As a prelude to the UFC Fight Night main event, Sandhagen vs. Figueiredo, Daniel Rodriguez will clash against Santiago Ponzinibbio in the 170 LBS division at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, Iowa. Although it’s not one of the highly anticipated quick cards, it offers very good betting opportunities, as you’ll see in this prediction. As usual, let’s begin by checking the profiles of the fighters in this bout.
Daniel Rodriguez AKA “D-Rod”
Currently ranked #36 on the Worldwide MMA Rankings, Daniel Rodriguez has a professional record of 18-5-0 and has a southpaw fight stance, with a reach of 74”. He lands 7.5 strikes on average per minute for a strike accuracy of 54%. D-Rod attempts on average 0.59 takedowns and 0.1 submissions every 15 minutes on average. The 38-year-old American comes to the fight weighing 77.1 KG and a height of 185cm.
D-Rod is on a 1-game winning streak after defeating Alex Morono in his last fight by split decision in round 3. In that fight, he landed 123 of 257 significant strikes he attempted, and of all 153 significant strikes directed towards the head, he landed 44. Morono, on the other hand, connected 74 of 257 significant strikes in that bout, landing 58 of 228 directed at the head.
Santiago Ponzinibbio AKA “Argentine Dagger”
The “Argentine Dagger” maintains an orthodox stance and comes to this fight with a professional record of 30-8-0. He is much more experienced than his opponent but has been very inconsistent as well, losing two consecutive fights before winning Carlston Harris by KO/TKO some months ago. The 38-year-old fighter comes to this fight weighing 77.6 KG, a height of 183 cm, and a reach of 73”.
On average, Ponzinibbio lands 4.8 significant strikes per minute, with a striking accuracy of 41%. Also, he attempts 0.56 takedowns on average every 15 minutes, with a takedown accuracy of 32%.
Don’t count on the Argentine Dagger to attempt submissions! That’s not something he thrives at. However, expect powerful strikes and kicks from him, as he always goes for the KO/TKO. You can see from his record, 17 of his 30 wins came from knockouts, making him one of the most feared KO/TKO artists in the division.
If he keeps the fight standing, he stands a better chance of winning. On the other hand, if the fight goes to the ground, Rodriguez, being better at grappling, could pull out an easy win by submission.
As earlier mentioned, he won his last contest against Carlston Harris. That victory came as a result of a powerful round 3 punch to the head. In that fight, Harris landed 78 of 211 total strikes attempted, while Ponzinibbio landed 76 of 175 total strikes. Regarding the strikes aimed at the head, Harris landed 40 of 142 strikes while Ponzinibbio landed 57 of 151.
The Prediction
Both fighters are on a 1-win streak, but I fancy Rodriguez to win this contest. He has better grappling skills, a better reach, and also lands more strikes per minute than his opponent. The odds on him are around 1.9, so hurry up and register on Game2Bet before they drop.
