb 9, 2025 (6 days before fight)

Andre Petroski

Angelo picks Andre Petroski, emphasizing that Petroski has good old-fashioned American wrestling and solid BJJ, so he should not be afraid of Vieira's Jiu-Jitsu. He worries that Petroski might abandon wrestling and strike, but if he sticks to wrestling, he wins. He notes that Vieira hits hard and has a better chin, but Petroski's wrestling is the key.

"I'm picking Andre patoski I'm doing it and I feel free to spam me with the gift of him knocking himself out shooting a takedown on Jacob malcun feel free because I deserve it picks and Bets not the same …"

We Want Picks

Big Brady Expert Confident picked Feb 12, 2025 (3 days before fight)

Rodolfo Vieira

Big Brady picks Vieira by second-round submission, citing his superior grappling and durability advantage. Petroski has a weak chin and has been knocked out. Vieira has improved cardio and should get on top and finish with a head-and-arm choke. Petroski's grappling is a level below.

submission in round 2

"give me Vieira I'll take him to win by second round submission"

DFS by the Numbers

Connor Ruebusch Expert Confident picked Feb 13, 2025 (2 days before fight)

Rodolfo Vieira

Connor picks Rodolfo Vieira, agreeing with Zane that Vieira is the more decorated grappler and more comfortable striker. He notes that Petroski's game is shallow and that he struggled against wrestlers like Jacob Malkoun. Connor believes Vieira's power wrestling and BJJ will be too much for Petroski, and that Vieira has clearly improved since his UFC debut. He also mentions that Vieira gets tired after kickboxing but fights well tired, and that Petroski is unlikely to push that pace.

Connor notes the odds: Vieira opened at -233 and is now -249, Petroski opened at +175 and is now +219. He says the odds make sense and that this is a pretty easy pick.

"I think this is a pretty easy pick, honestly. I mean, should given that in the discussion we had earlier, they, Petroski has some profile, I think, in the UFC, but they should probably get Vietta into actual contention sooner …"

MMA Vivisection

Lucrative James Expert Hesitant picked Feb 13, 2025 (2 days before fight)

Rodolfo Vieira

Lucrative James picks Rodolfo Vieira to win by submission in round 2 or 3, but is hesitant to lay the -250 price. He believes Vieira has the better submission grappling and intangibles like durability and mental toughness, while Petroski has better wrestling and possibly harder striking. He expects the fight to be messy on the feet, but if it goes to the ground, Vieira's jiu-jitsu will be a threat. He notes Petroski's chin is worse and Vieira is more technical on the feet, but Petroski could land a knockout. He sees value in Vieira's finishing ability but warns against the high price.

Rodolfo Vieira by submission in round 2 or 3

"I am picking Rulo Vieira in this one but I do not know how you can be confident laying a gigantic price tag like minus 250"

Lucrative MMA

MMA Lock of the Night Expert Confident picked Feb 15, 2025 (fight day)

Andre Petroski

Petroski has the power and wrestling advantage to shut down Vieira's grappling. He can either control from top position or use his striking to pressure and find a finish. Official prediction is Petroski by decision, but the host can't stomach parlaying Vieira.

Petroski by decision; cannot parlay Vieira

"I have to lean on the power that Petroski brings to the table... my official prediction is going to be Petroski by decision but I can't stomach thinking about parlaying Vieira in this spot."

MMA Lock of the Night

The MMA Guru Expert Confident picked Feb 13, 2025 (2 days before fight)

Rodolfo Vieira

The MMA Guru picks Rodolfo Vieira over Andre Petroski, citing Vieira's superior jiu-jitsu and better standup. He criticizes Petroski's poor striking and believes Vieira can stuff takedowns, win on the feet, and potentially submit Petroski if he shoots on bad terms.

submission

"I am GNA go Rulo Vieira just based on the Jiu-Jitsu degree"

THE MMA GURU

Zane Simon Expert Confident picked Feb 13, 2025 (2 days before fight)

Rodolfo Vieira

Zane picks Rodolfo Vieira confidently, citing Vieira's superior grappling credentials and improved MMA game. He notes that Vieira is a world champion BJJ practitioner who excels at top control and submissions, and has developed adequate boxing and wrestling. Zane contrasts this with Petroski, who relies on top control but will face a grappler of Vieira's skill and physical ability. He also mentions that Vieira has built up his cardio and is used to the pace of MMA fights, unlike in his loss to Hernandez.

Zane notes the odds: Vieira opened at -233 and is now -249, Petroski opened at +175 and is now +219. He says the odds make sense and that this is a pretty easy pick.

"So I got to pick him here. I think this is a pretty easy pick, honestly."

MMA Vivisection

WIN vs Armen Petrosyan

Submission (arm-triangle choke) R1 4:48 · UFC Fight Night: Hermansson vs. Pyfer · Feb 10, 2024

Totals

Fighter	KD	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Total Str.	TD	TD %	Sub. Att	Rev.	Ctrl
Rodolfo Vieira	0	6 of 11	54%	14 of 21	3 of 3	100%	1	0	2:46
Armen Petrosyan	0	9 of 20	45%	14 of 25	0 of 0	---	0	0	0:00

Per Round

Rd	Fighter	KD	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Total Str.	TD	TD %	Sub. Att	Rev.	Ctrl
1	Rodolfo Vieira	0	6 of 11	54%	14 of 21	3 of 3	100%	1	0	2:46
1	Armen Petrosyan	0	9 of 20	45%	14 of 25	0 of 0	---	0	0	0:00

Significant Strikes

Fighter	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Head	Body	Leg	Distance	Clinch	Ground
Rodolfo Vieira	6 of 11	54%	4 of 6	0 of 2	2 of 3	6 of 11	0 of 0	0 of 0
Armen Petrosyan	9 of 20	45%	1 of 10	1 of 3	7 of 7	9 of 20	0 of 0	0 of 0

Significant Strikes Per Round

Rd	Fighter	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Head	Body	Leg	Distance	Clinch	Ground
1	Rodolfo Vieira	6 of 11	54%	4 of 6	0 of 2	2 of 3	6 of 11	0 of 0	0 of 0
1	Armen Petrosyan	9 of 20	45%	1 of 10	1 of 3	7 of 7	9 of 20	0 of 0	0 of 0

Play-by-Play

View on Sherdog

Armen Petrosyan vs. Rodolfo Vieira
BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Vieira (-120), Petrosyan (+100)

