Odds provided by Duelbits accurate as of 9/4/2024

Gilbert Burns +150 vs. Sean Brady -189

Grapplers clash in this main event at Welterweight. Gilbert Burns has been a top contender in the division for years, having come close to the title with his dangerous boxing and world-class jiu-jitsu skills; although he is now thirty-eight years old, he has likely seen his best days, especially coming off another knockout loss to Jack Della Maddalena. Sean Brady will enter the octagon for the first time this year after a dominant showing over Kelvin Gastelum his last time out, where he put his strong ground game on full display, earning a submission win, although when facing grapplers like Michael Chiesa and Belal Muhammad, he had trouble as the fight went on seemingly unable to handle the pressure at times.

I like Burns at these odds. We have seen Brady struggle against other high-level grapplers before, and Burns has the striking to make him pay in a stand-up battle.

Prediction: Burns by 3rd Round TKO

Jessica Andrade +240 vs. Natalia Silva -303

It's a big test for a highly touted prospect here at Flyweight. Jessica Andrade is a dangerous knockout artist who has fought the who's who of Women's MMA across both Strawweight and Flyweight, gathering as much top-level experience as one can. Natalia Silva comes into this one after a perfect first five fights in the UFC; she has been on many people's radar as a top prospect since her impressive debut win over Jasmine Jasudavicius, and she has only improved since then.

I'll pick Silva here as she has all the skills to be a top contender in the division and is still improving, while Andrade has seen her best days.

Prediction: Silva by Decision

Kyle Nelson +150 vs. Steve Garcia -185

Hard hitters collide in this fun Featherweight matchup. Kyle Nelson enters this one on an impressive three-fight win streak that has seen him become the first to finish Bill Algeo, along with two decision wins where he showed solid fight IQ. Steve Garcia comes into this on a streak of four straight knockout wins, showing his deadly power, although he remains very hittable and has taken a knockout loss to Maheshate Hayisaer earlier in his UFC run.

I took Nelson at these odds because I see this as a close fight in which Nelson will be the more defensively responsible of the two despite Garcia's power.

Prediction: Nelson by Decision

Matt Schnell +255 vs. Cody Durden -333

A short-notice replacement saves a fight here at Flyweight. Matt Schnell looks to get back on track after suffering another knockout loss earlier this year, despite significant concerns about his chin, Schnell does have solid submission skills on the ground. Cody Durden steps in here as a very active and high-pressure wrestler with decent hands, having knocked out JP Buys in round one.

I'll take the dog in Schnell here, as Durden has only ever scored one UFC knockout and has durability concerns of his own, having been caught in several deep submissions.

Prediction: Schnell by 2nd Round Submission

Trevor Peek -127 vs. Yanal Ashmouz +103

All-action Lightweights square off in this must-see matchup. Trevor Peek is an all-violence madman with little skillset to speak of, though his pure power and aggression have kept him around so far. Yana Ashmouz is a hard hitter who started his UFC run with a highlight KO of Sam Patterson, which has aged nicely.

I'll pick Peek here, but not with much confidence. He will force the action, although his defense remains questionable at best.

Prediction: Peek by 3rd Round TKO

Rongzhu -250 vs. Chris Padilla +195

Lightweight finishers will clash in this fun matchup. Rongzhu returns after working his way back to the UFC through the Road to UFC tournament with his well-rounded finishing skills, which include knockout power and decent submissions. Chris Padilla looks to build off a UFC debut in which he survived some rough early striking exchanges before capitalizing on a mistake from his opponent to take the back and secure a choke.

I lean towards Rongzhu in this one as he is the much better striker, but both men are dangerous on the ground if it gets there.

Prediction: Rongzhu by 3rd Round TKO

Isaac Dulgarian -2500 vs. Brendon Marotte +1000

One of the biggest favorites in UFC history will look to show why in this one at Featherweight. Isaac Dulgarian is a dominant wrestler with crazy ground and pound that has helped him finish six opponents in round one, although his cardio suffered after he could not finish Christian Rodriguez early. Brendon Marotte had a rough UFC debut, where Terrance McKinney quickly finished him, though, before the UFC, he showed some decent striking, finishing five of his eight wins by knockout.

Dulgarian is the easy pick here, as he has looked like an absolute monster early in his career and will likely continue to improve. Meanwhile, Marotte has yet to prove he belongs at this level.

Prediction: Dulgarian by 1st Round TKO

Andre Lima -185 vs. Felipe dos Santos +150

Flyweight strikers square off in this fun matchup. Andre Lima is an undefeated kickboxer with a high knockout percentage, and when you see him fight, it is easy to see why, as he has nasty elbows and boxing behind them, which often overwhelms his opponents. Felipe dos Santos looks to build off his first UFC win here, which was a close decision over Victor Altamirano, where he struggled to show the dangerous striking that helped him have such an exciting short-notice debut against highly ranked Manel Kape.

I like Lima in this one. He is the cleaner and more dangerous striker who will land the bigger shots, leading to either a clear decision or a knockout win.

Prediction: Lima by Decision

Gabriel Santos -270 vs. Yizha +210

Featherweights clash here, each looking to pick up their first UFC win. Gabriel Santos hasn't gotten his hand raised yet but has shown some impressive skills in his short-notice debut against Lerone Murphy, which he arguably won with his wild striking and strong grappling game, although there are some fight IQ questions after his loss to David Onama. Yizha debuts here off of the Road to UFC tournament, where he showed dangerous submission skills, although not against very high-level competition.

I'm going with Santos here. He has proven himself against much higher-level competition and should be able to handle the submission attack on the other side.

Prediction: Santos by 2nd Round KO

Jaqueline Amorim -313 vs. Vanessa Demopoulos +245

Strawweights are each looking to extend their win streak to three as they face off here. Jaqueline Amorim is a very skilled grappler who has finished back-to-back opponents with her skills on the ground, although her cardio is still a slight concern after a complete collapse in her debut. Vanessa Demopoulos comes in having won four of her last five on paper, although some of those are very questionable decisions, including her last fight against Emily Ducote, where she struggled with eating big shots on the feet and wasn't able to have much success grappling.

Amorim's advantage on the ground is too much for Demopoulos to overcome. I see her dominating to a submission or decision victory.

Prediction: Amorim by Decision

Andre Petroski -286 vs. Dylan Budka +225

Middleweight grapplers collide in this intriguing matchup early on the card. Andre Petroski is a strong grappler with solid wrestling and a dangerous choke game, although his cardio and striking are weak points. Dylan Budka will look to bounce back from a tough debut in which he used his clinch to control the fight until he seemingly ran out of energy and was quickly knocked out when the fight turned to strike.

There are levels of fighting, and Budka is not on the same level as Petroski right now, so I will pick the big favorite to get the job done early here.

Prediction: Petroski by 1st Round Submission

Zygimantas Ramaska +117 vs. Nathan Fletcher -143

This Featherweight clash was initially scheduled several weeks ago before a late cancellation delayed the fight until now, and my thoughts remain largely unchanged on the matchup. Zygimantas Ramaska is a big-swinging striker who keeps an insane pace, as he showed in his one fight on the show before being pulled from the semi-final with an injury. Nathan Fletcher is a dangerous submission grappler, with six of his eight wins coming by tapout, although he spent much of his TUF fight being controlled and taken down repeatedly.

I lean towards Fletcher here. His big advantage in grappling will help him negate Ramaksa's pressure and striking threat and eventually secure a finish.

Prediction: Fletcher by 2nd Round Submission