UFC action is back on tap, as Daniel Rodriguez and Dwight Grant mix it up in a welterweight bout on the main card at UFC on ESPN 15 Saturday at the UFC’s APEX Facility in Las Vegas. The prelims kick off at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN/ESPN+, followed by the main card set for 9 p.m. ET.
Rodriguez (12-1) has two fights on his ledger since arriving at the UFC level, and he has had the fists flying. He has posted 8.60 significant strikes landed per minute with a 48.26 significant strike-accuracy percentage. The sample size isn’t great, however, as it is just two fights. Rodriguez has ripped off eight straight victories since his only career setback Dec. 1, 2017 on Combate Americas 19: Queen Warriors, a split-decision loss to Victor Reyna. Six of Rodriguez’s past eight fights have finished inside the distance, too, including a submission win over Tim Means in his UFC debut on Feb. 15, 2020, in Rio Rancho, N.M.
Grant (10-2) steps in at the last minute for Takashi Sato, who was not cleared to compete by the Nevada Athletic Commission at Friday’s weigh-in. Jared Gooden was originally supposed to fight Grant on this card but pulled out due to an undisclosed injury. Calen Born stepped in, but he did not make weight in Friday, so Grant was without an opponent until Rodriguez also needed a dance partner.
Physically, Grant is a much more even fighter, as he is an identical 6-foot-1 and 170 pounds like Rodriguez, and he even has a two-inch reach advantage over his counterpart. The biggest disparity is in significant strikes landed per minute, as he has just 2.87 to 8.60 for Rodriguez. Grant – nicknamed “The Body Snatcher” – enters with a lot of confidence after a split-decision win over Alan Jouban on the UFC 236 card on April 13, 2019.
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Daniel Rodriguez vs. Dwight Grant betting odds
Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Saturday at 4:40 a.m. ET.
RODRIGUEZ (-223) is a heavy favorite to top Grant (+180), and you can expect this fight to go nowhere near the distance. Rodriguez landed 8.60 significant strikes per minute, and he’ll fire out of the chute looking to floor his opponent early. Grant is 7-0 via KO/TKO in his career in 12 professional fights, including a first-round KO/TKO of Carlo Pedersoli on Feb. 23, 2019. But this fight with Rodriguez is a huge step up, and he will be overwhelmed. It’s unlikely this fight even sees the third round.
To watch the full card, sign up for ESPN+ now.
Also see:
- Grant, Rodriguez last-minute matchup (MMA Junkie)
- UFC on ESPN 15 predictions (MMA Junkie)
- MMA Junkie – The latest UFC/MMA coverage
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