UFC Fight Night 259: Rodrigo Sezinando vs Daniil Donchenko Preview & Prediction
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The TUF Welterweight finale takes place after an initial delay due to injury, with Rodrigo Sezinando returning to face the surging Daniil Donchenko.
Rodrigo Sezinando vs Daniil Donchenko facts
What time are Rodrigo Sezinando and Daniil Donchenko expected to walk out?
Where is UFC Fight Night 259: Lopes vs Silva? Frost Bank Center, San Antonio, USA
Where can I get tickets for UFC Fight Night 259: Lopes vs Silva? Click here for the latest ticket information for UFC Fight Night 259
What TV channel is UFC Fight Night 259: Lopes vs Silva on? UK – TNT Sports / USA – ESPN+
Where can I stream UFC Fight Night 259: Lopes vs Silva? UK – TNT Sports subscribers can stream the event online via the TNT Sports website and discovery+ / USA – ESPN+ & UFC Fight Pass
UFC Fight Night 259: Lopes vs Silva main card
Diego Lopes vs Jean Silva (Featherweight)
Rob Font vs David Martinez (Bantamweight)
Rafa Garcia vs Jared Gordon (Lightweight)
Kelvin Gastelum vs Dustin Stoltzfus (Middleweight)
Santiago Luna vs Quang Le (Bantamweight)
UFC Fight Night 259: Lopes vs Silva prelims
Alexander Hernandez vs Carlos Diego Ferreira (Lightweight)
Jose Daniel Medina vs Dusko Todorovic (Middleweight)
Claudio Puelles vs Joaquim Silva (Lightweight)
Tatiana Suarez vs Amanda Lemos (Women’s Strawweight)
Jesus Santos Aguilar vs Luis Gurule (Flyweight)
Zachary Reese vs Sedriques Dumas (Middleweight)
Alessandro Costa vs Alden Coria (Flyweight)
Montserrat Rendon vs Alice Pereira (Women’s Bantamweight)
Rodrigo Sezinando vs Daniil Donchenko (Welterweight)
Rodrigo Sezinando: Forced out of the original match up with an injury, Sezinando returns as the underdog
Team Cormier's first welterweight pick on TUF 33, Rodrigo Sezinando (8-1) arrives in the finale after an injury forced him out of his first scheduled meeting with Donchenko at UFC 319. The 27 year old Brazilian scored two decision victories over Diego Banchini and Jeff Creighton over the course of the reality show's latest season to punch his ticket to the finale. A smothering grappler with excellent top pressure, Sezinando does his best work when he's able to drag his opponents to the mat and into his world. The Brazilian has scored stoppages in all but one of his professional contests and hasn't lost a fight since 2022.
Daniil Donchenko: Can the Ukranian bruiser score his tenth career stoppage in his first UFC fight?
Serving as TUF 33's dark horse contender, Daniil Donchenko (11-2) produced a statement victory in his last appearance on the show, obliterating Matt Dixon with strikes in the first round to earn his spot in the welterweight finale. A ferocious striker who never stops hunting for the stoppage, the 24 year old Ukrainian prospect has finished nine out of eleven professional victories, with seven of those wins coming by way of brutal KO. In addition to his planishing of the aforementioned Dixon, Donchenko also beat Richard Martins by unanimous decision on his way to the final.
Rodrigo Sezinando vs Daniil Donchenko prediction
The oddsmakers may be siding with Donchenko to get this one done, but it's worth noting that TUF finales can be notoriously unpredictable. Case in point, Alibi Idiris recently closed as an enormous favorite over Joseph Morales in TUF 33's flyweight final at UFC 319, only for "Bopo" to complete dominate him en route to a second round submission victory via triangle choke.
However, given the danger that the he poses on the feet and the fact that Sezinando is returning from injury, Donchenko still remains the safe pick to emerge on top here. Despite the fact that the Brazilian was initially touted as the favorite going into TUF, his Ukrainian counterpart arguably had the more impressive run to the final by the end of it.
Sezinando has also been proven to be slightly reckless on the feet, something that could bode ill for him when faced with a puncher of Donchenko's caliber. The Ukrainian can also be a little wild with his striking at times, but his sheer power and volume have historically been enough to overwhelm the vast majority of his opponents to date.
Sezinando could potentially earn the upset victory if he's able to drag his foe to the mat and keep him there, but Donchenko's wrestling defense has proven to be fairly solid up to this point in his career. Don't be shocked if Sezinando manages to score the upset here, but the Ukrainian outworks him to a decision or a late finish.
Prediction: Daniil Donchenko to win
