UFC 298 Odds, Prediction: Anthony Hernandez vs. Roman Kopylov

Pegged at No. 15 in the UFC middleweight rankings, Hernandez has been idle since last May, when he claimed a third-round TKO win over Edmen Shahbazyan at UFC Vegas 73 that marked his fourth finish during his current 5-1 run. Kopylov has won four straight since opening his UFC career with back-to-back defeats, with each of those wins coming by knockout, capped by a second-round KO of Josh Fremd last time out at Noche UFC, last September.

Hernandez has emerged as a clear -250 favourite to win on the UFC 298 odds and a solid +100 bet to claim victory by KO/TKO, DQ, or submission. Kopylov trails as a +200 underdog, while the odds of this fight going the distance are listed at +165.

Anthony Hernandez UFC 298 Odds

After a rough start to his UFC career, Hernandez has finally found his groove. The winner in just one of his first three UFC contests, “Fluffy” has been dominant at times while winning his past four to improve his pro MMA record to 11-2 with one no-contest. While Hernandez has built a solid reputation as a submission specialist while claiming victory by tap-out on seven occasions, he also demonstrated impressive striking prowess in his recent victory over Shahbazyan while landing 77 total strikes, the most of his UFC career.

However, make no mistake, Hernandez is at his best when the action moves to the mat. The 30-year-old American cut his teeth as a wrestler and kicked off his pro career with submission wins inside five minutes in four of his first five fights. In addition to being the all-time leader among UFC middleweights with a significant strike accuracy of 61.9 per cent, he is also ranks among the best middleweights ever in takedowns, takedown accuracy, submission attempts and submission wins per 15 minutes.

Roman Kopylov UFC 298 Odds

Like Hernandez, Kopylov struggled in his UFC debut, with losses in his first two octagon appearances, but has quickly established himself as the candidate to muscle his way into the UFC middleweight rankings with four straight wins including Performance of the Night victories over Fremd and Punahele Soriano. A five-time world champion in hand-to-hand combat sambo, the 32-year-old Russian sports solid grappling credentials.

However, it is his striking ability that has fuelled his success. Kopylov has averaged an impressive 4.72 strikes landed per minute since joining the UFC. But even more important to his chances on Saturday night is his defensive abilities, including a 92 per cent takedown defence that ranks second among active UFC middleweights, as well as a formidable 60.6 per cent significant strike defence.

UFC 298 Prediction: Hernandez vs. Kopylov

Kopylov is well positioned to be the toughest opponent that Hernandez has faced in his UFC career, both standing and on the mat. However, Hernandez’ ability to establish dominance early and successfully change levels gives him the clear edge in this contest.

Prediction: Hernandez by KO/TKO, DQ, or submission (+100)