MMA Preview – Chris Curtis vs Rodolfo Vieira at UFC on ESPN 38
Click here for today’s sports betting tips from our expert analysts!
CHRIS CURTIS VS RODOLFO VIEIRA FACTS
When is UFC on ESPN 38? Sunday 26th June, 2022 - 01:00 start (UK)
Where is UFC on ESPN 38? UFC APEX, Enterprise, Nevada (US)
Where can I get tickets for UFC on ESPN 38? Click here for the latest ticket information for UFC events
What channel is UFC on ESPN 38 on? BT Sport 1
Where can I stream UFC on ESPN 38? BT Sport subscribers can stream the fight online via the BT Sport website
For viewers in the United States, the event will be shown live on ESPN+ and you can sign up for access as part of a Disney Bundle here!
CHRIS CURTIS VS RODOLFO VIEIRA LOWDOWN
Chris Curtis (28-8) is still on cloud nine after causing two huge upsets. He finally got his UFC call-up after a five-fight win streak for various promotions and filled in for Deron Winn to take on on Phil Hawes (2021). Hawes requested pushing the fight back to have a bit of time to prepare for Curtis, but it was not enough as he got smoked in the first round. Curtis was a +275 underdog then and in his next fight against Brendan Allen (2021) he was a +250 underdog. This time it took him two rounds to find the knockout.
As a reward he has been handed another monster in form of Rodolfo Vieira (8-1). The decorated Brazilian jiu-jitsu powerhouse submitted six victims in his first seven fights including clinical arm triangles on Oskar Piechota (2019) and Saparbek Safarov (2020) seamlessly transitioning to MMA, that was until his cardio got tested. He took on Anthony Hernandez (2021) who weathered the first five minutes and proceeded to pull off one of the biggest shocks in recent history, submitting an exhausted jiu-jitsu world champion in the second round. Vieira got straight back to old ways five months later subbing Dustin Stoltzfus.
CHRIS CURTIS VS RODOLFO VIEIRA PREDICTION
This will all come down to if Vieira can take Curtis down early. He is a chiselled beast, but he has poor endurance and will not be able to hang with Curtis on the feet. The longer the fight goes on, the more he will fatigue and become an easy target for Curtis’ heavy hands.
Curtis will be giving up a lot of weight, but he has great takedown defence. Vieira’s wrestling is not the most efficient and a few failed takedown attempts will swing this firmly in Curtis’ favour. If the fight hits the deck, it will only be a matter of time before the Brazilian finds a submission.
Curtis is the favourite, but considering Vieira is a big middleweight and Curtis is more of a welterweight makes this very interesting. That said, we are backing Curtis to fend off the takedown attempts for the first round to then turn the tide capitalizing on Vieira’s terrible gas tank to find a late knockout.
Prediction: Curtis via KO/TKO - CLICK HERE FOR PARIMATCH'S WELCOME OFFER (BET £5, GET £30 IN BONUSES!)
Value Bet: Vieira via Submission
