UFC Fight Night 235 offers thrilling matchups, featuring a welterweight clash between Themba Gorimbo and Pete Rodriguez in the preliminary card at the UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada, scheduled for Saturday, February 3, starting at 4:00 PM ET. Gorimbo enters the bout as a moderate favorite, boasting a -250 moneyline.

Gorimbo has gone 2-2 in his last four fights, but was able to get back on track in his latest battle. This previous win was a unanimous decision over Takashi Sato at UFC Fight Night 223 in May of last year.

He proudly holds a fight record of 11 victories, including one knockout, six submissions, and four decisions. Noteworthy is his achievement of four triumphs in the opening round, while experiencing half of his four losses through submissions.

Known as "The Answer," he upholds a 59 percent striking accuracy and a 50 percent success rate in takedowns. Per minute of action, he delivers 1.80 significant strikes and absorbs 1.71, maintaining a slightly positive margin of error.

On average, he secures 3.47 takedowns per 15 minutes of fight time, with no submissions yet. His defensive skills include a 42 percent success rate against significant strikes and a 67 percent success rate against takedowns.

Rodriguez has gone 1-1 in his time with the UFC so far, with his latest fight being his first win here. This was a first round knockout over Mike Jackson back at UFC Fight Night 212 in October of 2022.

He showcases five professional wins so far, with all of them being knockouts. On top of that, all five of these knockouts were first round finishes and his only defeat came in the UFC by Jack Della Maddalena which was a knockout.

Currently, "Dead Game" displays a remarkable 46 percent accuracy rate with his strikes, but has yet to execute any takedowns. He averages 10.37 significant strikes per minute while absorbing 11.69 in return, resulting in a slightly negative differential, yet showcasing an aggressive style. This aggression may likely diminish over time.

Regarding ground action, he shows no initiative. Nevertheless, he defends against significant strikes at a rate of 45 percent and has successfully repelled all attempted takedowns against him.

MyBookie provides the betting odds for this fight, with Themba Gorimbo as a moderate favorite (-250) to succeed. Bettors that want the best bang for their buck when betting on Gorimbo should consider adding him to a parlay with other fights on the night or a prop bet that best suits his fighting style. Gorimbo has an advantage if he can keep the fight on the ground or at least drag it out long enough to earn a decision.