UFC on FUEL TV 9: April 6, 2013 Ericsson Globe Arena in Stockholm, Sweden UFC Featherweight Contender Robbie Peralta (-350) Profile: Since splitting his first four fights, Robbie Peralta (16-3, 1 No-Contest) has been on a tear, going 14-1-1 with 10 knockouts and two submissions in his last 16 bouts. And to be honest, his NC was overturned from a win after an accidental headbutt, as Peralta was looking good in that fight too. As it stands, the 27-year-old California native is turning heads in the fairly shallow featherweight division. He has a well-developed ground game, but his power clearly lies in his hands. Even though Peralta is still a few wins away from a huge fight, his unbeaten record between the UFC and Strikeforce (3-0, 1 NC) makes many experts believe that shot will come sooner rather than later as long as he keeps winning. UFC Featherweight Contender Akira Corassani (+250) Profile: Fighting out of Renzo Gracie’s gym on the East Coast with Frankie Edgar, Chris Weidman and a host of other tough guys, Akira Corassani (10-3, 1 NC) didn’t quite make the UFC debut he was hoping for when he earned a split-decision win against Andy Ogle at UFC on FUEL TV 5, but it was a win nonetheless. The 30-year-old Swede was a contestant on The Ultimate Fighter 14 and made it to the semifinals before losing to Dennis Bermudez via guillotine choke submission. He had previously made a decent splash across Europe, going 9-3 with 1 NC in his first 13 bouts. Now Corassani faces stiffer competition than ever before, but if he can hang in the Renzo Gracie gym, he can hang anywhere. Opening UFC on FUEL TV 9 Odds Analysis: MMA oddsmaker Nick Kalikas made Peralta a huge -350 favorite (bet $350 to win $100) while Corassani opened as a +250 underdog (bet $100 to win $250) at Several Bookmakers sportsbook. At this stage of their respective MMA careers, Peralta is quite simply a more accomplished fighter who has been virtually unbeatable over the past few years. He is a knockout artist who needed just 23 seconds to dispose of Jason Young in his last bout a little more than six months ago and continues to show why he’s considered one of the up-and-coming contenders in the featherweight division. While a win here may not necessarily prove anything more than that fact, another dominant victory could certainly vault him into a higher-profile bout against a more elite opponent. Corassani hopes to have something to say about that inside the Octagon though, and he will look to feed off the Swedish crowd and pull off the upset. He is three years older than Peralta and has also trained with some of the best around, so Corassani will likely try to draw upon that experience and grind out a win.