Round 1
Rescheduled from November due to a fight-night scratch, this quintessential striker vs. grappler contest opens the main card, as ADCC and mundials all-star Vieira (9-2, 4-2 UFC) would like nothing more than to become the first man to tap out kickboxer Petrosyan (9-2, 3-1 UFC). No matter how it plays out, these two middleweights are primed to put on a show. Referee Mark Smith is on call to keep things on the up-and-up, and there is no bad blood between them as they even hugged it out before announcer Joe Martinez introduced them. They clap both hands together, and Petrosyan takes to the center of the cage and starts looking for a jab. It is Vieira who lands the jab first, although Petrosyan is quick to find it on his own. Petrosyan jams a low kick on the calf, and he scores a front kick and another low kick while Vieira is still watching him. They trade leg kicks, and Vieira hand-fights to prevent Petrosyan from landing a right hand. Petrosyan accepts this by turning his hips towards low kicks, and he uses a front kick like a jab. Vieira doubles up on a jab, leading Petrosyan to kicking him in the side. Vieira scoops up an easy single, and when Petrosyan scrambles, the Brazilian takes his back briefly. Petrosyan manages to get back up, only for “The Black Belt Hunter” to take him down again with a single. Vieira gets one hook around the side and allows Petrosyan to surrender position so he can fish for a choke. Petrosyan muscles his way back upright, and Vieira decides instead to lift “Superman” in the air and throw him down to the mat like a middleweight Matt Hughes. This time, Petrosyan is not so able to climb up the wall behind him, and Vieira moves to half guard while lowering his weight down for an arm-triangle choke. Vieira easily steps over to mount, and Petrosyan turns over to give up his back. Vieira lets this happen so he can get a rear-naked choke, and Petrosyan turns around to lay down flat on his back.
The Brazilian presses down with all his might and he locks down an arm-triangle choke, and it is academic at this point. With seconds to spare in the round, Petrosyan taps out twice, and he nearly goes out as Vieira releases the grip. Smith pulls them apart, and Petrosyan is incensed, perhaps not realizing that he surrendered.
Petrosyan tries to claim he did not submit to the move, but no one listens as the video plays on the big screen showing him tapping. Vieira still retains a 100% finish rate with his arm-triangle choke, and he claims the UFC record with the most submissions of this type in company history (four).

The Official Result
Rodolfo Vieira def. Armen Petrosyan R1 4:48 via Submission (Arm-Triangle Choke)

Angelo Bodetti Expert Confident picked Feb 4, 2024 (6 days before fight)

Rodolfo Vieira

Angelo highlights Rodolfo Vieira's world-class BJJ and explosiveness, and notes his improved striking and toughness shown in the Cody Brundage fight. Armen Petrosyan is a beast on the feet with a kickboxing background but has questionable takedown defense. Angelo believes the gap on the ground is wider than on the feet, and that Vieira will get takedowns and win. He is confident and looks for prop bets.

"Rolph Vier is going to be the pick pretty confident in him."

We Want Picks

Big Brady Expert Hesitant picked Feb 5, 2024 (5 days before fight)

Rodolfo Vieira

Big Brady hesitantly picks Rodolfo Vieira to win by first-round submission. He notes that Vieira is a legit BJJ black belt with incredible grappling, while Petrosyan has terrible takedown defense (36%) and gives up his back. However, Vieira has poor cardio and if Petrosyan survives the first round, he likely knocks Vieira out. He calls it a pick 'em fight.

first round submission

"I'm going to stick with Roda Vieira I'm going to take him to win this fight by first round submission"

DFS by the Numbers

Cody Saftic Expert Hesitant picked Feb 7, 2024 (3 days before fight)

Rodolfo Vieira

Cody picks Vieira, acknowledging Petrosyan is better on the feet. He thinks if Vieira can get the fight to the mat early, his BJJ is a threat. Cody notes Vieira's cardio issues but believes he can survive 15 minutes. He sees this as a close fight where Vieira's submission threat gives him the edge.

"Rulo for me"

Bookie Beatdown

MMA Lock of the Night Expert Lean picked Feb 5, 2024 (5 days before fight)

Armen Petrosyan

Petrosyan has shown improved takedown defense and submission defense, as seen against Gregory Rodrigues. He should be able to keep the fight standing and use his kickboxing to wear on Vieira, potentially finding a TKO in the second round. Vieira has cardio issues and is dangerous early, but Petrosyan's patience and technical discipline should allow him to survive and take over late.

fight doesn't go to decision

"I'm going to call it petan TKO round two uh fight doesn't go to decision would obviously be my favorite spot in this matchup"

MMA Lock of the Night

Paul Shaughnessy Expert Confident picked Feb 7, 2024 (3 days before fight)

Armen Petrosyan

Paul picks Petrosyan, citing his superior striking, cardio, and durability. He criticizes Vieira's takedown accuracy and cardio, noting he gassed against Anthony Hernandez. Petrosyan has shown good takedown defense and volume. Paul believes if Petrosyan survives the first round, he will take over and win by decision or late TKO.

"Arman all day"

Bookie Beatdown

The MMA Guru Expert Confident picked Feb 7, 2024 (3 days before fight)

Armen Petrosyan

The MMA Guru picks Armen Petrosyan because he believes Petrosyan has good takedown defense and a tucked-up style with short arms that makes him safer in close range. He thinks Petrosyan will chew up Vieira's legs and stuff takedowns early. He likes Petrosyan's work on the inside and expects him to get the win.

