UFC Fight Night: Johnny Walker vs Jamahal Hill Predictions

UFC Fight Night: Johnny Walker vs Jamahal Hill Predictions

The UFC will travel back to the Apex Center in Las Vegas tomorrow for a card headlined by Johnny Walker and Jamahal Hill. Johnny Walker (18-6-0) is coming off a decision loss to Thiago Santos and looks to get back on track tomorrow. Meanwhile, Jamahal Hill (9-1) is coming off another knockout win over Jimmy Crute and wants to keep the win streak going en route to an eventual title shot. Which fighter is set up for success tomorrow night?

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Johnny Walker vs Jamahal Hill Prediction

Both Walker and Hill are predominantly strikers, so we can expect to see this one on the feet for most, if not all, of the fight. Walker does have a few submission wins, but those were all earlier in his career. The books give Hill a significant edge tomorrow, as most places have him around -240. Those odds are pretty high for a straight bet, so I'm looking more at the total on this one.

Hill and Walker both start fast with lots of volume. Hill has only seen the judges once in six fights in the UFC, also counting his Dana White's Contender Series appearance. Walker has seen the judges only twice in his seven fights in the UFC, and every one of those stoppages was in the first round. Walker also has finished 17 of his 18 wins. This is because of both men's pressure and volume, and I don't expect to see much change when they enter the octagon tomorrow night.

Hill has averaged 7.45 significant strikes per minute over his time in the UFC, and with the power he has at light heavyweight, that's enough to finish anyone in the division. However, he won't be the only fighter with power tomorrow. Walker's hands are incredibly powerful, and his counter opportunities will be there against Hill's pressure. There's a reason this total is at 1.5 even in a five-round main event. The books suspect this one may be done early, and so do I. I also love getting plus money on this line, so I will be taking the under.

Johnny Walker vs Jamahal Hill Pick

• Pick: Walker vs Hill Under 1.5 Rounds (+120) (Bet $100 to win $120)

Abdul Razak Alhassan vs Joaquin Buckley Prediction

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The main card opener features a middleweight bout between Joaquin Buckley (13-4) and Abdul Razak Alhassan (11-4). I can see why the UFC put this as the main card opener, because it's sure to produce fireworks. Buckley hasn't seen the scorecards in his five fights in the UFC, and Alhassan has a 100% finish rate as a professional. These are two of the heavier hitters in the middleweight division, and they finally get to face off. The fight was initially scheduled for the first event of 2022, but Alhassan suffered an injury that delayed the bout by one month.

Buckley and Alhassan are essentially mirror images of each other. They fight a similar fight, looking to take your head off with every jab and kick. However, after taping them both, I found that Buckley has a slightly better defense and timing and an advantage in volume. They both load up on strikes, which explains the finishes, but also explains the accuracy of strikes. When looking over every aspect of their striking game, it appears Buckley has the advantage here.

One other thing to note here is that Buckley is a southpaw fighter. This can be tricky for orthodox fighters, especially those who have never faced a southpaw like Alhassan. I'm sure Alhassan has been training against southpaw fighters in training for this fight, but it's different actually fighting against one in the octagon. Buckley will present something Alhassan has never faced before, which does give him an immediate advantage, in my opinion. Buckley will also have a three-inch reach advantage and youth advantage, as he is nine years younger than the 36-year-old Alhassan.

This fight has meager odds of going to the scorecards given both men's power. Alhassan could come out and put Buckley's light out immediately, but I will side with Buckley here. The southpaw throws more volume and has shown to be better defensively, and I think he clips Alhassan early. I also love getting plus money on this play which means both plays for the article have great value at plus odds.

Abdul Razak Alhassan vs Joaquin Buckley Pick

• Pick: Joaquin Buckley to Win Inside the Distance (+110) (Bet $100 to win $110)