The UFC 2024 season is officially upon us. It’s been almost a full month since the last event of 2023, and fans are eagerly awaiting the first card of the new year. This week features a rematch between two light heavyweights. Magomed Ankalaev and Johnny Walker will headline the first UFC Fight Night in 2024. Outside of the phenomenal main event, UFC veteran, Jim Miller makes his return. Here’s a full breakdown for some of the fights that’ll go down on Saturday night.
Andrei Arlovski (34-22-0, 2NC) vs. Waldo Cortes-Acosta (10-1-0)
Jim Miller won’t be the only UFC veteran stepping into the octagon on Saturday night. The former UFC Heavyweight Champion, Andrei Arlovski will be the final fight on the prelims. Arlovski’s first fight with the promotion came in November of 2000. His fight against Waldo Cortes-Acosta will be a testament to the dedication he has had for the UFC over the last twenty-four years. Arlovski however, is a heavy underdog against Cortes-Acosta sitting at +500. Cortes-Acosta is coming off of a knockout win over Lukasz Brzeski, while Arlovski is coming off of two straight losses, and has shown signs that he is slowing down. He has had some time off since his last fight, but will it be enough to take the victory on Saturday?
Official Prediction: Waldo Cortes-Acosta by KO/TKO
Ricky Simón (20-4-0) vs. Mario Bautista (13-2-0)
Stylistically, this may end up being one of the best fights of the night. Ricky Simón and Mario Bautista are both phenomenal wrestlers. It would be surprising to see this fight go longer on the feet, compared to the ground. Both have high level technique when it comes to the clinch, and scoring takedowns. On the contrary, we have seen fights in the past where two predominant wrestlers don’t end up going to the ground. The difference between these two athletes at this current moment is the level of competition that they’ve faced. Bautista is coming off of five straight wins, with three of them ending by submission in the first round. Simón lost his last fight to Song Yadong, who is ranked inside the top ten of a stacked bantamweight division. This has fight of the night written all over it.
Official Prediction: Ricky Simón by unanimous decision.
Jim Miller (36-17-0, 1NC) vs. Gabriel Benítez (23-11-0)
Jim Miller is one of the few fighters in the UFC who at times, appears to be non-human. The 40-year-old has been fighting in the UFC since 2008, and his resume has only continued to get better as time goes on. He hopes to get a win over Gabriel Benítez, which would set Miller up to do something no fighter in the promotion has ever done. Miller is guaranteed a spot on the legendary UFC 300 card in April.
Throughout his long journey as a martial artist, Miller had competed and won at UFC 100 and 200. With a win in April, He’d be the first fighter in UFC history to compete and win at each of those events. But first, he’ll have to get through Benítez. Benítez is coming off of a TKO victory, but was knocked out in the two fights previous to that one. Those knockouts came from David Onama and Billy Quarantillo, both talented fighters within the promotion. Miller on the other hand, has won four out of his last five, and each of those four wins have come by way of submission or knockout. With UFC 300 around the corner, Miller will be stepping into the octagon with the intent to get a finish, as he always does.
Official Prediction: Jim Miller by KO/TKO
Magomed Ankalaev (18-1-1, 1NC) vs. Johnny Walker (21-7-0, 1NC)
The first UFC main event will be the rematch between Magomed Ankalaev and Johnny Walker. The two competed inside the octagon just last year. The fight was stopped in the first round by the doctor, after Walker took a big blow from an illegal knee thrown by Ankalaev. It was an exciting matchup between two of the best light heavyweights in the division. One that had fallen apart before we even got to dictate how it was going. This rematch also has title implications on the line. Ankalaev has already declared that if he is to win this fight against Walker, then his next will be for the title. But with Walkers unorthodox style, and at times unpredictable movements, there could be potential for a knockout finish on his end.
Official Prediction: Magomed Ankalaev by submission
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