Dustin Jacoby vs. Vitor Petrino prediction, pick, start time for UFC on ESPN 63

Dustin Jacoby and Vitor Petrino meet Saturday on the UFC on ESPN 63 main card at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Fla. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup from MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom. 

Last event: 3-2
UFC main cards, 2024: 107-93-3

Dustin Jacoby vs. Vitor Petrino UFC on ESPN 63 preview

Jacoby (19-9-1 MMA, 7-6-1 UFC) enters this main card matchup in need of a win. Jacoby has gone 1-4 over his last 5 fights. Although his lone win during that stretch was a first-round finish of Kennedy Nzechukwu last August, he was finished in nearly the same amount of time in his last outing by Dominick Reyes in June. … Petrino (11-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) also enters on the heels of a loss in the first round. Anthony Smith stopped him with a guillotine at UFC 301, handing the Brazilian his first professional loss.

Dustin Jacoby vs. Vitor Petrino UFC on ESPN 63 expert pick, prediction

Filling out the main card is another light heavyweight offering in the form of Jacoby vs. Petrino.

There’s no denying that Jacoby has been on a rough skid, but I believe that a bevy of those losses come from a specific stylistic look a southpaw counterstrikers.

Not only does Petrino not fit that bill of fight, but I’m not even sure if Petrino knows what bill of fighter he fits at this point of his career.

Aside from making incredibly raw mistakes that cost him a submission lost to Anthony Smith last time out, Petrino’s game, in general, still feels a bit disjointed for as athletic and capable as he looks.

So long as Jacoby can use the larger octagon to his advantage and stay standing, then I suspect that the American the survive the early storms and pull away down the stretch.

The pick is Jacoby by unanimous decision.

Dustin Jacoby vs. Vitor Petrino UFC on ESPN 63 odds

The oddsmakers and the public are heavily favoring the Brazilian fighter, listing Petrino -310 and Jacoby +240 via FanDuel.

Dustin Jacoby vs. Vitor Petrino UFC on ESPN 63 start time, how to watch

Jacoby and Petrino are expected to walk to the cage at approximately 11:10 a.m. ET. The fight will stream on ESPN+.