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Prediction, pick for Iwo Baraniewski vs. Junior Tafa at UFC Vegas 118

Prediction, pick for Iwo Baraniewski vs. Junior Tafa at UFC Vegas 118

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By: Ryan Wohl

Rising star in the Light Heavyweight division, Iwo Baraniewski faces Junior Tafa in the opening bout of tonight’s UFC Fight Night event. Baraniewski, 27, has a perfect undefeated record of 8-0 with eight first-round finishes. Since earning a contract on Dana White’s Contender Series in September 2025, Baraniewski has gone 2-0 in the UFC. Tafa’s record is currently 7-5 with seven knockouts.

Check out my best bet for Iwo Baraniewski vs. Junior Tafa at this week’s UFC Fight Night.

Iwo Baraniewski to win by KO/TKO/DQ (-150)

Tafa is 3-5 since joining the UFC in April 2023, and recently beat Kevin Christian, his first victory since 2024. Since moving to the Light Heavyweight division, Tafa is 1-2 with two submission losses. Only one of Tafa’s 12 fights in his career has gone to a decision.

Baraniewski has looked like a future title contender, having destroyed everyone in his path so far. His professional MMA career only began 21 months ago, and this will be his ninth fight in that span. Even as the competition hasn’t gotten tougher, Baraniewski has continued to display his dominance.

In this contest, Baraniewski is a -375 favorite with Tafa as the underdog at +295 on DraftKings Sportsbook. This fight’s over/under is 1.5 rounds, with the under at -360. Baraniewski has won his last six fights by first-round knockout. With that being the case, I’m taking him at -150 to beat Tafa by KO/TKO/DQ. If Baraniewski comes out as aggressive as he has been recently, it is highly unlikely that Tafa will be able to respond.

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Ryan is a University of Arizona graduate and Philadelphia native. Since 2024, he has been a writer for DraftKings Network, primarily covering combat sports. He is a big Philly sports fan and loves to collect sneakers, as well.
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