Viktoriia Dudakova vs Melissa Gatto Prediction: The Russian fighter will win again

The UFC Atlantic City tournament (UFC on ESPN 54) will be held in the United States on the night of March 31. In one of the preliminary matches, undefeated Russian Victoria Dudakova will face Melissa Gatto from Brazil.

Viktoriia Dudakova is the European champion and the bronze medalist of the MMA World Championship, and she has already been successful in the professional arena. In 2021, she became the champion of the Open FC promotion, won two out of two fights in the UFC, and has not suffered a single defeat in her career.

But Gato's fight will be special for Dudakova. She has not yet won a bright victory in the UFC and is now making her debut in a heavier-weight category.

Melissa Gato has already fought four times in the UFC, winning against simpler rivals and losing to girls from the top 15. Moreover, in her last fight, she lost to Lipski by a rather controversial split judicial decision.

A good level of wrestling distinguishes Melissa, but, in general, she will not become a big star, and she has no championship ambitions.

The good news is that Victoria is progressing, and she will most likely be even better in the next match than she was—she has a lot to grow. In her style, she will rely on pace and aggression, approach, clinch, and work in close combat, threatening with takedowns. In the match, the advantage will be held by the one who is on top.

We believe that the bookmakers were wrong this time. The Russian woman has more arguments for victory, but she will most likely not be able to finish her opponent.