Brendan Loughnane and Jesus Pinedo are set to face off in a bantamweight bout at UFC Fight Night on Saturday, June 9, 2023. The fight will take place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Loughnane is coming off a unanimous decision win over Cody Durden at UFC Fight Night: Blaydes vs. Aspinall in March. The 28-year-old Irishman is 9-1 in his career, with all but one of his wins coming by stoppage.

Pinedo is coming off a unanimous decision loss to Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC 273 in April. The 27-year-old Mexican is 12-3 in his career, with 10 of his wins coming by knockout.

The fight is expected to be a close one. Loughnane has the edge in striking, while Pinedo has the edge in grappling. The winner of this fight could be in line for a title shot.

The fight will be broadcast live on ESPN+ in the United States and on BT Sport in the United Kingdom. The main card begins at 10:00 PM ET / 7:00 PM PT.

Here is a breakdown of the fight:

• Loughnane is the better striker. He has a 75% striking accuracy, compared to Pinedo's 55%. Loughnane also has a 1.52 significant strikes landed per minute, compared to Pinedo's 1.25.
• Pinedo is the better grappler. He has a 67% takedown accuracy, compared to Loughnane's 40%. Pinedo also has a 1.52 takedowns per 15 minutes, compared to Loughnane's 1.00.
• Loughnane has the better cardio. He has a fight time of 15:00, compared to Pinedo's 12:00. Loughnane has also never been knocked out, while Pinedo has been knocked out once.

Overall, I think Loughnane is the better fighter. He has the edge in striking and cardio, and he is not as far behind in grappling as some people might think. I think Loughnane will win by decision.