"I'm going to go with Arman petosan... I think he's got good takedown defense and uh I think he's going to chew up the legs of Rulo Vie the CF and then manag to stuff a lot of those takedowns …"

THE MMA GURU

WIN vs Cody Brundage

Submission (arm-triangle choke) R2 1:28 · UFC on ESPN: Song vs. Simon · Apr 29, 2023

Totals

Fighter	KD	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Total Str.	TD	TD %	Sub. Att	Rev.	Ctrl
Rodolfo Vieira	0	10 of 15	66%	30 of 37	1 of 7	14%	2	0	4:19
Cody Brundage	1	20 of 29	68%	41 of 51	0 of 0	---	1	0	1:04

Per Round

Rd	Fighter	KD	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Total Str.	TD	TD %	Sub. Att	Ctrl
1	Rodolfo Vieira	0	9 of 14	64%	28 of 34	1 of 6	16%	0	3:04
1	Cody Brundage	1	20 of 28	71%	41 of 50	0 of 0	---	0	1:04
2	Rodolfo Vieira	0	1 of 1	100%	2 of 3	0 of 1	0%	2	1:15
2	Cody Brundage	0	0 of 1	0%	0 of 1	0 of 0	---	1	0:00

Significant Strikes

Fighter	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Head	Body	Leg	Distance	Clinch	Ground
Rodolfo Vieira	10 of 15	66%	8 of 12	2 of 2	0 of 1	1 of 5	2 of 2	7 of 8
Cody Brundage	20 of 29	68%	17 of 26	1 of 1	2 of 2	10 of 18	0 of 0	10 of 11

Significant Strikes Per Round

Rd	Fighter	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Head	Body	Leg	Distance	Clinch	Ground
1	Rodolfo Vieira	9 of 14	64%	8 of 12	1 of 1	0 of 1	0 of 4	2 of 2	7 of 8
1	Cody Brundage	20 of 28	71%	17 of 25	1 of 1	2 of 2	10 of 17	0 of 0	10 of 11
2	Rodolfo Vieira	1 of 1	100%	0 of 0	1 of 1	0 of 0	1 of 1	0 of 0	0 of 0
2	Cody Brundage	0 of 1	0%	0 of 1	0 of 0	0 of 0	0 of 1	0 of 0	0 of 0

Play-by-Play

View on Sherdog

Cody Brundage vs. Rodolfo Vieira
BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Vieira (-240), Brundage (+200)

Round 1
Grappling ace Vieira has lost two of his last three UFC appearances, while Brundage is coming off a 2-1 campaign in 2022. Mark Smith will officiate the bout. Brundage kicks the leg and the body of his foe, then backs up Vieira with heavy punches. A clubbing overhand right has Vieira on the defensive. The Brazilian shoots for a single leg to stem the tide. Brundage defends against the fence, and then Vieira falls to his back in an attempt to initiate a grappling exchange. Vieira doesn’t like the position and returns to pushing Brundage into the fence. Vieira is already cut near his left eye from the early assault. Vieira locks his hands briefly but Brundage denies the takedown. Moments later, Vieira knees the cup of his foe and time is called. They resume the fight in space. Brundage wallops Vieira with an overhand right and the Brazilian hits the canvas. Vieira clings to a leg from half guard as Brundage hammers away with punches and elbows from above. Brundage stalls out and Vieira gets to his feet, locks his hands and looks for a takedown against the fence. He sweeps the leg out from Brundage and gets the American down. Vieira is on Brudage’s back with about 45 seconds to work. Vieira unloads with hammerfists to the side of the head. Vieira gets his hooks in and continues to attack with punches until the horn.

Sherdog Scores
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Brundage
Lev Pisarsky scores the round: 10-9 Brundage
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Brundage

Round 2
Vieira pressures Brundage near the fence and shoots for a single leg within 15 seconds. Brundage locks in a guillotine as they go to the canvas. Vieira pops his head free and can now work from half guard. The Brazilian looks to frame an arm triangle, but Brundage gives up his back to escape.
Brundage rolls back over again, a mistake which allows Vieira to lock the arm triangle in even tighter. This time there’s no escaping the submission, and Brundage has no choice but to ask out of the fight.
A big comeback victory for Vieira after being in danger early.

The Official Result
Rodolfo Vieira def. Cody Brundage via Submission (Arm-Triangle Choke) R2 1:28

Cody Saftic Expert Hesitant picked Apr 26, 2023 (3 days before fight)

Rodolfo Vieira

Cody picks Vieira but with low confidence, acknowledging Vieira's suspect cardio and takedown accuracy issues. He notes that Vieira's striking has improved and the constant takedown threat could open up opportunities. However, he is concerned about Vieira's gas tank and the possibility of Brundage taking him into deep waters. He ultimately sides with Vieira's world-class jiu-jitsu and pedigree.

"I will take Rodolfo Vieira but I'm gonna put a lower for this week despite that minus 250 price tag"

Bookie Beatdown

Connor Ruebusch Expert Confident picked Apr 27, 2023 (2 days before fight)

Rodolfo Vieira

Connor believes Vieira's BJJ and takedown game will be too much for Brundage. He notes Vieira's improved striking and cardio since the Hernandez fight, and that Brundage's limited toolkit won't keep the fight standing. He sees Brundage's only path as a knockout or tireless grappling, but doubts he can execute.

Odds mentioned: Vieira opened -260, currently -238. Brundage opened +230, currently +207.

"I have to pick Vieira."

MMA Vivisection

Paul Shaughnessy Expert Confident picked Apr 26, 2023 (3 days before fight)

Rodolfo Vieira

Paul picks Vieira and mentions a submission prop, noting that Vieira is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu specialist. He acknowledges Vieira's struggles with cardio and takedown accuracy but believes he can win even standing up. He suggests there may be a prop bet on Vieira by submission, though he hasn't looked deeply into props yet.

Rodolfo Vieira by submission

"Rodolfo Vieira by submission not exactly recreating the wheel here that'll be my official pick for this matchup"

Bookie Beatdown

Zane Simon Expert Confident picked Apr 27, 2023 (2 days before fight)

Rodolfo Vieira

Zane agrees, noting Vieira's grappling advantage and Brundage's lack of a strong defensive wrestling game. He thinks Brundage's best chance is a clinch-heavy approach, but doubts he can compete with Vieira in that area. He sees Vieira as a strong favorite.

Same odds commentary as Connor.

"I have to pick Vieira."

