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UFC Fight Night: Thompson vs. Pettis
Marlon Vera
Marlon Vera
14-5-1 · ECU
VS
Frankie Saenz
Frankie Saenz
12-5 · USA
March 23, 2019 · Nashville, Tennessee, USA
Bantamweight · 3 rounds
135.5lb
Weigh-in
135.5lb
Marlon Vera def. Frankie Saenz by KO/TKO (Punch), R1 1:25
Performance
Round by round
SSTDKDCtrl
R1 · 1:25
Vera12/160/010:03
Saenz4/100/000:00
Total
Vera12/160/010:03
Saenz4/100/000:00

Pre-fight

The model's read going in

The walk-forward model's call at the time of the bout — persisted out-of-sample, with no hindsight about the result.

Prediction
VeraWin probabilitySaenz
83.2%16.8%
KO / TKO
36%
Submission
22%
Decision
41%
Expected fight time: 9.9 min
What drives the pick

Each bar is a feature's push on the model from the center axis. Red pushes toward Vera, blue toward Saenz. Tap a bar for why.

Predicted outcomes
Vera83%
Wins by
Model
Equity
Mkt
KO / TKO32%38%
Submission21%25%
Decision30%37%
Predicted output
Sig. strikes55 (3171)act 12
Takedowns0.2 (0.01.1)act 0
Saenz17%
Wins by
Model
Equity
Mkt
KO / TKO5%28%
Submission1%8%
Decision11%64%
Predicted output
Sig. strikes43 (2456)act 4
Takedowns0.5 (0.02.0)act 0
Combined totals~98 sig strikes~0.8 takedownsmkt —
How it ends
mkt —
R131%
R211%
R317%
Distance41%
Fighter props
Most sig. strikestie 1.1%
Vera
61.0%-161
Saenz
+16137.9%
Most takedownstie 49.0%
Vera
15.2%+235
Saenz
-23535.8%
Significant strikes — over/under
Vera
Expected: 54.8
55
Over 55
41.7%
+137
Exactly 55
1.2%
push
Under 55
57.1%
-137
069138
Saenz
Expected: 42.7
42.5
Over 42.5
42.8%
+134
Under 42.5
57.2%
-134
054107
Takedowns — over/under
Vera
Expected: 0.2
0
Over 0
21.4%
Exactly 0
78.6%
push
Under 0
0.0%
035
Saenz
Expected: 0.5
0.5
Over 0.5
41.6%
+140
Under 0.5
58.4%
-140
035

Odds are model-implied (no real prop market is priced for these). The “most” prices are draw-no-bet — a tie (for takedowns, usually 0–0) is a push, so each side is priced off its chance of winning given a result, while the % shown is the raw chance of landing strictly more. Drag a line in half-point steps: a half line (e.g. 2.5) is a clean over/under, while a whole number adds a third outcome — landing exactly on it, a push — so over, exact and under sum to 100%. On a whole number the over/under odds are draw-no-bet (priced off the decisive mass, since the push refunds), so the two sides stay mirror images rather than implying an arbitrage.

Expected fight time 9.9 min. Predicted-output ranges are percentiles of the model’s simulated fights: sig strikes the middle 50% (25th–75th); takedowns the wider 10th–90th, since they’re 0 in most fights so a narrow band would collapse to 0. Win-by-method = win probability × that fighter’s own method split: the model forecasts how the fight ends, and that forecast is divided between the corners by each fighter’s finishing record — UFC wins in full, earlier-career wins at half weight, as of fight night — reconciled so the fighters’ totals still equal their win probabilities and the methods still total the fight-level forecast above. “Equity” is each of those over that fighter’s win % — how they win given that they win — so a column adds to 100%, and it differs by corner. A fighter with no classifiable wins at any level leans on the fight-level split. “How it ends” is the model’s round-of-finish split. “Mkt” is the de-vigged market prop (consensus across books), shown for context, not as a betting signal; rounds & totals slots fill as that data lands. Percentages are apportioned by largest remainder, so each set adds to its total exactly and an individual figure can sit a point off its own rounding.

Model vs market
Final
ModelMarketGapLine
To win
Vera83.2%61.2%+22.0-170
Saenz16.8%38.8%−22.0+150

Market % is the de-vigged (no-vig) consensus across the books that price both fighters; the line is the average across books with the min–max range in parentheses. Gap is the model minus the market in points (+ = the model rates that outcome above the market). Thin or one-sided markets are flagged or left blank rather than shown as a fabricated %. Shown for context, not as a bet — the closing line is the sharpest public price and the model trails it on average. For 5-round bouts the model splits its round-3+ finish mass into rounds 3–5 by the historical within-bucket rate, so the over-3.5 / 4.5 lines carry a model estimate.

