Rizvan Kuniev is cruising on a 9-win streak, which is why it’s no surprise that oddsmakers see him as an odds-on favorite in Friday’s fight. However, Renan Ferreira is a fighter with an awesome fight portfolio, who’s already defeated a number of big faves, much bigger than Kuniev.
Renan Ferreira vs. Rizvan Kuniev Odds
| Moneyline | Odds |
|---|---|
| Renan Ferreira | +170 |
| Rizvan Kuniev | -200 |
*Odds taken from BetOnline on Wednesday, April 5, 2023.
When, Where, and How to Watch?
- Place: The Theater at Virgin Hotels in Las Vegas, Nevada
- Date: Friday, April 7, 2023
- Time: ~10:00 PM ET
- How to Watch: ESPN 2 / ESPN+
Renan Ferreira to Show the World He Deserves Respect
The 33-year-old Brazilian is a dictionary definition of a heavyweight. He’s big and strong and likes finishing his fights early. Ferreira is 9-3-2 in his professional career with only one of his fights going the distance. He’s got 7 wins by KO/TKO, which is his strongest weapon, but he’s also decent in grappling/wrestling despite having just one win by submission in his portfolio.
The win in question happened against Jared Vanderaa at LFA 74 in 2019. Sure, it happened before Vanderaa went to the UFC, but nevertheless, it’s still a huge achievement. The best thing is that Vanderaa isn’t the only UFC-affiliated fighter Ferreira’s fought.
In 2021, he fought Fabricio Werdum, the former UFC Heavyweight champ. He beat him by TKO in round 1, but it was later overturned as it became clear that Ferreira had previously tapped out.
After that fight, he went on to win three fights in the PFL. In his last two, we saw one of his fights (vs. Klidson Abreu) get declared no contest, even though he lost it by decision originally. And in his most recent fight, he suffered the third loss of his career – Ante Delija beat him by TKO in round 1. Still, losing to the winner of the 2022 PFL Heavyweight tournament isn’t something to be too embarrassed about.
Reasons Why Rizvan Kuniev Is the Betting Favorite
Born and raised in Dagestan, Rizvan Kuniev is 12-2-1 overall, with no losses inside the distance. He’s a well-rounded fighter with plenty of weapons in his arsenal. Kuniev is without a single loss since 2015, winning his last nine fights.
All this shows why bookies think of him as the favorite in the first fight of the PFL 2 main card. However, one needs to take into account that most of his recent fights were in local Russian competitions – Eagle FC, Gorilla Fighting Championship, and others.
He did, however, compete in Dana White’s Contender Series in 2021, which saw him win his fight by TKO. Still, that wasn’t enough for him to land a UFC contract.
Renan Ferreira vs. Rizvan Kuniev Prediction
Renan Ferreira is the underdog against Rizvan Kuniev, but we think the Brazilian has what it takes to cause an upset. He’s a great fighter who can put Kuniev to sleep.
Pick: Renan Ferreira to win by KO/TKO