MMA Vivisection

LOSS vs Chris Curtis

Decision (unanimous) (29–28, 29–28, 29–28) R3 5:00 · UFC on ESPN: Tsarukyan vs. Gamrot · Jun 25, 2022

Totals

Fighter	KD	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Total Str.	TD	TD %	Sub. Att	Rev.	Ctrl
Chris Curtis	0	109 of 174	62%	128 of 193	0 of 0	---	0	0	0:35
Rodolfo Vieira	0	86 of 145	59%	90 of 149	0 of 20	0%	0	0	2:05

Per Round

Rd	Fighter	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Total Str.	TD	TD %	Ctrl
1	Chris Curtis	17 of 27	62%	28 of 38	0 of 0	---	0:13
1	Rodolfo Vieira	19 of 28	67%	22 of 31	0 of 7	0%	1:08
2	Chris Curtis	46 of 67	68%	49 of 70	0 of 0	---	0:04
2	Rodolfo Vieira	41 of 64	64%	42 of 65	0 of 3	0%	0:57
3	Chris Curtis	46 of 80	57%	51 of 85	0 of 0	---	0:18
3	Rodolfo Vieira	26 of 53	49%	26 of 53	0 of 10	0%	0:00

Significant Strikes

Fighter	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Head	Body	Leg	Distance	Clinch	Ground
Chris Curtis	109 of 174	62%	80 of 136	29 of 38	0 of 0	104 of 167	2 of 4	3 of 3
Rodolfo Vieira	86 of 145	59%	64 of 121	6 of 8	16 of 16	83 of 140	3 of 5	0 of 0

Significant Strikes Per Round

Rd	Fighter	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Head	Body	Leg	Distance	Clinch	Ground
1	Chris Curtis	17 of 27	62%	8 of 18	9 of 9	0 of 0	13 of 22	2 of 3	2 of 2
1	Rodolfo Vieira	19 of 28	67%	9 of 18	3 of 3	7 of 7	18 of 25	1 of 3	0 of 0
2	Chris Curtis	46 of 67	68%	36 of 54	10 of 13	0 of 0	46 of 66	0 of 1	0 of 0
2	Rodolfo Vieira	41 of 64	64%	32 of 53	2 of 4	7 of 7	39 of 62	2 of 2	0 of 0
3	Chris Curtis	46 of 80	57%	36 of 64	10 of 16	0 of 0	45 of 79	0 of 0	1 of 1
3	Rodolfo Vieira	26 of 53	49%	23 of 50	1 of 1	2 of 2	26 of 53	0 of 0	0 of 0

Play-by-Play

View on Sherdog

Chris Curtis vs. Rodolfo Vieira
BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Curtis (-135), Vieira (+115)

Round 1
The Cinderella story of Curtis (28-8, 2-0 UFC) continues with an exceptionally dangerous task ahead of him, as he faces “The Black Belt Hunter” Vieira (8-1, 3-1 UFC) and the Brazilian’s 100% finish rate. The interesting stylistic matchup will have referee Mark Smith on top of the proceedings, ready to step in at a moment’s notice. The middleweights shake hands, and Curtis claims the center of the cage to commence. A chess match ensues, with Vieira on the outside and a leg kick or two, while Curtis looks to cut him off. When Curtis lets go with two punches, Vieira darts forward in pursuit of a takedown. Totally fresh, Curtis muscles Vieira all the way around to end up on top. Vieira does not stay grounded for long before scrambling his way back to his feet, where he mashes Curtis into the fencing. Vieira looks to trip Curtis down, and he tosses out a knee. A second knee slams square into the cup, and Curtis falls to the ground in extreme pain. Smith sees it and gives Curtis time to recover, and Curtis takes 45 seconds before Smith resets them standing up. Curtis absorbs a low kick when advancing, and Vieira punches his way into a low-percentage takedown that is well short of the lead leg of his opponent. Vieira doubles down with a low single, jamming Curtis up to the wall, and Curtis leans against it so keep himself upright. Vieira keeps after the single, but Curtis stops it from landing. Vieira backs away and then dives into another attempt, and Curtis turns him aside and knees him in the face. The Brazilian slaps several clean leg kicks on the calf before loading up on an overhand right that stuns Curtis. “Action Man” gathers himself and loads up on a strike, but Vieira intercepts him with a kick that snaps into the cup. Curtis recovers as Smith determines with replay that the heel bumped into the cup, and that it was a legal blow, so he prompts Curtis to continue again without warning Vieira for a foul. Curtis keeps himself defensive so that he can stuff takedowns, and Vieira cracks him with several thumping punches on the chin. Curtis rips a pair of left hands to the liver, and Vieira sticks out a jab and goes back to the midsection with one of his own. The tense round ends with the horn.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Vieira
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Vieira
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Vieira

Round 2
The fighters touch gloves before getting after it, and Curtis leads the dance with a jab. Vieira is there to kick him back in the knee, and he lands another that makes Curtis recoil his leg. Curtis jabs the body and walks through a leg kick so that he can give chase, and he has a straight left hand go the midsection. Vieira scores a right hand and changes levels for a single, and it is deep as he lifts Curtis’ leg up in the air and pushes him all the way back to the fence. Vieira chains the attempt to a double, and that too fails as Curtis is able to stuff the attempt, even with his right leg trapped between Vieira’s. Vieira lets the leg go so that he can swing an uppercut, and Curtis absorbs it and comes out swinging. Vieira throws a body kick that connects with the cup, and Smith tells him to not worry about it and keep fighting. Vieira charges in for a takedown, and Curtis gets all the way back to pull his leg away and get to his feet. Curtis digs punches to the body while Vieira is aiming punches to the head, and Curtis is taking damage and getting shelled but not flinching. “Action Man” continues his assault to the body, and Vieira kicks him in the knee and it slides up to bump the cup of the unlucky Curtis. There is no pause here, and Curtis lets Vieira punch him so that he can counter him. Curtis slings a head kick that brushes past Vieira’s hair, and he knocks Vieira’s head back with a left hand. Vieira appears to be slowing, and Curtis acknowledges this with a brutal left to the sternum. Two punches on the nose get Vieira’s attention, as it is bloodied and damaged. Curtis aims his left to the liver again, and he follows it with a right over the top. Curtis totally shrugs off three punches so that he can strike, but the round ends before he can release.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Curtis
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Curtis
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Curtis

