Imanol Rodriguez vs. Kevin Borjas prediction, odds, pick for UFC Mexico City

The UFC Mexico City Main Card is beginning to heat up as we bring you a betting prediction and pick for this next bout in the Flyweight (125) Division. Mexico’s own Imanol Rodriguez will do battle against Peru’s Kevin Borjas in what should be an exciting scrap. Check our UFC odds series for the Rodriguez-Borjas prediction and pick.

Imanol Rodriguez (6-0) will make his UFC debut following a contract win on Dana White’s Contender Series. He makes his debut in front of a home country crowd looking to impress with another viral knockout as the heavy betting favorite. Rodriguez stands 5-foot-4 with a 64.5-inch reach.

Kevin Borjas (10-4) has gone 1-3 since joining the UFC roster in 2023 as a Contender Series product himself. He beat Ronaldo Rodriguez to notch his first UFC win, but hopes to bounce back following a recent loss to Sumudaerji his last time out. Borjas stands 5-foot-5. with a 68-inch reach.

UFC Mexico City Odds, courtesy of DraftKings. 

UFC Mexico City Odds: Imanol Rodriguez-Kevin Borjas Odds

Imanol Rodriguez: -455

Kevin Borjas: +350

Over 1.5 rounds: -145

Under 1.5 rounds: +114

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Why Imanol Rodriguez Will Win

• Last Fight: (W) Roque Conceicao – TKO (uppercut, R1)
• Last 5: 5-0
• Finishes: 5 KO/TKO, 1 SUB

Imanol Rodriguez will make his highly-anticipated UFC debut on Saturday in front of his home Mexican crowd, hoping to replicate another exciting knockout from his DWCS fight. Rodriguez is very polished out the gate and whatever he lacks in professional MMA experience can be made up for by his athleticism and willingness to evolve as a fighter. The jolt he’ll feel from the home crowd should give him added motivation, but he’ll have to remain composed during any debuting jitters.

Seen as bit of a chaotic striker, Rodriguez is tremendously explosive in the pocket when he opens up his combinations. He lets his hands fly is rapid succession, more confident that his chin will hold up and he’ll be able to knock his opponent out first. During this fight, expect the same wild style out of him as he opens with a measured approach and let’s things loose once the exchanges begin.

Rodriguez has also greatly grown in his grappling and could see an advantage if he’s able to force Brojas to the ground during this one. His athleticism and physical strength will be an obvious advantage and we should expect him to exploit that aspect of Borjas’ game early. Don’t be surprised if Rodriguez is able to end this fight very early.

Why Kevin Borjas Will Win

• Last Fight: (L) Sumudaerji – U DEC
• Last 5: 2-3
• Finishes: 8 KO/TKO

Kevin Borjas hasn’t been completely able to find his footing since entering the UFC, putting up decent performances but coming up short on the judges’ scorecards. He displayed great flashes of varied striking in his win over Ronaldo Rodriguez, but the active striking of Sumudaerji proved too much as Borjas couldn’t find a rhythm during his last fight. Proper preparation during this camp will be paramount to his success if he wants to pull out an unlikely win as the underdog.

Borjas is very active and jumpy in his stance, oftentimes making him a tough opponent to hit cleanly inside the pocket. With Rodriguez fighting behind an aggressive, explosive style, remaining in perpetual movement will be extremely important for Borjas as he looks to frustrate his opponent.

Despite the underdog odds, Borjas has proven very effective in limiting damage done on him and has a very solid chin. If he’s able to withstand the early storm from Rodriguez, remain consistent throughout the second round, we could see Borjas turning up the pace by the third if he’s still competitive up to that point.

Final Imanol Rodriguez-Kevin Borjas Prediction & Pick

This fight should be another exciting scrap and fans will be most excited for the debut of Imanol Rodriguez as the home country representative. At 6-0 and just 26 years old, Rodriguez has all the tools of becoming a serious contender in the Flyweight Division and the UFC expects his journey to begin on Saturday.

Kevin Borjas, on the other hand, effectively has his back against the wall with a 1-3 start to his tenure, so putting away a bright prospect would do wonders for not only his resume, but his confidence as well. Borjas can give himself a chance during this fight if he’s able to remain composed through the first round and extend his opponent past the halfway point of this fight.

Still, there’s too much momentum behind a polished prospect here and we expect Imanol Rodriguez to rise to the occasion during this debut. Let’s roll with him to win the fight in the first round as he puts an exclamation mark on this one.

Final Imanol Rodriguez-Kevin Borjas Prediction & Pick: Imanol Rodriguez (-455); UNDER 1.5 Rounds (+114)

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