The UFC is headed to Los Angeles, California, for UFC 331 with an exciting rematch in the flyweight division. Flyweight champion Joshua Van is facing Alexandre Pantoja in a rematch, with Pantoja looking to regain his strap after suffering an injury in the first 30 seconds of their first bout. The whole card looks exciting, but I have two underdogs that I love on the prelims. The prelims begin at 5:30 p.m. ET, while the main card starts at 9:00 p.m. ET, all on Paramount+. Below are my top UFC 331 prelims card picks for Shahbazyan vs. Ferreira.
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UFC 331 Prelims Card Picks: Shahbazyan vs. Ferreira
(Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)
Edmen Shahbazyan (-180) vs. Brunno Ferreira (+150)
Edmen Shahbazyan and Brunno Ferreira are squaring off in the third fight of the night. These middleweights have a lot of experience in the UFC and have fought quality opponents lately. This is an exciting matchup, but their styles may clash.
Shahbazyan is a technical striker who likes to fight at range. He lands 4.06 significant strikes and absorbs 3.87 significant strikes per minute. He does wrestle a little bit, but does not always show it, and has not landed a takedown since March 2024.
Ferreira is a pressure fighter who has a lot of power. He hits very hard and has three knockout victories in the UFC. Ferreira has lost two consecutive fights, but against really solid competition. He lost to Ikram Aliskerov in June and to Gregory Rodrigues by knockout in a rematch, after Ferreira had won the first by knockout in 2023.
Shahbazyan has not fought the same level of competition lately. Brendan Allen won a unanimous decision in his last fight, his best win in years. He beat Andre Muniz, Andre Petroski and Dylan Budka before that. Ferreira has shown signs of improvement in his recent bouts, despite losing to better competition. He is mispriced in this matchup and can win this fight via a swarming, pressure-style knockout.
Bet: Brunno Ferreira Moneyline (+150)
