UFC Fight Night: Ankalaev vs. Walker 2

WSN

13 January 2024

UFC Fight Night: Ankalaev vs. Walker 2 - Picks & Predictions

Magomed Ankalaev vs. Johnny Walker - Light Heavyweight Division

Our pick: Magomed Ankalaev (-550) at DraftKings

Matheus Nicolau vs. Manel Kape - Flyweight Division

Our pick: Matheus Nicolau (+220) at DraftKings

Jim Miller vs. Gabriel Benitez - Lightweight Division

Our pick: Gabriel Benitez (+110) at DraftKings

Ricky Simon vs. Mario Bautista - Bantamweight Division

Our pick: Ricky Simon (-185) at DraftKings

Phil Hawes vs. Brunno Ferreira - Middleweight Division

Our pick: Bruno Ferreira (-130) at DraftKings

Magomed Ankalaev vs. Johnny Walker - Light Heavyweight Division

Magomed Ankalaev has not had an easy go of things in the past year. Although he has not lost during the stretch of his last 11 fights, the Russian fighter fought Jan Blachowicz (for the light heavyweight championship) to a draw in 2022 and then through an illegal knee in his 2023 bout against Walker, leading to a no-contest.

Will his third time be the charm? Ankalaev is set to rematch Johnny Walker in the main event this Saturday and get back (officially) into the win column.

However, excluding the recent no-contest, Walker is riding a three-fight winning streak and seems to improve with every fight since switching his training camp to Ireland.

Walker will stand two inches taller and have an incredible seven-inch reach advantage. But despite these physical attributes, it is Ankalaev - the fighter with only one professional loss on his record - who comes in as the -550 favorite to win; the largest betting favorite on the entire main card.

Matheus Nicolau vs. Manel Kape - Flyweight Division

Riding a four-fight winning streak (and some controversy) into his co-main event bout against Matheus Nicolau this Saturday, number-six ranked flyweight Manel Kape looks to get himself one step closer to a title shot in 2024.

No stranger to winning streaks himself, Nicolau only recently had his six-fight win streak snapped when he lost via KO at the hands of Brandon Royval last April.

Nicolau is ranked just above Kape at number-five in the division and is also looking to cement his place as the true number-one contender at flyweight.

However, Kape (and his two-inch reach advantage) are listed as the -270 favorite.

Jim Miller vs. Gabriel Benitez - Lightweight Division

Jim Miller - UFC 100 participant, UFC 200 participant and UFC 300 participant? Although this fight is early in the year, this schedule likely means that Jim Miller will not become the only UFC fighter to appear on all three of the organization’s massive cards.

But this is still a fun fight. Jim Miller and Gabriel Benitez stand at equal height and have an equal reach. The only thing truly separating them is five years of age.

Miller is 4-1 in his last five fights and is coming off a first-round KO win over Jesse Butler.

Benitez, who is 2-2 in his last four, is coming off a first-round TKO win over Charles Ontiveros. However, that fight took place in 2022 and Benitez has yet to fight since.

Fan favorite and UFC veteran Jim Miller, although the elder, is listed as the -130 favorite to win this weekend.

Ricky Simon vs. Mario Bautista - Bantamweight Division

Ricky Simon, the 13th-ranked UFC bantamweight, was enjoying a five-fight winning streak prior to his most recent fight. Unfortunately, in his most recent bout he faced off against top-contender Song Yadong - who defeated Simon via fifth-round TKO last April. He now looks to get himself back into the win column with a win over Mario Bautista this weekend.

Bautista, currently unranked, is riding a five-fight winning streak heading into this fight and most recently defeated Da’Mon Blackshear by decision at UFC 292 last August. He will stand three-inches taller and have a three-inch reach advantage over Simon.

The more experienced Ricky Simon is, regardless, the -185 favorite at DraftKings.

Phil Hawes vs. Brunno Ferreira - Middleweight Division

1-1 since signing with the UFC, Brunno Ferreira looks to bounce back from the first loss of his professional career at the hands of Nursulton Ruziboev last July.

He kicks off the main card this Saturday, facing off against Phil Hawes - a fighter who is also looking to bounce back following his second loss in a row (and second by knockout) at the hands of Ikram Aliskerov at UFC 288 last May.

Only one-inch separates these two fighters in height but the veteran Hawes (still a +110 underdog) will have a five-inch reach advantage over Ferreira.