Many of the world’s best Mexican fighters are being showcased on this weekend’s UFC Fight Night 237 card in Mexico City — and our Zullhuber vs Prado prediction is that this fight will produce one of the country’s most intriguing prospects in quite a while.
Both fighters featured in this prediction are under 25 years old and have only suffered one loss in their professional career thus far. Yet, each of them got to this point by utilizing completely different fighting styles.
But which one of these fighters will reign supreme and see their star ascend to new heights on Saturday? What’s exactly what our Daniel Zellhuber vs Francisco Prado prediction is going to uncover.
UFC Fight Night 237: Zellhuber vs Prado Prediction
Daniel Zellhuber Preview
While Daniel “Golden Boy” Zellhuber — a Mexican fighter with a 14-1 professional record, which includes seven KO and three submission victories — has had three UFC fights, he entrenched himself on the MMA community’s collective radar when he submitted Christos Giagos in the second round of UFC’s Mexican Heritage night back in September.
Now that the Mixed Martial Arts world knows who Daniel Zellhuber is, “Golden Boy” is intent on becoming one of the UFC’s top lightweight prospects.
"At this point, this fight is going to be who wants it more, and I know I want it more than him."
Daniel Zellhuber (@GoldenBoyZell) plans to prove he's capable of climbing the ranks in the stacked lightweight division at #UFCMexico 🔊🆙
The first thing that stands out when watching Zellhuber fight is his incredible length. While being six feet, one inches tall is certainly remarkable for a 155 pound fighter, it’s Zellhuber’s 77-inch reach that truly sets him apart from opponents.
And while having a massive reach advantage is a gigantic benefit, not all fighters how to use it properly. But Zellhuber does.
“Golden Boy” is adept at keeping his opponents at a distance, throwing constant teep kicks up the middle to stop them from entering boxing range. This, combined with Zellhuber’s penchant for roundhouse kicks and right handed crosses, makes him a tough puzzle for his foes to decipher.
Our Zellhuber vs Prado prediction is that, while Zellhuber would probably prefer to keep this fight on the feet, he’s certainly no slouch on the ground, either.
If Prado does take him down — which we expect he’ll try to — Zellhuber will look to display his takedown defense; frustrating Prado enough for him to get baited into overthrowing on punches. This will open up opportunities for Zellhuber to counter Prado and end the fight in exciting fashion — perhaps earning him a performance bonus as a result.
Francisco Prado Preview
Although Francisco Prado — an Argentinian fighter with a 12-1 record, which includes six KO and six submission victories — is only 21 years old, he has already proven that his skillset is well-rounded enough to compete with UFC veterans.
Take, for example, the incredibly impressive spinning back elbow to ground and pound knockout that Prado produced in the first round of his fight against Ottman Azaitar, back in July 2023.
That devastating knockout will probably make you believe that striking is Prado’s best asset. Yet, that’s far from the case.
The best chance that Prado — who has a 100{7977e81067aa52767c5a045b6a52bbfc36ac9a3ee7fc87b6a1495c50622a5d53} finish rate across his professional career — will have to defeat Zellhuber at UFC Fight Night 237 this weekend is by getting him to the ground, and keeping him there.
A Daniel Zellhuber vs Francisco Prado prediction we feel confident about is that, while Zellhuber has the striking advantage and is a solid grappler, Prado’s thicker frame almost certainly means he’ll be the stronger wrestler.
For that reason, we believe that if Prado can manage to get Zellhuber to the ground (and avoid a submission), he should be able to hold him down long enough to win rounds.
And if Prado can hold Zellhuber down long enough to win rounds, then the night will end with him showing the oddsmakers that they were foolish to make him an underdog.
Daniel Zellhuber vs Francisco Prado: Zellhuber’s Heroics Shine Through
Our official Zellhuber vs Prado prediction is that Daniel Zellhuber — currently a -270 favorite — will win this fight.
While we have a lot of respect for Prado’s game and believe he’ll be a major player in the lightweight division in the future, Zellhuber’s striking is just too crisp for Prado to compete with at this stage. He think that Zellhuber will piece up Prado on the feet enough for him to secure a knockout victory; which is why we think that taking Zellhuber to win by KO (currently available at +200) is a bet worth looking at.
Then again, every single professional win that Prado has procured has come by way of finish. If he’s to defeat Zellhuber, we expect it will be by finish, as well. Therefore, taking this fight to not go the distance (available at -150) is an extremely appealing bet.
This entire UFC card is catered toward a Mexican audience. And if Zellhuber can produce a victory and look like a hero in front of his fellow countrymen, the UFC is going to have a Mexican superstar on their hands.
Grant Young is a sports writer from San Francisco. He has had two professional Muay Thai fights: he got knocked out in one, and got a knockout in the other. When it comes to his favorite fighters, it's Israel Adesanya, and then it's everyone else.
