Jonathan Martinez vs. Marcelo Rojo Odds, Preview and Prediction, (September 4): UFC

Credit: Thomas Shea-USA TODAY Sports

Odds

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Preview

A pair of Bantamweights open the show, as Johnathan Martinez takes on Marcelo Rojo. Martinez enters this fight off a loss to Davey Grant. A fight that saw Martinez be finished for the first time in his career. Before the defeat, Martinez had won four of his last five fights. Meanwhile, Rojo too comes into this fight off a loss. In what was a back-and-forth slugfest with Charles Jourdain, Rojo eventually succumbed via strikes. It was a fight Rojo is very much accustomed to, as he’s yet to see a decision in a little over nine years.

Prediction

This is an excellent fight to open the card, as both men fancy themselves strikers. Jonathan Martinez features power and an array of leg attacks. In fact, Martinez is morphing into Alistair Overeem, as he’s beginning to build a reputation for his knee strikes. In five UFC victories, Martinez has finished two opponents due to knee strikes. He’s going to need them in this fight, as Marcelo Rojo is an absolute handful on the feet. The Argentinian is a brawler, who uses his pressure and aggressiveness to swarm and finish his foes. An effective method, as fourteen of Rojo’s wins have come via stoppage. 

As for a prediction, I have Martinez. Despite his most recent fight, where he was finished for the first time in his career, Martinez is very durable. An important factor in this fight, especially when considering Rojo’s comes forward and is a volume striker. The reason however why I side with Martinez, is the combination of Rojo’s taking this fight on short notice and Martinez’s body work. The later the fight goes, the more tired and vulnerable Rojo’s will be. In the end, Martinez’s cardio and body work will lead him to a late TKO victory.

PICK:  Jonathan Martinez (-170)

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