Joanderson Brito vs. Pat Sabatini pick, start time: UFC on ESPN 65

Joanderson Brito and Pat Sabatini meet Saturday in the UFC on ESPN 65 co-main event at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup from MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom.
Last event: 3-3
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Joanderson Brito vs. Pat Sabatini UFC on ESPN 65 preview

Brito (17-4-1 MMA, 5-2 UFC) had a five-fight winning streak snapped by a split decision loss to William Gomis in Paris this past September. The five wins before that all were stoppages, including two for post-fight bonus awards. Sabatini (19-5 MMA, 6-2 UFC) has traded wins and losses his past five fights, but got back on the uptick with a first-round submission of Jonathan Pearce this past fall.

Joanderson Brito vs. Pat Sabatini UFC on ESPN 65 expert pick, prediction

The co-main event in Las Vegas features a solid featherweight booking between two of my favorite action fighters, Joanderson Brito and Pat Sabatini.

Although Sabatini is arguably more of a submission specialist, I’ll still happily lump him in with the action-fighting crowd given that his fights have a high likelihood of ending early. But if Sabatini wants to avoid being the one who is ended, then he’ll likely need to get to his grappling early and often.

Luckily for Sabatini, Brito – despite having an edge with his power striking in this matchup – does have a propensity to throw himself out of position and into the clinch due to said power.

In fact, Brito’s bad habit of clinching has arguably cost him finishes and fights throughout his UFC tenure. With that in mind, Brito will likely be tasked with finding a balance between landing his kill shot or surrendering winning conditions to Sabatini.

I’ve been burnt by Brito’s wildman tendencies before, so I’ll side with the small cage and the Brazilian’s bad habits to funnel this fight into Sabatini’s specialty.

The pick is for Sabatini to lock up a submission by the end of Round 2.

Pat Sabatini

Joanderson Brito vs. Pat Sabatini UFC on ESPN 65 odds

The oddsmakers and the public are keeping the betting lines tight, listing Dober -118 and Torres -104 via FanDuel.

Joanderson Brito vs. Pat Sabatini UFC on ESPN 65 start time, how to watch

Brito and Sabatini are expected to walk to the cage at approximately 11:30 p.m. ET. The fight airs on ESPN and streams on ESPN+.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 65.