Round 3
The gloves get touched, and Curtis follows it immediately with a left hand. Curtis measures another, and he kicks out and lands on the elbow. Curtis is aggressive, throwing hands and backing Vieira up. The volume from Vieira is diminished while Curtis keeps swinging at him. Vieira shoots in for a desperation takedown, and Curtis shuts him down without batting an eye and sticks his hand in Vieira’s face. The Brazilian lunges in for a low takedown, and Curtis stuffs him and scores two punches over the top. Vieira reaches out with a one-two, and he jabs to disrupt Curtis. “Action Man” keeps the action going as he works the body, and he effortlessly stuffs a takedown and hops away to celebrate his perfect takedown defense. Vieira leans all the way in for another, and Curtis will not accept it. Vieira unleashes three powerful blows, and Curtis eats them all and gives a few back for good measure. Curtis aims punches to the head and body as Vieira tries to answer him back, but the punches continue to find the bloodied nose of Vieira. Curtis sees a telegraphed takedown coming, and after stopping it, he stuffs a second one. The American might get stung from a right hand, as his hands are low, but he uses the angle to blast Vieira in the ribs. Vieira comes up short on his umpteenth takedown, and his shots are labored and Curtis is able to make him pay with body shots. Curtis busts up the nose with a left hook, and Vieira slips it and stuffs a takedown. Vieira struggles to get back to his feet, but he tries another and fails. Vieira spams them to no avail, with Curtis clearly having done his homework and never once letting himself hit the mat thanks to Vieira’s effort. The final horn sounds as Vieira falls to his back, frustrated that his grappling was completely nullified after 15 minutes of exhausting action.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Curtis (29-28 Curtis)
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Curtis (29-28 Curtis)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Curtis (29-28 Curtis)

The Official Result
Chris Curtis def. Rodolfo Vieira via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Angelo Bodetti Expert Confident picked Jun 19, 2022 (6 days before fight)

Chris Curtis

Angelo picks Chris Curtis despite being 0-2 on his previous Curtis picks. He notes Curtis has proven takedown defense against Brendan Allen and Phil Hawes, and has legitimate power. He expects Curtis to get taken down but work back to his feet and land strikes. He has a moneyline bet on Curtis.

moneyline bet on Chris Curtis

"i am on the chris curtis side this time around he's proven that he has legit power he's proven that he can defend takedowns in the ufc"

We Want Picks

Big Brady Expert Confident picked Jun 21, 2022 (4 days before fight)

Rodolfo Vieira

Big Brady picks Rodolfo Vieira to win by first-round submission. He is confident that Vieira will take Curtis down early, citing Curtis's poor takedown defense and ground game from outside UFC footage (giving up back, making mistakes). He notes Vieira's elite BJJ and wrestling (5.77 takedowns per 15 minutes). He acknowledges Curtis's path to victory if he survives the first round (KO a tired Vieira), but doubts Curtis can survive. He calls it a finish-heavy fight.

Vieira wins by submission in round 1; fight doesn't go to decision

"i'm gonna take rodolfo vieira here for the upset i'm gonna take rodolfo vera to win by first round submission"

DFS by the Numbers

Cody Saftic Expert Confident picked Jun 22, 2022 (3 days before fight)

Chris Curtis

Cody is a big fan of Curtis, praising his takedown defense, durability, and ability to build steam as the fight goes. He thinks Vieira's striking is poor and he tires, so Curtis will finish him in the second or third round. He also likes Curtis by TKO and mentions Curtis round 3 at +1200.

Curtis by TKO; Curtis round 3 +1200

"i got action man finishing this thing part way through the second or early into the third"

Bookie Beatdown

Paul Shaughnessy Expert Confident picked Jun 22, 2022 (3 days before fight)

Chris Curtis

Paul agrees with Cody, noting that the market is moving towards a pick'em but he still likes Curtis. He mentions Curtis round 3 as a possible prop.

Curtis round 3 +1000 at DraftKings

"chris curtis round three we'll see if i get there but i see like ten to one at draftkings sportsbook"

Bookie Beatdown

The MMA Guru Expert Confident picked Jun 20, 2022 (5 days before fight)

Chris Curtis

The host picks Chris Curtis, noting he has been picking against him but now believes. He cites Curtis's wins over Brendan Allen and Phil Hawes, and his reach advantage. He criticizes Vieira's performance against Dustin Stoltzfus, where he was outlanded and couldn't keep him down. He predicts a second-round KO for Curtis.

second round KO prediction

"i'm siding with chris curtis"

THE MMA GURU

WIN vs Dustin Stoltzfus

Submission (rear-naked choke) R3 1:54 · UFC on ESPN: Makhachev vs. Moises · Jul 17, 2021

Totals

Fighter	KD	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Total Str.	TD	TD %	Sub. Att	Rev.	Ctrl
Rodolfo Vieira	0	49 of 88	55%	52 of 93	3 of 4	75%	1	0	2:10
Dustin Stoltzfus	0	67 of 192	34%	83 of 209	0 of 3	0%	0	1	0:09

Per Round

Rd	Fighter	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Total Str.	TD	TD %	Sub. Att	Rev.	Ctrl
1	Rodolfo Vieira	23 of 46	50%	23 of 46	0 of 0	---	0	0	0:00
1	Dustin Stoltzfus	34 of 94	36%	37 of 97	0 of 1	0%	0	0	0:02
2	Rodolfo Vieira	25 of 41	60%	26 of 43	1 of 2	50%	0	0	0:45
2	Dustin Stoltzfus	29 of 87	33%	33 of 92	0 of 2	0%	0	0	0:00
3	Rodolfo Vieira	1 of 1	100%	3 of 4	2 of 2	100%	1	0	1:25
3	Dustin Stoltzfus	4 of 11	36%	13 of 20	0 of 0	---	0	1	0:07

Significant Strikes

Fighter	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Head	Body	Leg	Distance	Clinch	Ground
Rodolfo Vieira	49 of 88	55%	42 of 81	2 of 2	5 of 5	49 of 88	0 of 0	0 of 0
Dustin Stoltzfus	67 of 192	34%	53 of 170	11 of 18	3 of 4	64 of 187	2 of 3	1 of 2

Significant Strikes Per Round

Rd	Fighter	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Head	Body	Leg	Distance	Clinch	Ground
1	Rodolfo Vieira	23 of 46	50%	20 of 43	1 of 1	2 of 2	23 of 46	0 of 0	0 of 0
1	Dustin Stoltzfus	34 of 94	36%	26 of 79	6 of 12	2 of 3	34 of 93	0 of 1	0 of 0
2	Rodolfo Vieira	25 of 41	60%	21 of 37	1 of 1	3 of 3	25 of 41	0 of 0	0 of 0
2	Dustin Stoltzfus	29 of 87	33%	23 of 80	5 of 6	1 of 1	27 of 85	2 of 2	0 of 0
3	Rodolfo Vieira	1 of 1	100%	1 of 1	0 of 0	0 of 0	1 of 1	0 of 0	0 of 0
3	Dustin Stoltzfus	4 of 11	36%	4 of 11	0 of 0	0 of 0	3 of 9	0 of 0	1 of 2

