Pedro Munhoz vs. Jimmie Rivera is on the main card for UFC Fight Night betting on Saturday, February 27 at the UFC Apex in Vegas.
These two were expected to square off at UFC 258 before a positive test delayed the bout. This should be an exciting fight between a pair of bantamweight contenders and UFC odds have Rivera as a -148 favorite while Munhoz comes back at +120.
We break down the UFC betting odds for this fight and give our best Munhoz vs. Rivera picks and predictions for UFC Fight Night action on February 27.
Munhoz vs Rivera fight odds
| Method of Victory | Pedro Munhoz | Jimmie Rivera |
|---|---|---|
| Win Outright | +120 | -148 |
| Draw | +5,000 | +5,000 |
Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook
Munhoz vs Rivera betting preview
Pedro "The Young Punisher" Munhoz is No. 8 ranked bantamweight contender and will be looking to snap out of a two-fight losing streak after consecutive defeats to Aljamain Sterling and Frankie Edgar.
Munhoz and Rivera fought all the way back in 2015 with Rivera getting the split-decision victory. Since then Munhoz has gone 7-3 with five wins coming by stoppage. The 34-year-old combines powerful boxing and leg kicks with good submission skills.
Jimmie "El Terror" Rivera is coming off a unanimous decision victory against Cody Stamann in his featherweight debut last July. On Saturday, he returns to bantamweight where he is No. 9 in the UFC rankings.
Prior to his win against Stamann, Rivera had lost three of his previous four fights, albeit against some of the top fighters in the division like Sterling and current champ Petr Yan.
El Terror is a very well-rounded fighter that combines strong wrestling with high-volume boxing.
Munhoz vs Rivera tale of the tape
| Pedro Munhoz | Jimmie Rivera | |
|---|---|---|
| 34 | Age | 31 |
| 5-foot-6 | Height | 5-foot-4 |
| 135 lbs | Weight | 135 lbs |
| 65 inches | Reach | 68.5 inches |
| 18-5-0 (5 KO) | Record | 23-4-0 (4 KO) |
Munhoz vs Rivera UFC prediction and betting pick
PREDICTION: Munhoz +120 - While Munhoz is coming off a loss against Edgar, it was a close decision that could have gone either way. As a matter of fact, he is 9-4 in his last 13 fights, with three of those losses coming via split decision. The only other defeat was a unanimous-decision loss to Sterling, who is the current No. 1 contender and also dismantled Rivera in 2019.
Both of these fighters have strong takedown defense and with how dangerous Munhoz can be on the mat, I'm expecting Rivera to keep this fight standing up.
Rivera is the more polished striker with better footwork and should have the edge if he can circle and land volume. That said, the smaller size of the octagon at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas could favor Munhoz and his brawling style.
The octagon at the Apex has a surface area 44 percent smaller than a typical UFC cage. That should be an advantage for Munhoz, who has a granite chin and is more than willing to eat shots while advancing and landing significant strikes of his own.
Look for Munhoz to cut off the cage and use his powerful calf kicks to slow down Rivera's mobility, before loading up on his punches.
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