Brian Kelleher vs. Domingo Pilarte Odds, Preview and Prediction (August 21): UFC

Brian Kelleher vs. Domingo Pilarte Odds, Preview and Prediction (August 21): UFC

Odds
Time (Preliminary Card) 7:00 p.m. EST
Brian Kelleher money line -175
Domingo Pilarte money line +150

 

Key stats
  Brian Kelleher Domingo Pilarte
Height 5'6 6'0
Weigh 135 135
Reach 66" 73"
Record 22-12 8-2
Streak L1 L1
Last 5 3-2 3-1, 1 no contest

 

Preview

Bantamweights Brian Kelleher and Domingo Pilarte look to bounce back, as they match up in an important fight. Kelleher is coming off a defeat to Ricky Simon, where he was thoroughly dominated for three rounds. Prior to the defeat, Kelleher had pulled off a 39 second submission victory over Ray Rodriguez. As for Pilarte, it’s been a rough couple of fights. A close split decision loss saw him no longer undefeated, and then in Pilarte’s next fight, he was knocked out in 38 seconds. A win is very much needed for Pilarte if he wishes to remain in the UFC.

Prediction

It’s been 18 months since Domingo Pilarte last stepped inside the octagon. It’s been even longer since his last win, which came over three years ago. The sheer amount of mental toughness it takes to endure that brewing over you for that long is pretty impressive. However, I’m often one to lean towards active fighters. Since the start of 2020, Brian Kelleher has fought five times. He has won three of those fights, all via stoppage.

The one aspect of this fight that concerns me about Kelleher is if he can stuff Pilarte’s takedowns. Before fighting Ricky Simon, the Long Island native boasted a serviceable 72% takedown defense. Simon dropped that percentage down to 59%, as he took Kelleher down six times. Then again, Simon is a solid wrestler and had already notched 32 takedowns in his previous seven fights. Pilarte isn’t at that level, and even if he does shoot in for a takedown, Kelleher has a nasty guillotine to be scared about. In the end, Kelleher is just the better all around fighter and has the power to put away Pilarte. So with that, I have ‘Boom’ winning via TKO.

PICK: Brian Kelleher (-175)

Find more sports picks from the top sports bettors and MMA experts all in one place using our iOS and Google Play apps, as well as our other articles at Kingpin.pro.  We are the home for MMA picks, sports picks and sports betting.

Winnings $20,259
last 30 days winnings $0
Yesterday winnings $0
Top Sport MLB
W-L-D 71 - 39 - 1
Winnings % 63%
Winnings $13,066
last 30 days winnings $0
Yesterday winnings $0
Top Sport NCAAB
W-L-D 21 - 5 - 2
Winnings % 75%