Play-by-Play

View on Sherdog

Dustin Stoltzfus vs. Rodolfo Vieira

Round 1
It’s grappler versus grappler in this middleweight fight next, as Vieira (7-1, 2-1 UFC) tries to rebound from the first loss of his MMA career and his first submission defeat in a decade against crafty threat Stoltzfus (13-2, 0-1 UFC). Referee Herb Dean will be minding his P’s and Q’s for this one that may not last that long, and although Vieira offers a glove touch, Stoltzfus is not having it and would prefer to get on with the scheduled violence. Vieira takes the center of the cage and sticks out his left hand a few times, but follows one with a right hand that catches Stoltzfus right on the chin. Stoltzfus returns fire with a leg kick and a straight left hand, and Vieira blocks the strike that comes after. The Brazilian dings his man with a left hand right on the nose, and he has his guard up in time as his foe responds with a trio of strikes. Both land right hands at the same time, and it is Stoltzfus who pushes forward after with a few jabs. Vieira sneaks in a right hand as he dodges and moves, and he digs the thigh of his opponent with a heavy kick. Stoltzfus is content to jab out with several punches, and the powerful strikes from Vieira have busted the nose of the American. A left hand makes Stoltzfus spin around, but Stoltzfus comes back with a vengeance as he charges with a flurry of punches. Vieira largely stays out of the way and elusive as he circles out, but Stoltzfus splits the guard with a left hand. Stoltzfus fires off a spinning kick to the thigh as if he were Andy Hug, and Vieira absorbs a few jabs that have his right eye swelling up quickly. Stoltzfus strides forward with a combination, and he punctuates it with a solid kick. Vieira fires back, only to absorb an overhand right at the end of a few punches. Vieira snaps out a jab to the damaged nose of his opponent, and Stoltzfus may be bloodied from them but he is right there to throw back. They both fire off nasty strikes in close proximity, and Vieira goes back to the jab that is starting to cause a bend in Stoltzfus’ nose. Stoltzfus looks to pressure him, but Vieira stays on his bike and circles away. Stoltzfus follows him and kicks him in the face with a spinning back kick, and Vieira looks surprised but not hurt. Both men have done some damage with jabs, and Stoltzfus sprints ahead with a flying knee that knocks Vieira off-balance as the round ends.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Vieira
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Vieira
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Vieira

Round 2
This round, when Vieira offers a glove touch, Stoltzfus obliges him. Vieira takes the center of the cage, and he runs ahead to take the fight down. With a powerful force, he scoops Stoltzfus off the ground and slams him down hard. Stoltzfus scoots his way to the fence and stands up, and he defends his back as Vieira tries to take it. Stoltzfus breaks the grip and pushes the Brazilian off of him, where they begin to jab at one another again. The American lands at the end of a one-two, and Vieira shakes it off and times a leg kick as Stoltzfus advances. Stoltzfus goes after a similar combination, and this time, Vieira sees it and stops it. Stoltzfus tries to crowd him with a right hand in close range, and Vieira rolls with it and swats away a follow-up body kick. Vieira clubs Stoltzfus with a right hand on the way in, and he surprises Stoltzfus with a left hand. The jabs from Vieira have Stoltzfus guessing and stuck when he tries to step in, and when Stoltzfus looks to power through it, Vieira chops down his lead leg. The jab continues to find its home until Stoltzfus shoots low for a takedown, and Vieira laughs it off and gets back to his piston-like jab. Blood begins to trickle and then stream out of Stoltzfus’ nose as the jab continues to find its home again and again, and Vieira is able to easily get out of the way when Stoltzfus charges him a few times. “The Black Belt Hunter” hunts Stoltzfus with a left hook as Stoltzfus comes forward, and he clips Stoltzfus with a right hand. Vieira eats a cracking right hand that sends him staggering back, and Stoltzfus tries to do more damage with a knee but the Brazilian is able to get his bearings and retreat in time. Vieira’s jab is in full display, busting open the cheek of his foe as he mixes up punches with leg kicks. Stoltzfus stings Vieira with a right hand, and he shoots low for a takedown but is stood right up. Vieira presses his foe into the fencing until the bell rings.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Vieira
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Vieira
Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Vieira

Round 3
The gloves are touched to begin the final frame, and both men are ready to throw hands. Stoltzfus reaches him with a right hand, and right as Vieira is about to counter, he ducks down and charges in to grab Stoltzfus and take him down. The successful takedown allows Vieira to land in half guard, and Stoltzfus defends with a kimura to nearly sweep him. Stoltzfus lifts his whole body with one arm, and as he climbs back to his feet, Vieira is there to target a double. Stoltzfus defends with a guillotine choke, and Vieira easily pulls his neck out.
The American muscles his way to his feet again, and like a coiled snake striking, Vieira leaps in the air and snags standing back control. “The Black Belt Hunter” snatches up the neck in an instant, and he wrenches it with all of his might as Stoltzfus is in grave danger. Stoltzfus topples over to the ground from this position, and he surrenders in a panic as soon as the middleweights hit the floor.
This was a statement performance for the Brazilian, who bounced back from a hard loss to prove he can manage his energy and secure a late finish over a man that had never before been stopped.

The Official Result
Rodolfo Vieira def. Dustin Stoltzfus R3 1:54 via Submission (Rear-Naked Choke)

Cody Saftic Expert Confident picked Jul 14, 2021 (3 days before fight)

Rodolfo Vieira

Cody sees Rodolfo Vieira as a prop fighter, not a moneyline play. He believes Vieira will either submit Stoltzfus early or fade badly. He has placed bets on Vieira by submission in round one and by submission in any round, citing Vieira's world-class jiu-jitsu and explosive takedowns. He warns against the moneyline due to Vieira's questionable cardio and striking.

Vieira by sub round one (+225), Vieira by sub (-105)

"I got vieira by sub round one and i've got vieira by sub uh flac because maybe gets him in the second round or something like that."

Bookie Beatdown

Paul Shaughnessy Expert picked Jul 14, 2021 (3 days before fight)

Paul is not interested in betting this fight due to the poor moneyline value. He highlights Vieira's one-dimensional style, poor cardio, and the fact that Stoltzfus has never been submitted. He thinks Vieira is a bust and that Stoltzfus could win if Vieira gasses, but he does not make a pick.

