Preview: UFC Fight Night 205 Prelims

Light Heavyweights

NR | Tyson Pedro (7-3, 3-3 UFC) vs. NR | Isaac Villanueva (18-13, 1-4 UFC)

BETUS ODDS: Pedro (-600), Villanueva (+400)

Amazingly, Mike Jackson’s return means that Pedro does not have the longest layoff on this card, but it is nice to see him finally return after almost three and a half years on the shelf. Pedro quickly gained some hype early in his UFC career. He was extremely raw upon his 2016 debut but showed some impressive clinch and submission skills in quick wins over Khalil Rountree and Paul Craig. With the light heavyweight division in need of new blood and the UFC looking for marketable fighters in Pedro’s native Australia, that meant he got a quick push up the ladder that was not entirely successful. Pedro had his moments but would lose three out of his next four bouts. The December 2018 card out of Adelaide, Australia, figured to be a breakout night for Pedro and his brother-in-law, heavyweight Tai Tuivasa, but it did not go particularly well for either man. Tuivasa lost in the main event, and Pedro got outworked by an aging Mauricio Rua before suffering a knee injury that led directly to a late finish. Tuivasa eventually rebounded to become a current contender, while Pedro has been out since due to that injury, finally returning here against Villanueva. One of the UFC’s first post-pandemic signings, Villanueva has carved out a niche as a fun brawler, but while all five of his UFC fights have been quick and entertaining scraps, “Hurricane Ike” has only won once thus far—a January 2021 knockout of Vinicius Moreira. Pedro is not the most efficient or defensive fighter, with most of his striking coming via kicks from range that do not particularly connect to his clinch game. However, Villanueva has struggled against anyone who does anything but stand and box with him. Pedro’s kicking alone might be enough, but he will probably wind up finding a way to get this to the mat in short order and get the ball rolling towards a finish, provided the long layoff has not greatly diminished his skills. The pick is Pedro via first-round submission.

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