Odds provided by Duelbits accurate as of 9/11/2024

Sean O'Malley -133 vs. Merab Dvalishvili +109

The main event features a highly anticipated clash between rivals for the Bantamweight title. Sean O'Malley has become one of the biggest names in the sport and looks to make his second title defense here after a very impressive performance against Marlon 'Chito' Vera earlier this year at UFC 299. In that fight, he showed off his incredibly diverse striking attack with flashy kicks, fast hands, devastating knees, and impressive cardio by maintaining a high output over five rounds. Merab Dvalishvili finally challenges for UFC gold here after having some fantastic showings against former champions Petr Yan and Henry Cejudo, where he showed his ability to mix pace and wrestling is unmatched across the entire organization. There are some concerns about his durability, with Marlon Moraes and Cejudo catching him early, and in Moraes's case, he was nearly finished having to run away to create space.

If this fight gets out of the early stages, I see the pressure of Dvalishvili being too much for O'Malley to handle. With the success Petr Yan had wrestling against O'Malley, I expect Dvalishvili to be able to get this fight to the ground early and often to dominate his way to a decision win.

Prediction: Dvalishvili by Decision

Alexa Grasso -139 vs. Valentina Shevchenko +113

The trilogy will be completed here at Flyweight as the two coaches from the most recent season of The Ultimate Fighter look to settle the score once and for all. Alexa Grasso burst onto the scene with her shocking submission win over Shevchenko in the first meeting. She established she was here to stay in the rematch, where she dropped Shevchenko and showed an impressive skillset despite the fight ending in a draw. Valentina Shevchenko was the most dominant champion in the UFC for some time, with it seeming as though nobody was on her level over her nine-fight win streak. She was known for her kickboxing skills early in her run but has shown a lot of development on the ground, having used her skills there to finish challengers like Jessica Andrade and Katlyn Chookagian.

I lean towards Grasso here as she is the much younger fighter who could still be improving, while Shevchenko is likely nearing the end of her run at the top.

Prediction: Grasso by Split Decision

Brian Ortega +147 vs. Diego Lopes -182

Hopefully, we will finally see these two Featherweights face off in the octagon after a fight day cancellation the last time they were booked. Brian Ortega is a super durable grappling specialist who often has to survive early onslaughts to come from behind and get the win, as he did his last time out against Yair Rodriguez, who dropped him in round one before Ortega took over to get a submission win. Diego Lopes has become a fan favorite with his wild style, which has led him to four straight victories, including three first-round finishes. His last fight with Dan Ige raised some concerns about his cardio, as he looked exhausted in the final round despite being the one with more notice for the fight.

I'll take Ortega here as he is the more defensively responsible fighter with much better cardio and experience against high-level competition. I see him dragging this fight into deep waters and taking over.

Prediction: Ortega by 3rd Round Submission

Daniel Zellhuber -233 vs. Esteban Ribovics +185

This matchup at Lightweight has Fight of the Night written all over it as two dangerous finishers go head to head. Daniel Zellhuber is a tall and long striker who has clearly improved since a lackluster debut against Trey Ogden, showing his power and output in his last outing, a win over Francisco Prado. Esteban Ribovics is a wild, fast-paced striker with big power, which he showed against Terrance McKinney in his last fight, and a sneaky submission game, particularly a nice kimura.

I'll go with Ribovics as the underdog here, as I see him being the much higher-output fighter with more knockout power in a fight where one shot can change everything.

Prediction: Ribovics by 2nd Round KO

Ronaldo Rodriguez -137 vs. Ode Osbourne +111

Flyweights open the main card with this fun matchup. Ronaldo Rodriguez impressed many with his debut win over Denys Bondar, in which he showed his finishing ability by grabbing the choke in round two. Ode Osbourne looks to get back on track here after back-to-back submission losses. He is a skilled and experienced fighter with solid hands and a decent wrestling game, which he used to beat Charles Johnson, although his fight IQ is questionable at times.

I will go with Osbourne here as I'm not sold on Rodriguez being ready for UFC competition yet, and when he cannot finish opponents, he can struggle.

Prediction: Osbourne by Decision

Irene Aldana -111 vs. Norma Dumont -110

Bantamweights looking to push their way into the title picture go head to head here in the featured prelim. Irene Aldana is a powerful and durable striker coming off a war with Karol Rosa, where she gritted out a tough decision win. Her grappling has given her issues in the past, such as her loss against Holly Holm and her comeback win over Macy Chiasson. Norma Dumont will look to extend her four-fight win streak here in her second appearance since she has moved down in weight. She is fairly well rounded with decent boxing that hurt Chelsea Chandler and solid wrestling as well.

I'll pick Dumont here, but I am not confident. She has the grappling advantage to get it done, although if she is forced to strike for extended periods of time, she could be in trouble.

Prediction: Dumont by Decision

Manuel Torres -123 vs. Ignacio Bahamondes +101

Up and coming Lightweights square off in this phenomenal matchup. Manuel Torres quickly caught the attention of many fans by finishing six straight opponents in the first round, including his first three UFC appearances with two knockouts and a submission, proving he is dangerous wherever the fight goes. Ignacio Bahamondes is a very tall kickboxer who has grown in the UFC, showing dangerous power in his kicks against Roosevelt Roberts and Christos Giagos. However, his wrestling has been a weak point, as we saw against Ludovit Klein.

Another tough fight to call here, but I'll go with Torres as he has the grappling upside and is also the more dangerous striker despite the reach disadvantage.

Prediction: Torres by 1st Round Submission

Yazmin Jauregui -476 vs. Ketlen Souza +350

A very bright prospect will return to action here at Strawweight. Yazmin Jauregui is a very entertaining fighter with a high-paced striking style that has helped her win three of her first four fights in the UFC, including a very impressive debut against Iasmin Lucindo. However, Denise Gomes quickly finished her with a barrage of punches, which raised some concerns. Ketlen Souza comes into this off her first UFC win, although it was against a low-level opponent that she failed to finish. She has shown durability issues throughout her young career, having been finished in all four of her losses.

I see Jauregui getting a finish in this one. Her striking and power advantage will break Souza as the fight goes on.

Prediction: Jauregui by 2nd Round KO

Edgar Chairez +180 vs. Joshua Van -227

This is a short-notice clash here at Flyweight. Edgar Chairez is a very tough striker who showed some grappling skills in his last fight against Daniel Lacerda, and he also survived three rounds with the now highly-ranked Tatsuro Taira. Joshua Van steps in here on short notice with not much of a layoff since his knockout loss to Charles Johnson. He was winning that fight going into round 3 and has a very promising skillet with good boxing and a decent ground game despite some past submission defense concerns.

I lean towards Van here, with him having a cardio advantage that I see him using to take this fight down the stretch.

Prediction: Van by Decision

Raul Rosas Jr. -833 vs. Aoriqileng +540

Bantamweights kick things off with one of the biggest prospects in the sport taking on his next challenge. Raul Rosas Jr. is the youngest fighter in the UFC, but that has not stopped him from winning three of his first four opponents in the organization by stoppage. His submission game is where he really shines, although his striking is dangerous, as well as he showed with his quick knockout win over Terrance Mitchell. Aoriqileng is a solid striker who showed his toughness in his last fight against Daniel Marcos, which ended in bizarre fashion after multiple low blows on both sides. His grappling is questionable, with many of his losses coming from credentialed wrestlers like Cody Durden.

I believe the grappling advantage from Rosas Jr. will be too much for Aoriqileng to overcome. Rosas will get the fight to the ground and score a quick submission win here.

Prediction: Rosas Jr. by 1st Round Submission