Alex Pereira is back to defend his belt at UFC 313 in the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. He has become one of the biggest superstars in the sport and remains as active as ever. He will fight Magomed Ankalaev in one of the toughest matchups of his career. Fan-favorite Justin Gaethje will also fight Rafael Fiziev in the co-main event. The event will begin at 6:30 p.m. EST, and the main card starts at 10 EST on pay-per-view.
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UFC 313 Preliminary Card Odds, Picks & Predictions (2025)
(Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)
Brunno Ferreira (+120) vs. Armen Petrosyan (-142)
Brunno Ferreira has five fights in the UFC, with a 3-2 record. His last fight against Abus Magomedov went to third round, but Ferreira was submitted. He makes fights ugly, and that will benefit him against Armen Petrosyan. Petrosyan has a similar style to Magomedov, but he does not have the wrestling ability of Magomedov. Ferreira was taken down four times in that matchup and will not have to worry about the takedown in this fight. Petrosyan is a former kickboxer who does not have much power. This fight will stay on the feet, and Ferriera will make it dirty.
Ferreira has lots of power, which has been Petrosyan's weakness in the UFC. Petrosyan is a point-fighter who likes to stay at range and pick his opponent apart to win on the scorecards. Ferreira is likely losing this fight until he finds the power blow. Petrosyan was also knocked out by a spinning back fist in his last fight in October by Shara Magomedov. Ferreira needs to find his chin, and I think he does.
Curtis Blaydes (–325) vs. Rizvan Kuniev (+260)
This fight is a weird one made by the matchmakers. Rizvan Kuniev is making his UFC debut after winning twice on Dana White's Contender Series and securing his contract with a first-round knockout. Curtis "Razor" Blaydes has been a staple of the heavyweight division since 2016 and fought for the title in his last fight. Kuniev is jumping to the highest level of competition, which is not something the UFC usually does.
Kuniev has the wrestling ability to stop Blaydes' takedowns. He is from Dagestan and has experience outside of the UFC. He beat Renan Ferreira via unanimous decision in the PFL before it was overturned due to Kuniev testing positive for anabolic steroids. Blaydes has been violently knocked out in two of his last three fights and has durability concerns. His chin is his biggest weakness, so he relies on his wrestling. That wrestling ability is going to get negated in this matchup. It was negated in both of those knockout losses.
Kuniev is getting thrown into the fire, but this is a solid matchup for him. The worries for Kuniev are if he is nervous and tentative early in this fight. Blaydes still packs a punch in the heavyweight division and could flat-line any opponent, but I expect Kuniev to enter the octagon prepared. He should close the gap against Blaydes, find a knockout elbow or punch, and get the crowd going before the main card begins.
Bet: Rizvan Kuniev (+260)
