UFC Fight Night Predictions, Odds and Full Card

The UFC finally returns on Saturday, January 13th, with UFC Fight Night: Ankalaev vs. Walker 2, also known as UFC Fight Night 234. This will be the first UFC card in nearly a month, and it will be held just outside of Las Vegas, Nevada, at the UFC Apex.

UFC Fight Night 234 is headlined by a light heavyweight rematch between Magomed Ankalaev and Johnny Walker. Their first fight ended in a no-contest after an illegal knee in round one. There are 12 fights in total scheduled for this event and the best UFC betting sites have competitive odds for every matchup.  Continue reading to see the latest UFC odds and our UFC Fight Night predictions.

UFC Fight Night Odds

The following MMA betting odds are for the UFC Fight Night: Ankalaev vs. Walker 2 main card and courtesy of Bovada.

Where to Bet on UFC Fight Night

MMA fans have had to wait for nearly a month since UFC 296 for fighters to return to the octagon. Now that UFC Fight Night 234 is finally here, you have 12 exciting fights to watch and wager on this weekend.

There are many sports betting sites that offer odds on this event. I recommend using Bovada because it has exciting wagers available for every fight. You can also claim great bonuses, including a $750 sports welcome bonus, to help fund your bankroll for UFC Fight Night: Ankalaev vs. Walker 2.

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UFC Fight Night Predictions

The following UFC Fight Night predictions are for the Main Card. For the full UFC Fight Night 234 card predictions, check the table below.

Brunno Ferreira (-120)

Phil Hawes (12-5) and Brunno Ferreira (10-1) go head-to-head in a middleweight fight to kick off the main card for this UFC event. Bovada has Ferreira listed as a -120 favorite in the latest UFC Fight Night odds. This fight is scheduled to take place at middleweight.

Both fighters lost in their last appearances inside the octagon. Hawes has lost back-to-back fights and three of his last five. Ferreira’s loss to Nursulton Ruziboev last July ended the 10-0 start to his professional career.

I think that Ferreira will get back to his winning ways this weekend. Prior to his loss, Ferreira had a perfect 10-0 finish rate in MMA. He has five first-round KOs and three first-round submissions. Hawes has been stopped in the first round in three of his last four fights, and I think Ferreira can secure a quick finish this weekend.

Ricky Simon (-170)

Up next is a bantamweight fight between Ricky Simon and Mario Bautista. Simon (20-4) lost in his last outing, but he is still listed as a -170 favorite in this fight. Bautista (13-2) has won five straight fights, including three by first-round submission.

Simon has had nearly nine months to recover from his fifth-round KO loss to Yadong Song last April. He has six KO wins and four submission victories in his career. Seven of his 10 decision wins have been unanimous decisions.

Bautista has four decision wins, all of which are unanimous. He also has six submissions and three KO victories in his career.

Both fighters are well-rounded, and this could be a contender for the Fight of the Night. Simon is at a slight size disadvantage, but I think he is the more skilled fighter and will pick up the win this weekend. He should have extra motivation, too, as he is in danger of suffering back-to-back losses for just the second time in his career.

Gabriel Benitez (-105)

The most experienced fighter on the main card is Jim Miller (36-17). He is scheduled to fight Gabriel Benitez (23-10) in a lightweight fight this weekend. Miller (-115) is a slight favorite over Benitez (-105) in this contest, according to the latest UFC Fight Night 234 odds.

There is no denying that Miller has the experience advantage in this fight. He is also 4-1 in his last five fights. Benites, on the other hand, is just 2-3 over that same span.

Part of Benitez’s recent struggles appear to be due to his size. He missed weight multiple times while trying to cut down to 145 pounds. However, he has since moved up from featherweight to lightweight and earned a dominant round-one KO win over Charlie Ontiveros in his last fight at 155 pounds.

This fight is at lightweight, and Benitez has a much better track record in this weight class. I think he can get the win over Miller this weekend, especially if he can keep the fight on the feet. Miller has 19 career submission wins, but he is just 10-12 in fights decided by decision.

Matheus Nicolau (+200)

Manel Kape (-250) is a moderate favorite over Matheus Nicolau (+200) in the co-main event for UFC Fight Night 234. I believe that Nicolau will be the one to get his hand raised in this flyweight fight.

Nicolau (19-3-1) is coming off a loss that ended a six-fight winning streak. He lost in the first round to Brandon Royval last April. All three of his career losses have come via first-round KO.

Kape (19-6) has 11 KO wins in his career, including seven in the first round. If he can catch Nicolau early, then this could be a short co-main event. However, I think that Nicolau will be able to weather the storm early and do enough to secure the win on the judges’ scorecards.

Magomed Ankalaev (-500)

The main event for this UFC Fight Night is a rematch between Magomed Ankalaev and Johnny Walker. Their first fight ended in a no-contest due to an illegal knee landed by Ankalaev. Ankalaev is listed as a -500 favorite for this light heavyweight bout between fighters in the top 10.

Both fighters have won three of their last five fights. Ankalaev’s last win came in July 2022, though, when he beat Anthony Smith by second-round TKO. Prior to the no-contest with Walker, Ankalaev fought former champion Jan Blachowicz, for the vacated 205-pound belt, to a split-decision draw.

Walker’s last win also came against Anthony Smith, who he beat by unanimous decision. Before the no-contest, Waler was riding a three-fight winning streak, but he is just 4-4 with one NC in his last nine appearances.

I have to side with the oddsmakers at Bovada in this fight. Walker has turned his career around after a 1-4 skid, but Ankalaev is simply too good for him to overcome.

UFC Fight Night Best Bets

Hawes vs. Ferreira Is Under 1.5 Rounds (-250)

One of the most anticipated fights on the main card is the opening fight between Hawes and Ferreira. I think that this middleweight fight will live up to the hype, but I also believe it will be a short fight.

These fighters have combined for 15 first-round finishes in their career. I think that we will see another first-round finish in this fight. The over/under is set at 1.5 rounds, and I would take the under.

Magomed Ankalaev vs. Johnny Walker Is Under 1.5 Rounds (+110)

I also think that the main event could be on the shorter side. The over/under for total rounds is set at 1.5 rounds. I would take the under, which is listed at +110.

As I mentioned above, I believe that Ankalaev will get his hand raised in his fight. He has not secured a win since 2022, though, and is likely frustrated by his last two appearances in the octagon. I think he will come out aggressively and secure the early win against Walker.

UFC Fight Night Card

Check out the latest UFC Fight Night: Ankalaev vs. Walker 2 full card and our predictions for each bout:

Which UFC Fight Night Odds Will You Bet On?

After nearly a month off, the UFC finally returns this Saturday, January 13th. Check out the list above to see the latest odds and predictions for UFC Fight Night: Ankalaev vs. Walker 2. Then, head over to Bovada for even more great UFC Fight Night odds.