UFC Fight Night Volkov vs. Rozenstruik Picks, Predictions, Odds
There was no UFC event on Memorial Day weekend, so fight fans have had an extra week to sink their teeth into UFC Vegas 56 (AKA UFC Fight Night: Volkov vs. Rozenstruik). Heavyweights Alexander Volkov and Jairzinho Rozenstruik will square off in the main event, while the co-main event will pit featherweights Dan Ige and Movsar Evloev against one another. Former CFL linebacker Alonzo Menifield will also be in action, as he faces Askar Mozharov.
UFC Vegas 56 will be held on Saturday, June 4, 2022, from the UFC Apex center in Las Vegas, Nevada. The prelims will get underway at 1 p.m. ET, while the main card is going to start at 4 p.m. ET. This entire event will only be available through ESPN+.
Alexander Volkov vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik Picks
Former M-1 Global Heavyweight Champion Alexander Volkov won his first four fights after joining the UFC in late 2016. Volkov has come close to receiving a title shot a few times, but he has continually come up short against the top fighters in the heavyweight division. He was knocked out by Derrick Lewis, submitted by Tom Aspinall, and lost decisions in main events to Curtis Blaydes and Ciryl Gane.
Volkov has 22 knockout victories to his credit, and he stands a good chance of doing what only Francis Ngannou has done before…knocking out Jairzinho Rozenstruik. While Rozenstruik had a lot of buzz surrounding him after his quick knockouts of Allen Crowder and Andrei Arlovski, that has dissipated significantly since Ngannou finished him within 20 seconds two years ago. Rozenstruik has alternated wins and losses since that point, and he has shown that he can’t beat quality fighters if he doesn’t knock them out early. That makes Volkov the play in the main event, but the better bet is for this fight to be over in three rounds.
To Win Fight: Alexander Volkov (-150)
Total Rounds: Under 3.5 (+100)
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Dan Ige vs. Movsar Evloev Picks
It’s been tough for one-time event headliner Dan Ige recently. Ige has lost three of his last four fights, and two of his three most recent wins came by split decision. His only solid performance was a quick knockout of Gavin Tucker, but Tucker is not one of the best fighters in the division.
That has led to a considerable amount of action on Movsar Evloev. The Russian featherweight is the largest favorite in the main card, and his odds have moved from -400 to -450 over the last few days. Evloev is 15-0 as a professional fighter, and he was the M-1 Global Bantamweight Championship holder for over a year before joining the UFC. Although he has been impressive with a 5-0 record since signing on with the promotion, this price is a bit too much considering he has yet to face elite competition.
To Win Fight: Dan Ige (+350)
Total Rounds: Over 2.5 (-300)
Alonzo Menifield vs. Askar Mozharov Picks
Askar Mozharov will be making his UFC debut at this event. He has bounced around different promotions over his career, but his dominance in the PPC Kratos Cup in late 2020 garnered the attention of the UFC. Mozharov is out to prove that he belongs in the highest level of MMA, yet he is just 17-12 in his professional career.
Alonzo Menifield has seen his career stall out over the last two years. Menifield was heralded as the next big thing after starting his MMA career 9-0, but he has lost three of his last five bouts. His stamina is better than most light heavyweights his age, and that gives him a nice advantage over a promotional newcomer.
To Win Fight: Alonzo Menifield (-163)
Total Rounds: Over 2.5 (+450)
