UFC Vegas 122: Allen vs. Duncan continues on the prelims with a fight between Darya Zheleznyakova and Alice Pereira in the bantamweight division. Check out our UFC Vegas 122 odds series for our Zheleznyakova-Pereira prediction and pick.

Daria Zhelezniakova (10-3, 2-2 UFC) is coming off a unanimous-decision loss to Melissa Croden in April 2026. Before that, she beat Melissa Mullins by unanimous decision in June 2025, after an arm-triangle submission loss to Ailin Perez. She enters as the No. 14-ranked bantamweight, as she comes into her fight this weekend against Alice Pereira.

Alice Pereira (6-1, 1-1 UFC) is coming off a second-round flying-knee knockout of Hailey Cowan in April 2026, which earned her a performance bonus. Before that, she lost a split decision to Montserrat Rendon in her September 2025 UFC debut. At 20, she's the youngest woman in UFC history, as she comes into her fight this weekend against Darya Zheleznyakova.

UFC Vegas 122 Odds, courtesy of DraftKings:

UFC Vegas 122 Odds: Darya Zheleznyakova-Alice Pereira Odds

Darya Zheleznyakova: +114

Alice Pereira: -135

Over 2.5 Rounds: -230

Under 2.5 Rounds: +175

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Why Darya Zheleznyakova Will Win

Zheleznyakova is an underdog, but her experience and distance control give her a real path to an upset. She's 10-3 and has fought four times in the UFC. Pereira, who is 20, is making only her third UFC appearance.

Zheleznyakova has a kickboxing background. Pereira herself says she moves well and throws very good straight punches.

Her in-and-out style and three-punch combinations can keep a younger striker reaching. BetMGM expects Pereira to have the reach edge, but Zheleznyakova can neutralize it by controlling when the exchanges happen.

Pereira says the fight comes down to who finds the distance first. She also admits that even her aggression depends on finding Zheleznyakova's range.

There's also a common opponent. Zheleznyakova beat Montserrat Rendon, the same fighter who beat Pereira by split decision in Pereira's UFC debut.

Pereira is coming off a knockout of Hailey Cowan, but Zheleznyakova is the more seasoned fighter. I like her to win a decision by outworking Pereira from range.

Why Alice Pereira Will Win

Pereira is the favorite for good reasons: she is longer, more diverse as a striker and has real finishing power. She is 6-1 and coming off a second-round knockout of Hailey Cowan that earned a performance bonus.

She's a flashy, unorthodox striker who was signed with a knockout reputation. BetMGM calls her the more refined striker, with longer combinations than Zheleznyakova.

Pereira holds reach and leg-reach advantages. That means Zheleznyakova has to cover more distance to land, which cuts against her usual in-and-out blitz.

Zheleznyakova relies mostly on her boxing, while Pereira has more variety in her kicks and punches. That gives Pereira more ways to score and more ways to hurt her.

Pereira says she'll do better against this style, and that her aggression can overcome Zheleznyakova's distance striking. She also admits she first needs to find the right range, and her length should help her do it.

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At 20, she is already the youngest woman in UFC history and has momentum. I like Pereira by decision, with some big moments along the way.

Final Darya Zheleznyakova-Alice Pereira Prediction & Pick

Alice Pereira is my pick to beat Darya Zheleznyakova, with her length and striking variety providing the clearest advantages. Her longer combinations and reach should help her dictate exchanges rather than chase Zheleznyakova around the cage.

Zheleznyakova presents a challenge because her movement and straight punches can punish careless entries. Pereira must apply measured pressure, cutting off escape routes without charging directly into counters or surrendering her positioning during prolonged exchanges.

Pereira’s knockout victory over Hailey Cowan demonstrated her finishing threat, but patience matters more here. Mixing punches with kicks should disrupt Zheleznyakova’s rhythm and create opportunities to land cleaner shots as the fight progresses further.

Zheleznyakova’s experience makes an early finish difficult to predict, and she could steal rounds from distance. However, I expect Pereira’s offensive variety to become increasingly effective once she establishes range and reads her opponent’s movement.

Expect competitive stretches rather than complete domination, especially during the opening round. Pereira should edge the scorecards through cleaner combinations and more damaging moments, securing a decision victory.

Final Darya Zheleznyakova-Alice Pereira Prediction & Pick: Alice Pereira (-135), OVER 2.5 Rounds (-230)