This weekend in Mexico City, all eyes will be on Yair Rodriguez as he looks to make it two in a row by defeating Jeremy Stephens.
Rodriguez vs. Stephens is set as the main event of the UFC Fight Night event that features 12 fights.
As always, we’re here to bring you all of the best odds for every fight happening this Saturday, as well as a detailed fight breakdown and prediction for the main event.
Let’s get started!
UFC Mexico City – Best Odds
Main Card
- Yair Rodriguez (-102) vs. Jeremy Stephens (-115)
- Alexa Grasso (-125) vs. Carla Esparza (+105)
- Askar Askarov (-160) vs. Brandon Moreno (+140)
- Irene Aldana (-600) vs. Vanessa Melo (+450)
- Martin Bravo (-110) vs. Steven Peterson (-110)
Prelims
- Carlos Huachin (+120) vs. Jose Quinonez (-140)
- Kyle Nelson (-125) vs. Marco Polo Reyes (+105)
- Angela Hill (-150) vs. Ariane Carnelossi (+130)
- Sergio Pettis (-345) vs. Tyson Nam (+285)
- Paul Craig (+105) vs. Vinicius Moreira (-125)
- Bethe Correia (+245) vs. Sijara Eubanks (-290)
- Claudio Puelles (-300) vs. Marco Mariano (+250)
Yair Rodriguez vs. Jeremy Stephens
Yair Rodriguez will step into the cage in Mexico City this Saturday night for the first time since his jaw-dropping knockout finish of Chan Sung Jung in November last year. The exciting 26-year-old fighter was attempting to bounce back from his second career defeat and looked to be on the way to consecutive losses after The Korean Zombie controlled the majority of the contest.
However, in the final seconds of the 25-minute fight, Rodriguez connected with a remarkable spinning-back-elbow attack that ended up helping him to one of the greatest knockouts in UFC history.
That one strike allowed “El Pantera” to dodge a second-straight defeat and instead regain prospect status.
Jeremy Stephens has been competing in the UFC since 2007 and has gained notoriety for heavy punching power and devastating finishing ability.
Despite a losing record since 2014 with the company, Stephens is still particularly dangerous and represents a considerable challenge for Rodriguez, who failed against Frankie Edgar, another skilled veteran of the division, in May 2017.
In Stephens’ last fight, he lost a unanimous decision to the highly-touted Zabit Magomedosharipov in March, making it two defeats in a row after he lost to former featherweight champion Jose Aldo in July 2018.
Yair Rodriguez vs. Jeremy Stephens Odds
Fight Breakdown
Yair Rodriguez is one of a few fighters in the UFC who could be considered as having more style than substance. His over-the-top flashy taekwondo style looks spectacular and has proven to be exciting for as long as he’s been in the UFC.
Rodriguez sets the pace in most of his fights and looks to apply pressure in an extremely different way to how Jeremy Stephens does. Rodriguez looks to overload his opponent with attempted kicks to the legs, body, and head, acting as a persistent threat. He’ll switch between stances and look to land his kicks even within boxing range.
When it comes to the mat, Rodriguez will be remembered for how he was dominated by Frankie Edgar for minutes at a time. However, Rodriguez does have a relatively crafty guard and can attack all kinds of funky submissions including leg locks from unexpected positions.
But there’s a fair chance that this fight doesn’t even head to the floor, as Stephens is likely to enjoy success on the feet against Rodriguez. Stephens is almost the opposite of Rodriguez in the way that he isn’t flashy at all. Rather, he’ll just come forward and look to land his powerful punches and heavy leg kicks.
Most of Stephens’ game revolves around his strong right hand. Whether it comes over the top like an overhand or straight down the middle if he can start landing this shot against Rodriguez he’s probably well on his way to winning.
Like Edgar, who mauled Rodriguez, Stephens has strong ground and pound ability. If he manages to drop Rodriguez to the mat and follow him there, that could be a determining factor in this fight.
The odds have every right to be close to even in this fight as almost anything can happen. When it comes down to it, though, we’re going to put our money behind the veteran who has the ability to take over in this fight once it hits rounds three, four, and five. The knockout blow is always on the table for Stephens and if he can slow Rodriguez down with those heavy leg kicks, he’ll increase his chances of finishing the fight with that shot.
Bet on Jeremy Stephens to win:
Read More:
- Beginner’s Guide to UFC Betting
- What’s different between weight classes in the UFC?
- 5 MMA Betting Experts Talk UFC Gambling Strategies, Advice, and Best Tips
- The 5 Most Shocking Upsets in UFC Title Fight History
Jake is a mixed martial arts reporter from Australia. At WagerBop, he merges his appreciation of combat sports and a strong passion for analytics to uncover opportunities for readers.
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