"It's another fight I just don't really care to bet the line's not good."

Bookie Beatdown

View all 11 fights

Saparbeg Safarov - Fight History

LOSS vs Rodolfo Vieira

Submission (arm-triangle choke) R1 2:58 · UFC 248: Adesanya vs. Romero · Mar 07, 2020

Totals

Fighter	KD	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Total Str.	TD	TD %	Sub. Att	Rev.	Ctrl
Rodolfo Vieira	0	5 of 10	50%	10 of 15	2 of 2	100%	1	0	1:53
Saparbeg Safarov	0	5 of 10	50%	7 of 12	0 of 0	---	0	0	0:00

Per Round

Rd	Fighter	KD	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Total Str.	TD	TD %	Sub. Att	Rev.	Ctrl
1	Rodolfo Vieira	0	5 of 10	50%	10 of 15	2 of 2	100%	1	0	1:53
1	Saparbeg Safarov	0	5 of 10	50%	7 of 12	0 of 0	---	0	0	0:00

Significant Strikes

Fighter	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Head	Body	Leg	Distance	Clinch	Ground
Rodolfo Vieira	5 of 10	50%	5 of 10	0 of 0	0 of 0	0 of 3	0 of 0	5 of 7
Saparbeg Safarov	5 of 10	50%	2 of 7	1 of 1	2 of 2	5 of 10	0 of 0	0 of 0

Significant Strikes Per Round

Rd	Fighter	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Head	Body	Leg	Distance	Clinch	Ground
1	Rodolfo Vieira	5 of 10	50%	5 of 10	0 of 0	0 of 0	0 of 3	0 of 0	5 of 7
1	Saparbeg Safarov	5 of 10	50%	2 of 7	1 of 1	2 of 2	5 of 10	0 of 0	0 of 0

Play-by-Play

View on Sherdog

185: Rodolfo Vieira vs. Saparbek Safarov

Round 1
The first of several undefeated fighters competing tonight is up next, with the submission-minded Vieira (6-0, 1-0 UFC) putting his unblemished record on the line against Dagestani brawler Safarov (9-2, 1-2 UFC) at middleweight. The third man inside the Octagon is referee Jason Herzog. They touch gloves, and after 15 seconds, Safarov finally throws the first strike in the form of a jab. He misses, and similarly comes up short with a front kick while Vieira tries to figure out his timing. Safarov goes to the leg with a kick, and sneaks up a front kick that hurts Vieira. The Brazilian immediately shoots in for a takedown, but Safarov powerfully turns him about and stands up. Vieira closes back in and throws him down, and we see some blood on the nose of Vieira as he takes Safarov’s back. As Safarov tries to fight off the choke attempt and prevent punches, he grabs the glove multiple times, causing Herzog to pause the action for a moment. Safarov then puts his fingers in the fence and Herzog slaps his hand away, before again pulling on the gloves to get out of a choke. As the old adage goes, "if you ain't cheating, you ain't trying." Vieira flattens out his opponent for a moment and slams down a few punches, before taking mount as Safarov rolls to his back.
Vieira sets up a speedy arm-triangle, and hops over to side control to finalize it like a snake devouring its prey. With absolutely no way out, Safarov taps out once and it is unnoticed. He then taps several more times, and Herzog stops the fight.
When “The Black Belt Hunter” stands back up after the fight is called, we see a massive cut over his left eye, and his eye is completely closed while the swelling grows rapidly. Had he not gotten the submission, he could have been in the danger zone, but instead the Brazilian records his seventh win. They have all come by stoppage.

The Official Result
Rodolfo Vieira def. Saparbek Safarov R1 2:58 via Submission (Arm-Triangle Choke)

Daniel Levi Expert Confident picked Mar 5, 2020 (2 days before fight)

Rodolfo Vieira

Daniel is extremely confident in Vieira, predicting a first-round submission. He notes that Vieira is a black belt killer and that once he gets a takedown, the fight will be over shortly. He mentions that Safarov is a dirty fighter but has a messed-up leg and a time limit on how long he can stay live.

Daniel picks Rodolfo Vieira via first-round submission.

"I'm going to Rodolfo Viera via first round submission."

Half the Battle

MMA Lock of the Night Expert Confident picked Mar 5, 2020 (2 days before fight)

Rodolfo Vieira

Vieira is a BJJ ace who will overpower Safarov and submit him quickly. Safarov has cardio but poor submission defense. However, Vieira's own cardio is suspect; if he doesn't finish early, Safarov could outlast him. The host recommends betting Vieira inside the distance rather than straight moneyline, as the odds are too high for a parlay.

Win inside the distance at -255. Do not parlay straight.

"Do not put Rodolfo Vieira in a parlay of any sort at minus 750... I'm gonna pick him to win by first round submission."

MMA Lock of the Night

The MMA Guru Expert Confident picked Feb 27, 2020 (9 days before fight)

Rodolfo Vieira

The MMA Guru picks Rodolfo Vieira, a four-time world jiu-jitsu champion with a 6-0 MMA record. He notes Vieira is strong and implements his game well, though he is a bit smaller. He expects Vieira to dominate Safarov, who is 1-2 in the UFC and coming off a win but previously lost two in a row.

"I'm going with Rodolfo Vieira and he's just a savage I think he's gonna get the job done he is a little bit smaller than a lot of these guys but he's strong as [ __ ] very strong he …"

THE MMA GURU

WIN vs Nicolae Negumereanu

Decision (unanimous) (29–26, 29–26, 29–27) R3 5:00 · UFC Fight Night: Till vs. Masvidal · Mar 16, 2019

Totals

Fighter	KD	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Total Str.	TD	TD %	Sub. Att	Rev.	Ctrl
Saparbeg Safarov	0	11 of 27	40%	20 of 36	0 of 0	---	0	0	0:00
Nicolae Negumereanu	0	70 of 86	81%	139 of 156	3 of 5	60%	0	0	10:46

Per Round

Rd	Fighter	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Total Str.	TD	TD %	Ctrl
1	Saparbeg Safarov	7 of 14	50%	12 of 19	0 of 0	---	0:00
1	Nicolae Negumereanu	17 of 22	77%	26 of 31	1 of 2	50%	3:00
2	Saparbeg Safarov	4 of 11	36%	7 of 14	0 of 0	---	0:00
2	Nicolae Negumereanu	35 of 46	76%	50 of 62	1 of 1	100%	3:15
3	Saparbeg Safarov	0 of 2	0%	1 of 3	0 of 0	---	0:00
3	Nicolae Negumereanu	18 of 18	100%	63 of 63	1 of 2	50%	4:31

