UFC Rio Predictions – Bia Mesquita vs Irina Alekseeva Preview, Predictions And MMA Betting Odds

Bia Mesquita vs Irina Alekseeva marks a significant moment in women’s bantamweight action. Mesquita isn’t just another prospect making her Octagon debut. She is a legitimate legend in the grappling world. Her credentials in Brazilian jiu-jitsu are absolutely elite, competing at the highest levels since 2011.

Mesquita represents that old-school Brazilian approach of mastering submissions before transitioning to MMA. She’s already perfect through five professional fights, finishing four of them. Alekseeva, meanwhile, desperately needs a win after dropping two straight UFC bouts. The Russian veteran knows exactly what fighting in Brazil feels like, and it’s never easy.

Bia Mesquita vs Irina Alekseeva Preview

Bia Mesquita brings a flawless 5-0 record into her UFC debut. S tanding 5’4″ with a 67 inch reach, her UFC stats show zeros across the board simply because this is her promotional debut. But Mesquita is dangerous as they come. She’s a high-level Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt who has dominated ADCC competitions for over a decade. Her MMA career started in 2024, and she’s already captured an LFA championship belt. Three of her five wins came via rear naked choke, showing her signature move translates perfectly to MMA.

Irina Alekseeva enters at 5-3 and stands 5’8″ with a 67 inch reach. Her striking volume is solid at 4.01 significant strikes landed per minute, though her accuracy sits at only 39%. Alekseeva absorbs 5.03 strikes per minute, which is concerning against any opponent. Her striking defense of 46% means she’s eating too many shots. On the grappling side, she averages just 0.47 takedowns per fight with 20% accuracy. Her takedown defense of 66% is decent but might not matter against Mesquita’s elite level grappling.

Bia Mesquita vs Irina Alekseeva MMA Betting Odds

The sportsbooks are showing zero respect for Alekseeva’s chances in this matchup. According to FanDuel, Bia Mesquita opens as a massive -600 favorite on the moneyline. Meanwhile, Irina Alekseeva sits at +450 as a substantial underdog. These odds make perfect sense given Mesquita’s grappling dominance and finishing rate.

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The odds for the fight going the distance have also come out. The odds for the fight seeing the judges scorecards stand at +210. The probability of the fight ending before the final bell is higher and the odds (-280) reflect that.

Bia Mesquita vs Irina Alekseeva Predictions And Picks

Mesquita is genuinely world-class on the ground, while Alekseeva is merely competent. The Russian’s best hope involves keeping this fight standing and making it ugly. Her striking volume could give Mesquita problems early if she can maintain distance. But that’s a massive “if” against someone hunting takedowns aggressively.

Alekseeva’s takedown defense of 66% won’t cut it against someone as technical as Mesquita. Once this fight hits the mat, it’s probably over within minutes. Mesquita has spent years perfecting submissions against the best grapplers on earth. Transitioning those skills to MMA has been seamless so far through five fights. The rear naked choke will likely be her weapon of choice once again.

If we bet on the fight, we are going with Bia Mesquita to win via submission.

(All odds taken from FanDuel. Bet on the most up-to-date MMA odds, lines, and spreads with FanDuel Sportsbook)

(Image Credit: Ron Chenoy – Imagn Images)

Zaid Quraishi

mma

I am a dedicated MMA and Boxing content writer at The Playoffs. I was instantly hooked on MMA after watching the fight between Lyoto Machida vs. Gegard Mousasi back in 2014, and since then, i have been an avid writer with a deep love for the sport and its techniques, providing readers with a thorough understanding of the sport. My favorite aspect of working at The Playoffs is the creative freedom it provides. The diverse range of topics, from listicles and SEO to news articles, keeps me engaged and motivates me to continuously improve my skills! I aim to capture the excitement of the combat sports world in my writing, acting as the middleman between fighters and their die-hard fans. It is kind of like a referee, but with words!

UFC Rio Predictions – Bia Mesquita vs Irina Alekseeva Preview, Predictions And MMA Betting Odds

Bia Mesquita vs Irina Alekseeva Preview

Bia Mesquita vs Irina Alekseeva MMA Betting Odds

Bia Mesquita vs Irina Alekseeva Predictions And Picks

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