Menifield Opens As Underdog Against Baraniewski At UFC 331

Alonzo Menifield will look to play spoiler against rising heavyweight/" class="internal-link text-bone underline decoration-ash/30 hover:decoration-gold underline-offset-2">light heavyweight Iwo Baraniewski at UFC 331 on Sept. 19 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.

The 38-year-old Menifield enters as the underdog at minus-250 despite winning three of his last four fights, according to MMA Mania. Baraniewski, a 27-year-old Polish judoka, has stopped all three of his UFC opponents by knockout in less than four minutes of total cage time combined.

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How The Fight Breaks Down

Baraniewski has built momentum through explosive first-round finishes, including a leg-kick knockout of Junior Tafa at UFC Vegas 118. The question for the undefeated prospect is durability — he has never seen a second round in the Octagon. Menifield can wrestle competently and grind along the fence, which could force Baraniewski into deeper waters where his conditioning remains untested.

Menifield's path to an upset hinges on surviving the opening exchanges. He tends to be hittable when pressing forward, and Baraniewski possesses the hand speed to capitalize on openings. The clinch offers Menifield his best avenue to drag the fight past the danger zone and test whether Baraniewski can maintain his power output beyond the first five minutes.

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FanDuel Sportsbook lists Baraniewski at plus-198 to win outright, with his knockout prop set at minus-130. Menifield by decision sits at plus-750, reflecting the expectation that this fight ends early one way or another. The Polish contender has yet to showcase his grappling credentials in the UFC, winning instead through sudden violence that has kept opponents from ever engaging his ground game.

Reported via:

• MMA Mania — Alonzo Menifield vs. Iwo Baraniewski: Odds, full fight preview and prediction | UFC 331