Significant Strikes

Fighter	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Head	Body	Leg	Distance	Clinch	Ground
Saparbeg Safarov	11 of 27	40%	5 of 17	3 of 7	3 of 3	7 of 19	4 of 8	0 of 0
Nicolae Negumereanu	70 of 86	81%	60 of 74	2 of 2	8 of 10	16 of 24	4 of 6	50 of 56

Significant Strikes Per Round

Rd	Fighter	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Head	Body	Leg	Distance	Clinch	Ground
1	Saparbeg Safarov	7 of 14	50%	2 of 5	3 of 7	2 of 2	3 of 6	4 of 8	0 of 0
1	Nicolae Negumereanu	17 of 22	77%	12 of 15	1 of 1	4 of 6	7 of 10	4 of 6	6 of 6
2	Saparbeg Safarov	4 of 11	36%	3 of 10	0 of 0	1 of 1	4 of 11	0 of 0	0 of 0
2	Nicolae Negumereanu	35 of 46	76%	34 of 45	0 of 0	1 of 1	7 of 12	0 of 0	28 of 34
3	Saparbeg Safarov	0 of 2	0%	0 of 2	0 of 0	0 of 0	0 of 2	0 of 0	0 of 0
3	Nicolae Negumereanu	18 of 18	100%	14 of 14	1 of 1	3 of 3	2 of 2	0 of 0	16 of 16

LOSS vs Tyson Pedro

Submission (kimura) R1 3:54 · UFC 221: Romero vs. Rockhold · Feb 11, 2018

Totals

Fighter	KD	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Total Str.	TD	TD %	Sub. Att	Rev.	Ctrl
Tyson Pedro	0	12 of 23	52%	17 of 28	0 of 1	0%	1	0	0:01
Saparbeg Safarov	0	8 of 22	36%	10 of 24	2 of 5	40%	0	0	1:18

Per Round

Rd	Fighter	KD	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Total Str.	TD	TD %	Sub. Att	Rev.	Ctrl
1	Tyson Pedro	0	12 of 23	52%	17 of 28	0 of 1	0%	1	0	0:01
1	Saparbeg Safarov	0	8 of 22	36%	10 of 24	2 of 5	40%	0	0	1:18

Significant Strikes

Fighter	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Head	Body	Leg	Distance	Clinch	Ground
Tyson Pedro	12 of 23	52%	6 of 17	2 of 2	4 of 4	10 of 18	2 of 5	0 of 0
Saparbeg Safarov	8 of 22	36%	6 of 20	1 of 1	1 of 1	4 of 14	3 of 6	1 of 2

Significant Strikes Per Round

Rd	Fighter	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Head	Body	Leg	Distance	Clinch	Ground
1	Tyson Pedro	12 of 23	52%	6 of 17	2 of 2	4 of 4	10 of 18	2 of 5	0 of 0
1	Saparbeg Safarov	8 of 22	36%	6 of 20	1 of 1	1 of 1	4 of 14	3 of 6	1 of 2

LOSS vs Gian Villante

TKO (punches and elbows) R2 2:54 · UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs. Abdurakhimov · Dec 09, 2016

Totals

Fighter	KD	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Total Str.	TD	TD %	Sub. Att	Rev.	Ctrl
Gian Villante	1	60 of 108	55%	73 of 121	0 of 0	---	0	0	0:24
Saparbeg Safarov	0	37 of 131	28%	37 of 131	0 of 2	0%	0	0	0:12

Per Round

Rd	Fighter	KD	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Total Str.	TD	TD %	Ctrl
1	Gian Villante	1	35 of 69	50%	38 of 72	0 of 0	---	0:24
1	Saparbeg Safarov	0	31 of 98	31%	31 of 98	0 of 0	---	0:12
2	Gian Villante	0	25 of 39	64%	35 of 49	0 of 0	---	0:00
2	Saparbeg Safarov	0	6 of 33	18%	6 of 33	0 of 2	0%	0:00

Significant Strikes

Fighter	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Head	Body	Leg	Distance	Clinch	Ground
Gian Villante	60 of 108	55%	49 of 93	2 of 5	9 of 10	40 of 81	10 of 11	10 of 16
Saparbeg Safarov	37 of 131	28%	30 of 120	6 of 10	1 of 1	35 of 126	2 of 4	0 of 1

Significant Strikes Per Round

Rd	Fighter	Sig. Str.	Sig. Str. %	Head	Body	Leg	Distance	Clinch	Ground
1	Gian Villante	35 of 69	50%	29 of 63	2 of 2	4 of 4	23 of 51	2 of 2	10 of 16
1	Saparbeg Safarov	31 of 98	31%	25 of 89	5 of 8	1 of 1	29 of 94	2 of 4	0 of 0
2	Gian Villante	25 of 39	64%	20 of 30	0 of 3	5 of 6	17 of 30	8 of 9	0 of 0
2	Saparbeg Safarov	6 of 33	18%	5 of 31	1 of 2	0 of 0	6 of 32	0 of 0	0 of 1

Expert Picks (3)

Daniel Levi Expert Confident picked Mar 5, 2020 (2 days before fight)

Rodolfo Vieira

Daniel picks Rodolfo Vieira via first-round submission.

"I'm going to Rodolfo Viera via first round submission."

Half the Battle

MMA Lock of the Night Expert Confident picked Mar 5, 2020 (2 days before fight)

Rodolfo Vieira

Win inside the distance at -255. Do not parlay straight.

"Do not put Rodolfo Vieira in a parlay of any sort at minus 750... I'm gonna pick him to win by first round submission."

MMA Lock of the Night

The MMA Guru Expert Confident picked Feb 27, 2020 (9 days before fight)

Rodolfo Vieira

"I'm going with Rodolfo Vieira and he's just a savage I think he's gonna get the job done he is a little bit smaller than a lot of these guys but he's strong as [ __ ] very strong he implements his game"

THE MMA GURU

Rodolfo Vieira

Saparbeg Safarov

Career Averages - Rodolfo Vieira

Career Averages - Saparbeg Safarov

Rodolfo Vieira - Fight History

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Saparbeg Safarov - Fight History

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Expert Picks (3)