Billy Ward said social-media backlash calling Nursulton Ruziboev overrated has pushed the line too far. He reminded listeners that Ruziboev is 4-1 in the UFC with the lone defeat a decision to Joaquin Buckley and that he sharpens his grappling in Philadelphia alongside Sean Brady and Andre Petroski. Ward argued Brian Battle’s success hinged on bullying undersized welterweights while missing weight; facing a larger true middleweight removes that edge, so Ruziboev should never be the betting underdog.

Sean Zerillo said Nursulton Ruziboev should not be an underdog to Brian Battle at middleweight. Zerillo’s model makes Ruziboev +108 and he would bet him down to +120. He pointed out that Ruziboev is the more natural 185-pounder, standing four inches taller and carrying a thicker frame, whereas Battle is moving up after draining cuts and a split-decision win at 170. Zerillo’s philosophy of backing the larger man in a near-coin-flip bout plus his projection edge makes Ruziboev his favorite underdog on the card.

Danny Brasco bet the Ruziboev-Battle middleweight bout to GO the distance, projecting a grinding, cage-heavy decision. Battle is a former welterweight who repeatedly missed 170 and now faces a true 185-er: Ruziboev stands a literal head taller and brings a 36-9 record but has not suffered a finish since 2016. Likewise, Battle has avoided stoppage since the second fight of his career. Brasco expects Battle to pursue dirty-boxing and wall-and-stall tactics but doubts he can ‘weight-bully’ the naturally bigger Uzbek. Ruziboev’s lone UFC defeat came to Joaquin Buckley at an ill-advised 170 cut; back at middleweight he should survive Battle’s clinch pressure while landing the cleaner outside strikes. With both men sporting reliable gas tanks and reputations for toughness, Brasco views the decision prop—price not stated but implied plus money—as the sharp side.

Jim Malaro labeled Bryan Battle the ‘parlay buster’ of UFC 319. Battle is moving up to 185 lbs—something he thinks most bettors will overlook—and Malaro fears the size bump will sap Battle’s usual late-fight dog mentality. He sees the first two minutes as extremely volatile and would rather attack the Under than lay Battle chalk. His recommendation: keep Battle out of parlays and pivot to the fight-does-not-go-distance market instead.

Jim Malaro said the smartest angle on Bryan Battle’s middleweight debut is to wait for a live number. Moving up from 170 means Battle will likely eat a few of Ruzaboyev’s laser-straight right hands early, driving his in-fight odds higher. Malaro trusts Battle’s deeper gas tank and willingness to bite down in grimy exchanges—traits he doubts Ruzaboyev shares. If the North Carolinian is still standing after the opening storm, Malaro plans to attack the live market, expecting momentum to flip once it becomes a dog fight. He also leaned toward "fight doesn’t go to decision," citing Battle’s porous striking defense and Ruzaboyev’s tendency to fade.

TheWeasle predicted Bryan Battle to out-work Nursulton Ruziboev over three rounds. Ruziboev is a long, precise power puncher but was wrestled twice by Dustin Stoltzfus and dominated on the mat by Joaquin Buckley. Battle averages near triple-digit significant strikes when he dictates pace (he landed 100 vs Kevin Jousset in <3 rds) and owns a serviceable takedown game that the tout expects to surface here. The playbook: eat a shot or two, chain attempts, clinch, drop elbows, and drown Ruziboev with pace. Toughness, cardio, and a more rounded skill set make Battle a money-line bet and a live DFS target for potential late-round scoring.

Madlab Michael Lurato is backing Bryan Battle at roughly –170, noting the former Ultimate Fighter winner ‘gets better every fight’ and has shown real dog in tough spots. Lurato admitted he was never high on either man but has seen Battle tighten his game, stay composed under fire, and fight through bad rounds. Though Ruziboev brings length, Madlab trusts Battle’s improving cardio and all-around grit to out-work him over three rounds, even if the price feels a bit rich.

For his weekly "kill shot" Monk nominated Nursulton Ruziboev as an under-owned GPP dart. He believes the field is overreacting to Ruziboev’s recent loss to Dustin Stoltzfus and expects a strong rebound, making the fighter a perfect ownership pivot in tournaments that exclude the main event. Salary sits in the mid-range where most rosters will gravitate elsewhere, so Monk sees a chance to gain leverage if Ruziboev delivers the well-rounded finishing upside he showed before the Stoltzfus stumble.

Monk called the ‑170 line on Bryan Battle too wide and expects a coin-flip fight that trends to a decision despite a ‑155 Inside-the-Distance prop. Battle averages only 86 DraftKings points in wins and Ruziboev fails to score unless he finishes in Round 1, while the pair have suffered just three finish losses in eleven combined defeats. Monk will stay under the field on both fighters, fading the bout in cash builds and using Battle sparingly in tournaments that need a cheap decision win.

Sniper said the betting market is over-reacting to Nursulton Ruziboev’s shaky effort against Dustin Stoltzfus and Joaquin Buckley. He pointed to Bryan Battle’s 53 percent takedown defense and the two takedowns Randy Brown landed as evidence Ruziboev can get this fight to the mat. Sniper also believes Ruziboev is the heavier puncher on the feet. With those edges and a +145 money-line, Sniper will be overweight on Ruziboev in DFS GPPs and is calling for the outright upset.

Matty Betss picked Bryan Battle to edge a decision yet called the −175 money-line too steep. He highlighted Ruziboev’s gaudy 20-submission, 47-fight record but dismissed much of it as regional padding. Battle, meanwhile, is a natural middle-weight who cut to 170 for The Ultimate Fighter run, then missed weight in two of his last three attempts, signaling renewed comfort at 185. Betss likes Battle’s dog-on-a-bone pressure boxing, six career submission wins and current work with Sean Brady and other high-end wrestlers to shore up the takedown issues that Renat Fakretdinov and Joaquin Buckley exposed. He expects a grimy, fans-sleeping-on-it striking affair where Battle’s volume and cardio carry the scorecards, but advises waiting for a cheaper line or playing the decision prop instead of swallowing the chalk.