With fight night approaching, bantamweights Daria Zhelezniakova and Melissa Mullins are set to clash on Saturday, June 21, 2025, at UFC Fight Night: Hill vs Rountree Jr. in Baku’s Crystal Hall. This matchup on the preliminary card features two fighters looking to end the night above .500 in their UFC careers. Here, I break down this matchup and give you my Daria Zhelezniakova vs Melissa Mullins prediction.
Our Daria Zhelezniakova vs Melissa Mullins Pick
- Pick: Melissa Mullins to win via KO/TKO in Round 1
- Confidence: ★★★★☆ (4/5)
- Bonus Bets For the Fight: BetMGM promo code – ATSBONUS – up to $1,500 in bonus bets if your first bet doesn’t win!
Tale of the Tape
| Melissa Mullins | Daria Zhelezniakova | |
|---|---|---|
| Age | 33 | 29 |
| Height | 5′7″ | 5′9″ |
| Reach | 68″ | 68″ |
| Stance | Orthodox | Orthodox |
| Record | 7‑1‑0 | 9‑2‑0 |
Daria Zhelezniakova vs Melissa Mullins Preview
Melissa “No Mess” Mullins enters this bout as the clear favorite with bookmakers placing her at –250 on the moneyline. She’s coming off a strong KO victory over Klaudia Sygula in her last outing and is 2-1 in her young UFC career. Mullins brings sharp striking accuracy (59%) and a solid mix of offense and defense with 3.43 significant strikes landed per minute while showing the ability to stuff takedowns. Her résumé includes four knockout victories and three wins by decision.
Daria “Iron Lady” Zhelezniakova, priced at +200, is an aggressive, forward‑pressing competitor. While her striking accuracy is lower at 44%, she averages 3.29 significant strikes per minute and has also shown quality takedown accuracy in her limited UFC grappling exchanges. Zhelezniakova is motivated to rebound after a submission loss last September to Ailin Perez. At 29, she is entering her prime and will look to improve to 2-1 as a member of the UFC roster with a win here.
Betting Insights
- The moneyline favours Mullins heavily at –250, with Zhelezniakova at +200.
- Prop markets hint at under 2.5 total rounds, with the under at -130 and the over at even money, suggesting bettors expect an early finish.
- Each of Mullins’ last two fights have ended in the second round, with her winning one of those fights by knockout and losing the other by knockout.
Daria Zhelezniakova vs Melissa Mullins Prediction
This fight shapes up stylistically in Mullins’ favour. She should be able to defend the limited number of takedowns that Zhelezniakova will throw at her, making it difficult for the Russian to get extended clinch time or ground control. With a strong output of over 3 strikes per minute and four knockouts on her record, Mullins has the tools to keep the fight at a distance or turn the heat up early.
Given the clear statistical edge and recent finishes, Mullins is favored to maintain a safe distance, use her jab, and unload power strikes when the opportunities present themselves. Her last fight ended via second‑round strikes. My expectation is for a sharper version of Mullins to get the job done in round one this time.
