One of the most anticipated fight cards of the year will go down this Saturday as UFC 294 will have fans on the edge of their seats in Abu Dhabi. Here’s your weekly installment, UFC 294 best bets.
It is a stacked card with some tremendous fighters looking to go out and put on outstanding performances. A fantastic lightweight championship rematch between Alexander Volkanovski and Islam Makhachev tops the card. It’ll be a very entertaining night with some quality fights.
Best Bets Guide: Said Nurmagomdov Vs Muin Gafurov
The first contest of the evening is a matchup between Said Nurmagomedov and Muin Gafurov in the bantamweight division. Nurmagomedov has a professional record of 17-3 with eight finishes. The 31-year-old is coming off a loss to Jonathan Martinez, but before that, he was on a four-fight win streak. He will look to get back to winning ways on Saturday against Gafurov. The fighter from Tajikistan is 18-5 as a professional with 17 finishes. He lost his UFC debut and looks to get his first win in the UFC this Saturday. Nurmagomedov comes into the fight as a 4/9 favourite, and Gafurov is a 15/8 underdog.
Predicted winner of the fight: Said Nurmagomedov
UFC 294 Best Bets Guide: Ikram Aliskerov Vs Warlly Alves
After that fight, Ikram Aliskerov will take on Warlly Alves in a middleweight contest. Aliskerov is a rising star in the UFC and has a professional record of 14-1 with ten finishes. He is on a six-fight winning streak, and his only loss has come to Khamzat Chimaev. His opponent, Alves, is a UFC veteran and has had many big performances in the company, including a win over Colby Covington. Aliskerov enters the contest as a massive favourite at 1/6, and Alves as a 9/2 underdog.
Predicted winner of the fight: Ikram Aliskerov
Best Bets Guide: Magomed Ankalaev vs Johnny Walker
The third fight of the night will see Magomed Ankalaev and Johnny Walker square off. Ankalaev enters the contest with a professional record of 18-1-1 with ten finishes. He has taken the UFC by storm since joining the promotion and is coming off a draw in his latest fight, which was for the title. He will take on Walker, who has had quite the career resurgence. After having an up-and-down series of battles, Walker has found his groove and has gone three for three in his most recent contests. The Brazilian is 21-7 as a professional with 19 finishes. Ankalaev enters the fight as the favourite on 2/7, and Walker arrives in Abu Dhabi as an 11/4 underdog.
Predicted winner of the fight: Magomed Ankalaev
UFC 294 Best Bets Guide: Kamaru Usman Vs Khamzat Chimaev
The co-main event of the evening is an epic clash between Chimaev and former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman. The Nigerian will step in on short notice after Paulo Costa withdrew from the contest due to elbow surgery. Usman has created quite the legacy for himself in the UFC as he is one of the more dominant welterweight champions of all time. He will move up to middleweight to attempt to end the hype train, Chimaev. The UFC have got a real star on their hands in Chimaev. He is perfect as a professional and looks to be a dominant force in the UFC for many years. Chimaev is a 4/11 favourite, and Usman is a 9/4 underdog.
Predicted winner of the fight: Kamaru Usman
UFC 294 Best Bets Guide: Islam Makhachev Vs Alexander Volkanovski
The final fight of the night is a rematch between Volkanovski and Makhachev. Like Usman, Volkanovski steps into the contest on short notice after Charles Oliveira had to pull out due to a cut. In their first meeting, it was a very competitive clash, with Makhachev getting his hand raised. However, many people believe that Volkanovski won the fight, and a rematch was bound to happen. Yet, it will likely be a completely different contest this time because Volkanovski hasn’t had much time to prepare. However, the odds are still incredibly tight, with Machachev coming in as a 2/5 favourite and Volkanovski coming in as a 2/1 underdog.
Predicted winner of the fight: Islam Makhachev
Winners Bet Builder- 8.85/1
Said Nurmagomedov
Ikram Aliskerov
Magomed Ankalaev
Kamaru Usman
Islam Makhachev
(Bet365)
What do you make of our UFC 294 best bets guide?
Featured image credits to Embed from Getty Images