Trait web
59.8Striking68.1
Saenz +8.3
56.3Grappling42.8
Vera +13.5
Str/minStr accStr defAbsorbedTD/15TD accTD defSubs
Hover a point to see the values
VeraSaenz
Tale of the tape
Ratings (Elo)
1552
Pound-for-pound
1546
1527
Divisional
1547
1502
Striking offense
1484
1510
Striking defense
1506
Grappling offense
Grappling defense
Physical
26 yrs
Age
38 yrs
5'8"
Height
5'6"
70"
Reach
66"
Switch
Stance
Orthodox
Striking (UFC career)
3.23
Strikes landed / min
3.99
45%
Strike accuracy
47%
3.93
Strikes absorbed / min
3.09
52%
Strike defense
55%
Grappling (UFC career)
0.78
Takedowns / 15 min
1.80
38%
Takedown accuracy
33%
69%
Takedown defense
63%
1.3
Sub attempts / 15 min
0.1
Form & résumé
60%
UFC win rate
63%
+2
Win/loss streak
+2
60%
Last-5 win rate
40%
83%
Finish rate
0%
Recent opp. quality
126
Days since last fight
308
Recent form (last 5 UFC)
Marlon Vera
  • WGuido CannettiSUB R2
    Close -3204mo before
  • WLijiburen WulijiburenKO/TKO R2
    Close -4708mo before
  • LDouglas Silva de AndradeU-DEC R3
    Close -1901y 2mo before
  • LJohn LinekerU-DEC R3
    Close +3851y 5mo before
  • WBrian KelleherSUB R1
    Close +1951y 8mo before
Frankie Saenz
  • WHenry BrionesU-DEC R3
    Close -34010mo before
  • WMerab DvalishviliS-DEC R3
    Close +1651y 3mo before
  • LAugusto MendesS-DEC R3
    Close -1602y 2mo before
  • LEddie WinelandKO/TKO R3
    Close -1552y 8mo before
  • LUrijah FaberU-DEC R3
    Close +3903y 3mo before
Vera — win / loss by method
Record: 14-5-1

Bar length is fight count (largest bar = full width); shading splits finishes by round and decisions by unanimous vs split — tap a bar for the round-by-round count.

KO/TKO
3 wins, 0 losses
W
21% of wins
L
0% of losses
Submission
9 wins, 0 losses
W
64% of wins
L
0% of losses
Decision
2 wins, 5 losses
W
14% of wins
L
100% of losses
UFC
6win4loss0draw0NC
WinsLosses
2 (33%)KO/TKO(0%) 0
3 (50%)Submission(0%) 0
1 (17%)Decision(100%) 4
Non-UFC
8win1loss1draw0NC
WinsLosses
1 (13%)KO/TKO(0%) 0
6 (75%)Submission(0%) 0
1 (13%)Decision(100%) 1
Saenz — win / loss by method
Record: 12-5-0

Bar length is fight count (largest bar = full width); shading splits finishes by round and decisions by unanimous vs split — tap a bar for the round-by-round count.

KO/TKO
3 wins, 2 losses
W
25% of wins
L
40% of losses
Submission
2 wins, 0 losses
W
17% of wins
L
0% of losses
Decision
7 wins, 2 losses
W
58% of wins
L
40% of losses
DQ / other
0 wins, 1 loss
W
0% of wins
L
20% of losses
UFC
5win3loss0draw0NC
WinsLosses
0 (0%)KO/TKO(33%) 1
0 (0%)Submission(0%) 0
5 (100%)Decision(67%) 2
Non-UFC
7win2loss0draw0NC
WinsLosses
3 (43%)KO/TKO(50%) 1
2 (29%)Submission(0%) 0
2 (29%)Decision(0%) 0
0 (0%)DQ / other(50%) 1

Profiles

Experience
Vera
Saenz
10
UFC fights
8
114.8 min · 11.5 avg
Octagon time
116.9 min · 14.6 avg
16y 0m
Career length
15y 9m
UFC schedule strength

Opponents' records on fight night — toggle their full cross-promotional record vs UFC bouts only.

Vera
Saenz
153W–49L · 75.7%
Overall
128W–37L · 77.6%
80W–34L · 70.2%
Wins
70W–17L · 80.5%
73W–15L · 83.0%
Losses
58W–20L · 74.4%
Non-UFC schedule strength
Vera
Saenz
50W–46L · 52.1%
Overall
58W–31L · 65.2%
27W–31L · 46.6%
Wins
47W–24L · 66.2%
23W–15L · 60.5%
Losses
11W–7L · 61.1%
Distance striking
Vera
Saenz
4.33
Landed / min
4.14
39.2%
Accuracy
37.2%
59.5%
Defense
60.5%
0.52
Knockdowns / 15 min
0.26
53.2%
Time at distance
52.3%
Grappling & control
Vera
Saenz
0.78
Takedowns / 15 min
1.80
37.5%
Takedown accuracy
32.6%
68.6%
Takedown defense
62.7%
1.31
Sub attempts / 15 min
0.13
26.9%
Control share
62.7%
Strike target map
Vera
  • Head52%(193)div 63%
  • Body25%(94)div 21%
  • Legs23%(84)div 16%
Saenz
  • Head48%(225)div 63%
  • Body26%(120)div 21%
  • Legs26%(121)div 16%

Where each fighter lands significant strikes (career). “div” = the weight-class average.

Marlon Vera
CloseSSTDKDCtrl

Per-fight: SS & TD shown landed/attempted; Close = consensus closing line.

Frankie Saenz
CloseSSTDKDCtrl

Per-fight: SS & TD shown landed/attempted; Close = consensus closing line.