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The UFC London Prelims proceed to roll as we bring you one other betting prediction and pick for this upcoming Heavyweight bout. No. 15-ranked Mario Pinto of Portugal will tackle Brazil’s debuting Felipe Franco in a bout that is sure to finish early! Check our UFC odds series for the Pinto-Franco prediction and pick.
Mario Pinto (11-0) has gone 2-0 since making his UFC debut in 2025. He’s been on a fast rise with back-to-back dominant knockouts over Austen Lane and Jhonata Diniz. After original opponent Mick Parkin needed to withdraw, Pinto faces a hungry prospect making his debut. Pinto stands 6-foot-6 with a 79-inch reach.
Felipe Franco (10-1) will make his UFC debut because the No. 12-ranked pro heavyweight in Central and South America. He notably made an unsuccessful attempt at Dana White’s Contender Series in September 2025, but finally gets his shot on this short-notice spot. Franco stands 6-foot-1 with a 76-inch reach.
UFC London Odds, courtesy of DraftKings.
UFC London Odds: Mario Pinto-Felipe Franco Odds
Mario Pinto: -900
Felipe Franco: +600
Over 1.5 rounds: +130
Under 1.5 rounds: -166
Why Mario Pinto Will Win
- Last Fight: (W) Jhonata Diniz – TKO (punches from mount, R2)
- Last 5: 5-0
- Finishes: 7 KO/TKO, 1 SUB
Mario Pinto established himself over one other dangerous heavyweight in Jhonata Diniz his last trip, seriously damaging his opponent with the boxing throughout the primary round. Knocking Diniz down, Pinto wasted no time in securing mount and ending the fight from there. He’s quickly proving himself as a dangerous finisher from anywhere, but he’ll should remain diligent through this opponent change and facing a debuting fighter with nothing to lose.
Mario Pinto uses every little bit of his 79-inch reach to create distance between him and opponents. He’s also very consistent along with his low leg kicks and may be very mobile for somebody his size, so expect Pinto to be looking to manage the space early on this fight. His straight jab down the center has wobbled opponents previously and he’ll be looking to seek out a house in it as Franco eagerly tries to rush in on him.
Mario Pinto could have a big height and reach advantage throughout this fight, so expect him to throw a lot of his boxing combos excessive while keeping Franco at distance at any time when he looks to blow up. His opponent may be very unpredictable when throwing his offense, so patience within the striking might be the most important key to Pinto’s success as the large betting favorite here.
Why Felipe Franco Will Win
- Last Fight: (W) Douglas Felipe Santos – SUB (rear naked choke, R1)
- Last 5: 4-1
- Finishes: 6 KO/TKO, 4 SUB
Felipe Franco comes into this UFC debut following back-to-back wins via knockout and submission in regional South American organizations. At just 25 years old, he’s been perfect throughout his amateur and early pro profession up thus far, but he floundered in his Contender Series audition by losing via submission to Freddy Vidal. The UFC has been known for keeping prospects like Franco of their back pocket for short-notice bouts like these, so he’ll have a second likelihood to notch the most important win of his profession in what could be the cardboard’s biggest upset.
Franco got a bit too eager during his DWCS fight and after exchanging shots along with his opponent, he became complacent and gave up his back. During this fight, Franco could have to be way more defensive and sound along with his grappling if he desires to stop a surging fighter like Pinto with two UFC wins already under his belt. Search for Franco to be cautious in his approach early while waiting to open up his striking within the pocket.
Franco stands very tall in his striking stance and holds his arm guard high while throwing quick strikes from there. This may aid him against a much taller fighter in Pinto, but Franco should still look to throw shots to the body in hopes of demobilizing his opponent. His quick left jab is certainly one of his biggest tools and if he’s capable of find the effective range for it early, it should give you the chance to provide Franco the early advantage throughout this one.
Final Mario Pinto-Felipe Franco Prediction & Pick
This fight might be tense for so long as it lasts given the knockout potential from each side. Through two UFC appearances, we have not seen many weaknesses from Mario Pinto as he was preparing for a scrap against Mick Parkin. Felipe Franco is a formidable opponent with huge knockout upside, but he wasn’t capable of capitalize in his first fight against UFC-level competition.
There is a reason the betting odds are so skewed in favor of Pinto and we’ll should side with him to win this fight. Nevertheless, I expect Felipe Franco to be a troublesome opponent to knock out easily, so we’ll take a likelihood with the over as we could see a later finish on this one.
Final Mario Pinto-Felipe Franco Prediction & Pick: Mario Pinto (-900); OVER 1.5 Rounds (+130)