[autotag]Brunno Ferreira[/autotag] and [autotag]Dustin Stoltzfus[/autotag] meet Saturday on the main card of UFC on ESPN 57 from KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Ky. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup from MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom.
Brunno Ferreira vs. Dustin Stoltzfus UFC on ESPN 57 preview
Ferreira (11-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) will look to keep the momentum going after successfully rebounding from the first loss of his pro career last July to Nursulton Ruziboev. In January, Ferreira stopped Phil Hawes in the closing seconds of Round 1 to get back on track. … Stoltzfus (15-5 MMA, 2-4 UFC) is also coming off a victory in his last outing, having defeated Punahele Soriano in December. He will be looking for his first back-to-back string of wins in his UFC tenure.
Brunno Ferreira vs. Dustin Stoltzfus UFC on ESPN 57 expert pick, prediction
Fulfilling the UFC matchers’ fetish for force-feeding us as many middleweight matchups possible on a main card is a fight between Ferreira and Stoltzfus.
Although I initially was a bit bullish on the Ferreira side, I believe that Stoltzfus is livelier than the betting lines suggest.
Not only is Ferreira largely unproven past the first frame, but Stoltzfus – who spent part of this training camp at Xtreme Couture MMA – demonstrated some solid improvements in his last outing, making me suspect he’s live to upset some parlays.
If it were any other week, I’d probably lean into my usual bias of fading first-round finishers like Ferreira. This week, however, I’ll be siding with the explosive knockout artist to finish Stoltzfus with a knee in Round 2.
Brunno Ferreira vs. Dustin Stoltzfus UFC on ESPN 57 odds
The oddsmakers and the public are favoring the Brazilian fighter, listing Ferreira at -280, with Stoltzfus as an underdog at +210, via FanDuel.
Brunno Ferreira vs. Dustin Stoltzfus UFC on ESPN 57 start time, how to watch
Ferreira and Stoltzfus are expected to make their walks to the octagon at approximately 9:05 p.m. ET. The fight broadcasts live on ESPN and streams on ESPN+.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 57.