The Ultimate Fighting Championship returns to our screens with UFC Vegas 102, and I’m back to break down this banger of a fight night card!
Jose Delgado, Connor Matthews, Andre Petroski, and Rodolfo Vieira are involved in two main card bangers, and I’m seeing some noteworthy betting value we can attack.
Let’s waste no more time and dive right into my favorite UFC Vegas 102 main card analysis and predictions.
Picks Summary
- Jose Delgado Wins Inside the Distance (+105) at Bet365
- Andre Petroski ML (+205) at Caesars Sportsbook
UFC Vegas 102 Event Information
- Date & Time: Saturday, February 15, 2025 – 04:00 PM ET
- Location: UFC Apex, Las Vegas
- Scheduled Fights: 12
- Main Event: Jared Cannonier vs. Gregory Rodrigues (UFC Middleweight Bout)
Jose Delgado vs. Connor Matthews
UFC Vegas 102 Featherweight Main Card Bout
Jose Delgado
Jose Delgado, representing the MMA Lab, recently punched his ticket into the UFC via a brutal knee to the cranium knockout on Dana White’s Contender Series last August. I don’t know what it is, but there’s an aura surrounding this savage, who’s won eight of his nine pro-MMA bouts by knockout or submission.
- Delgado Pro MMA Record: 8-1
- Delgado KOs: 4
- Delgado Submissions: 4
Connor Matthews
Similarly, Connor Matthews reached the UFC featherweight division through DWCS. However, the New England Cartel fighter, who’ll be fighting alongside his teammate Calvin Kattar this weekend, already made his UFC debut last year, and it wasn’t pretty. An average Dennis Buzukja finished the newcomer in round three, and now Matthews looks for his bounce-back spot versus a fellow newcomer this Saturday.
- Matthews Pro MMA Record: 7-2
- Matthews KOs: 1
- Matthews Submissions: 5
Delgado vs. Matthews: Fight Tape Analysis
When researching the regional scene and DWCS fight tapes of Delgado and Matthews, I see a true fighter who loves bringing violence to the octagon in the former, while the latter tries too hard to rely on what’s brought him the most success, which is grounded situations and a lot of rear-naked choke.
Relying on the rear-naked choke, I believe, will be a fault for Matthews. Delgado is no slouch on the ground; he’s never been tapped, and whenever this fight takes place on the feet, he’s the obvious A-side who also hunts for the finish like a man possessed.
UFC Vegas 102 Main Card Odds & Prediction
I’m keeping this one basic, but when you put these two up-and-comers side by side, Delgado is clearly more talented with more MMA tools at his disposal. As a result, the UFC prices place him as the betting favorite but don’t be shocked when he finds a finish.
It’ll most likely take place on the feet and via knockout, but I love Delgado to find a finish this weekend and the plus-money attached to it. Matthew’s proved he couldn’t avoid the stoppage at a UFC level in his debut, and Delgado is arguably much more violent than Matthew’s previous opponent was.
UFC Pick: Delgado Wins Inside the Distance (+105) [1u returns 1.05u profit] at Bet365 (check our Bet365 Review)
Rodolfo Vieira vs. Andre Petroski
UFC Vegas 102 Middleweight Main Card Bout
Rodolfo Vieira
You can only land so many arm triangles on opponents before future foes will know exactly what to avoid, and without said BJJ skills, is Rodolfo Vieira worth the hype attached to his name?
Defeating a one-dimensional striker in Armen Petrosyan is okay. Having troubles with Cody Brundage before finding the submission is questionable. Losing to Chris Curtis and Anthony Hernandez, whom both have great takedown defense, proves that Vieira, without his grappling advantage, is all but doomed in the octagon.
- Vieira Pro MMA Record: 10-2
- Vieira KOs: 1
- Vieira Submissions: 9
Andre Petroski
Andre Petroski has provided a mixed bag of results since 2023, but for the majority of his UFC tenure, a 7-2 record isn’t bad whatsoever. Moreover, he’s a solid all-rounder who has finishing capability in any area of the fight.
There is a blip on the record involving BJJ, although this ninja choke loss to Bryan Battle isn’t official because it was on The Ultimate Fighter. We can, however, give him a pass, especially when he’s proven to have solid takedown and BJJ defense, which even saw him defeat Gerald Meerschaert by decision.
- Petroski Pro MMA Record: 12-3
- Petroski KOs: 4
- Petroski Submissions: 4
Vieira vs. Petroski: Fight Tape Analysis
Meerschaert, who has 29 wins by submission, might not be on the world level of BJJ as Vieira, but when it comes to submissions in MMA, he’s the master. Watching Petroski avoid said submissions gives me confidence in his ability to avoid Vieira’s clear advantage in this realm.
Moreover, Vieira’s wrestling isn’t great, so getting the fight to the ground might prove difficult versus Petroski, who’s no slouch in this area.
Now, considering a pure striking battle is possible, we cannot ignore Petroski’s chance of victory. Not to say Petroski is some high-level kickboxer, but Vieira is grapple or bust, and when it comes to striking exchanges, he’s completely lost for the most part.
UFC Vegas 102 Main Card Odds & Prediction
The UFC pricing with OddsTraders’ top sportsbooks places Petroski as the betting underdog. With the potential of this resulting in a striking battle, I’m not allowing the hype of Vieira’s BJJ to cloud my judgment, especially when he’s done nothing to earn such a wide betting line.
UFC Pick: Petroski ML (+201) [1 returns 2.01u profit] at Caesars Sportsbook (check our Caesars Sportsbook Review)
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*The line and/or odds referenced in this article might have changed since the content was published. For the latest information on line movements, visit OddsTrader’s free betting odds tool.
