Rizvan Kuniev vs. Hugo Cunha – Prediction, Odds, Pick for UFC Contender Series Week 2

Contender Series Week 2: Andreas Gustafsson vs. Pat Pytlik opens the heavyweight division between Rizvan Kuniev and Hugo Cunha. Kuniev has 10 straight wins and is looking to continue his winning streak and secure a UFC contract on Tuesday night. Cunha has won two consecutive fights that took place inside the distance when he first appeared on the Contender Series. Despite this, cCheck out our UFC odds series for our Kuniev-Cunha prediction and pick.

Rizvan Kuniev (12-2-1) would have had a win but his win over Renan Ferreira, the former PFL champion, was annulled after he was suspended for taking anabolic steroids. This will be his first fight after his suspension as he will need to bounce back from a 16-month layoff to make a good second impression as this will be his second appearance on the Contender Series as he faces Hugo Cunho on this week’s episode to finally secure his UFC contract.

Hugo Cunha (8-1) has now won two fights in a row, both of them inside the distance, a knockout and a submission victory over former Contender Series alumnus Eduardo Neves to win the LFA Heavyweight Championship. Now Cunha will look to do even better and defeat up-and-coming Rizvan Kuniev on Tuesday night to secure his UFC contract.

Here are the Contender Series UFC oddsCourtesy of DraftKings.

UFC Contender Series odds: Rizvan Kuniev-Hugo Cunha odds

Rizvan Kuniev: -600

Hugo Cunha: +420

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Why Rizvan Kuniev Will win

Rizvan Kuniev fought in the Contender Series in 2021, where he defeated Edivan Santos by third round submission, but ultimately did not receive a UFC contract. Kuniev fought two more times for Eagle FC and the PFL, where he earned two wins, but one of those wins against Renan Ferreira was overturned due to Kuniev ingesting a banned substance. After not being recalled by the PFL, Kuniev was called up to his second Contender Series appearance to put his suspension behind him and earn a spot in the UFC when he faces LFA Heavyweight Champion Hugo Cunha.

Kuniev is a typical fighter from Dagestan, Russia who likes to grapple and pound his opponents to the ground. Although grappling is his forte, he has a background in Wushu Sanda where he has mastered striking techniques, allowing him to fight anywhere that fight takes place. In this fight against Cunha, Kuniev will have to watch out for the grappling of the black belt holder in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. We could potentially see more striking techniques from Kuniev in this fight, using his grappling to tire out the bigger Cunha. As long as Kuniev doesn’t get caught on his feet or on the mat in transition, he could potentially just use ground and striking techniques to get the win in hopes of getting the UFC contract he’s been hoping for this time.

Why Hugo Cunha Will win

Heading into his first Contender Series appearance, Hugo Cunha has won 8 of his 9 professional fights and won two straight fights to win the LFA Heavyweight Championship. Cunha was able to defeat former two-time Contender Series alumnus Eduardo Neves with an arm-triangle choke in the second round. Now Cunha has his sights set on a UFC contract when he faces Contender Series alumnus Rizvan Kuniev this Tuesday night.

Hugo Cunha may have heavy hands, but he is a high-level black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. His ability to dominate when the fight goes to the mat could be the key to him getting his hand raised at the end. We know Kuniev also likes to wrestle, but when he has to defend against grappling, things are different. If Kuniev is the one defending takedowns, he could lose a lot of momentum early, and that’s when Cunha can take advantage. That opens up opportunities for ground and pound and a possible submission. Standing up, however, Kuniev is still a threat and a great grappler in his own right. It will be up to Cunha to land some heavy strikes on the feet early and fight off the takedowns to land some of his own, get the win, and get his UFC contract.

Final Rizvan Kuniev-Hugo Cunha Prediction & Selection

This looks set to be a heavyweight fight no matter how long it lasts. This fight is expected to end early, but it feels like the frenetic early pace will slow things down if it doesn’t. However, the two will be looking to finish early, which should keep things exciting. Ultimately, Kuniev’s heavy grappling pressure will be the difference in this fight, as he takes Cunha to the ground and eventually finishes him early with brutal ground and pound to secure his UFC contract.

Rizvan Kuniev-Hugo Cunha Final Prediction and Pick: Rizvan Kuniev (-600)