UFC Fight Night takes place at Meta APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada on Saturday the 7th of November (early Sunday in South Africa). Waldo Cortes Acosta faces Johnny Walker in the heavyweight main event, while Tatiana Suarez takes on Virna Jandiroba at women’s strawweight. We take a closer look at those contests and one additional bout from the main card from a betting angle below.
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WALDO CORTES ACOSTA vs JOHNNY WALKER
Heavyweight – Main Event:
Waldo Cortes Acosta has won 10 of his 14 UFC appearances, splitting those victories evenly between knockouts and unanimous decisions. The Dominican has demonstrated the power to finish opponents early alongside the ability to maintain his challenge over three rounds although all four of his promotional defeats have come on the scorecards.
Cortes Acosta looks to recover from successive unanimous decision losses against Alexander Volkov in May and Curtis Blaydes in September. Before those setbacks, he recorded three consecutive stoppage victories over Ante Delija, Shamil Gaziev and Derrick Lewis, finishing Lewis in the second round in January.
Johnny Walker brings 9 victories, 7 defeats and 1 no contest as a result of his time inside the organisation. 7 of those wins have come by KO/TKO, with a submission and a unanimous decision completing his return. His finishing power and unorthodox style makes him dangerous although four knockout defeats underline the risks he faces when opponents land cleanly.
Walker stopped Mick Parkin in the first round in October, responding to a split decision defeat against Dominick Reyes in April. He has won two of his last three appearances, having also finished Zhang Mingyang in the second round in August last year.
BETTING – click here to bet
Cortes Acosta 1.40
Walker 3.00
PREDICTION:
Walker’s finishing threat makes the early exchanges dangerous but Cortes Acosta has yet to be stopped across his 14 UFC appearances. His recent defeats came against opponents who beat him over the distance, while his victories over Lewis, Gaziev and Delija showed his own knockout threat. Walker’s history of stoppage losses gives Cortes Acosta an opening and I am backing him to respond with a victory by KO/TKO.
TATIANA SUAREZ vs VIRNA JANDIROBA
Women’s Strawweight – Main Card Bout:
Tatiana Suarez has emerged victorious from 8 of her 9 UFC contests with her only defeat coming against Zhang Weili in their title fight early last year. Four submission victories and a stoppage against Carla Esparza highlight her ability to turn ground exchanges into finishes, while three unanimous decisions show she can also win over the full distance.
Suarez has responded to that championship setback with consecutive victories. She outpointed Amanda Lemos in September last year before submitting Loopy Godinez in the second round in April.
Virna Jandiroba returned to winning ways with a unanimous decision victory over Tabatha Ricci in April. That followed a five round decision defeat against Mackenzie Dern in October, which ended a run of five consecutive victories.
The Brazilian’s tally under the institution stands at 9 wins and 4 losses. Her submission of Amanda Lemos demonstrates her finishing ability on the ground, while decision wins against Marina Rodriguez, Loopy Godinez and Yan Xiaonan show she can sustain a winning performance over three rounds.
BETTING – click here to bet
Suarez 1.47
Jandiroba 2.80
PREDICTION:
Both fighters offer a serious submission threat, making control and positioning especially important in this matchup. Suarez has built momentum with consecutive victories but Jandiroba’s record suggests she will be difficult to finish. Despite that I favour Suarez to establish the stronger positions and make enough of those exchanges count to earn a decision victory.
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DAVEY GRANT vs ELIJAH SMITH
Bantamweight – Main Card Bout:
Davey Grant has collected 9 victories against 6 defeats since making his debut in 2016. Stoppages against Jonathan Martinez and Louis Smolka demonstrate his punching power, while his submission of Raphael Assuncao showed he remains dangerous late in the contest.
Grant has won three of his last four appearances, most recently beating Adrian Luna Martinetti by unanimous decision in April. That result provided a response to a first round submission defeat against Charles Jourdain in October. His other recent victories came on the scorecards against Ramon Taveras and Da’Mon Blackshear.
Elijah Smith has made a perfect start to his UFC career with 3 victories, winning by a different method on each occasion. The American opened with a unanimous decision against Vince Morales before knocking out Toshiomi Kazama in the first round.
His latest outing produced a second round submission victory over SuYoung You in March, meaning he is effective on the ground and when the fight is a stand up battle.
BETTING – click here to bet
Grant 3.75
Smith 1.29
PREDICTION:
Grant’s recent results make this a demanding assignment for Smith, particularly if the contest develops into a prolonged striking battle. However, Smith has already shown he can finish fights on the feet and on the ground. Grant’s three submission defeats across his UFC career offer a route for the American and I am backing Smith to extend his unbeaten UFC start with another submission victory.
SUGGESTED BETS:
Waldo Cortes Acosta vs Johnny Walker
Cortes Acosta by KO at 2.05
Tatiana Suarez vs Virna Jandiroba
Suarez by Decision at 1.83
Davey Grant vs Elijah Smith
Smith by Submission at 6.25
The treble comes in at 23.45
Note: All prices are correct at the time of writing but subject to change.
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