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We’re back with one other betting prediction and pick for the UFC Vegas 102 Principal Card as things are starting to heat up within the Middleweight (185) Division with this next showdown. UFC veteran Edmen Shahbazyan of Las Vegas will tackle upcoming prospect Dylan Budka from Ohio in a can’t-miss scrap. Check the UFC odds series for our Shahbazyan-Budka prediction and pick.
Edmen Shahbazyan (13-5) has gone 6-5 within the UFC since his debut back in 2018. After hitting a wall with three-straight losses, Shahbazyan has split his last 4 fights at 2-2 and most recently lost to Gerald Meerschaert in August 2024. He’ll be in search of redemption because the heavy betting favorite on this one. Shahbazyan stands 6-foot-2 with a 75-inch reach.
Dylan Budka (7-4) is 0-2 contained in the UFC since debuting in 2024. He’s still trying to find his first win under the promotion after dropping fights to Cesar Almeida and Andre Petroski. Still, he feels as if he belongs after his Contender Series win and will likely be determined to grab the elusive first win on this one. Budka stands six feet tall with a 75-inch reach.
Listed below are the UFC Vegas 102 Odds, courtesy of DraftKings.
UFC Vegas 102 Odds: Edmen Shahbazyan-Dylan Budka Odds
Edmen Shahbazyan: -375
Dylan Budka: +295
Over 1.5 rounds: -180
Under 1.5 rounds: +140
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Why Edmen Shahbazyan Will Win
- Last Fight: (L) Gerald Meerschaert – DEC
- Last 5: 2-3
- Finishes: 11 KO/TKO, 1 SUB
Edmen Shahbazyan is seeking to rebounding following a disappointing performance against Gerald Meerschaert where he was billed because the -310 betting favorite. Something looked off about him that night as he was slow to react to punches and ultimately got twisted up on the bottom with a superior submission artist. He’ll have a much easier task in facing a winless newcomer to the UFC, but Shahbazyan can have to stay focused and keep his mind clear of any doubts from his previous fights. It wasn’t way back that he managed a clean TKO over AJ Dobson, so expect him to return to a boxing-heavy style as he tries for one more knockout here.
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Shahbazyan may be very well-rounded when it comes to his striking, but his defense could use some work as opponents are likely to strike through his arm guard and leave him compromised at times. He’s very resilient and scrappy so he is not necessarily a simple fighter to take out, but he’ll need to remain diligent along with his own offense and ensuring he tries for the finish when he has his opponent hurt. Shahbazyan must also look to employ his low leg kicks as it would actually help him in compromising the forward pressure of his opponent.
Why Dylan Budka Will Win
- Last Fight: (L) Andre Petroski – U DEC
- Last 5: 2-3
- Finishes: 1 KO/TKO, 2 SUB
Dylan Budka had a powerful showing on Dana White’s Contender Series to earn a contract, but he hasn’t quite been in a position to put things together in an official UFC bout. During his last fight, he couldn’t escape from underneath Andre Petroski on the bottom and clearly struggled against a a lot better grappler than himself. Still, he avoided getting finished by a submission and managed to maintain himself within the fight with a troublesome attitude and determination. He’ll worry much less concerning the grappling during this fight, but he’ll still need to overcome a noticeable drawback to his taller opponent.
Dylan Budka remains to be fresh onto the MMA scene and he’s likely learning a terrific cope with each passing fight. The main target of his camp heading into this one needs to be centered around his striking defense and boxing from in close – Shahbazyan does his best work striking at range, so it’ll be as much as Budka to shut the gap and make this a grimy fight from the clinch. His opponent has lost via knockout thrice, so the trail to victory for Budka will likely be his fists and attempting to catch Shabazyan off-guard with big shots down the center.
Final Edmen Shahbazyan-Dylan Budka Prediction & Pick
Each fighters are in a troublesome spot after recent losses and this fight will be seen as a “must win” for each side. Edmen Shahbazyan is actually the more polished fighter and has seen a lot better competition during his time with the UFC. Dylan Budka is hungry for his first win and after facing two a lot better opponents up up to now, he could have a likelihood to notch the finish against a shaky veteran like Shahbazyan in the intervening time.
Still, I imagine the discipline and fundamental variety of Shahbazyan is the right counter to Budka’s unpredictable and wild style. Search for Shahbazyan to manage the striking exchanges as he ultimately gets the nod on the judges’ scorecards by the tip of this one.
Final Edmen Shahbazyan-Dylan Budka Prediction & Pick: Edmen Shahbazyan (-375); OVER 1.5 Rounds (-180)
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