The second bout of this week’s UFC Fight Night card features a Heavyweight contest between Shamil Gaziev vs. Brando Pericic. Gaziev has started his UFC career 3-2, while Pericic is 2-0 with two first-round knockouts in the promotion. Pericic’s overall record sits at 6-1 with six finishes, and this will be his seventh fight in the last two years.
Check out my best bet for Shamil Gaziev vs. Brando Pericic at UFC Perth.
Brando Pericic to Win by KO/TKO/DQ or Submission (-125)
Brando Pericic is from Australia but trains at the legendary New Zealand gym, City Kickboxing. City Kickboxing has produced UFC Champions like Israel Adesanya, Alexander Volkanovski, and, most recently, Carlos Ulberg. Pericic has shown elite potential in the UFC, with his athleticism and power standing out.
Shamil Gaziev is ranked No. 14 at Heavyweight and is the more experienced fighter in this matchup. He is 2-1 in his previous three contests but is coming off a loss to Waldo Cortes-Acosta. In this contest, Pericic has a once-inch advantage in height (6’5″ vs. 6’4″) and reach (79″ vs. 78″).
On DraftKings Sportsbook, Gaziev is a -125 favorite while Pericic is the underdog at +105 in this contest. When facing a top-tier opponent like Cortes-Acosta, we saw Gaziev struggle in a fast-paced fight, and we expect the same. If Pericic controls the distance while having a high output reality in this bout, it likely won’t take long for him to pick up a finish.
