Odds provided by Duelbits accurate as of 11/20/2025

Arman Tsarukyan -588 vs. Dan Hooker +420

Top-ranked Lightweights square off in this high-stakes main event. Arman Tsarukyan is back here after over a year and a half away from the octagon, a highly skilled wrestler with tremendous ground-and-pound skills, which he has used to win four straight fights, including against the former champion Charles Oliveira. Dan Hooker is also returning after over a year away as a tough striker on a three-fight winning streak, very tall and long for the division, which he uses well with things like knees up the middle, though his grappling is questionable.

I've got Tsarukyan to get a finish in this one as he has a massive advantage on the ground, and he will be able to do enough damage to get a stoppage while on top.

Prediction: Tsarukyan by 2nd Round TKO

Belal Muhammad +200 vs. Ian Garry -250

A former champion returns against a fast-rising contender in this Welterweight co-main event. Belal Muhammad is a former champion who uses his high-pressure style to wear down opponents and grind them out with his wrestling. Ian Garry is a tall, long fighter who mixes his game well, showing high-level grappling skills and dangerous striking with slick movement to get in and out of range.

I like Garry in this one, as he is a nightmare matchup for Muhammad, with his ability to keep range and strong grappling, not to mention he is the much younger fighter, and Muhammad took a lot of damage against Jack Della Maddalena.

Prediction: Garry by Decision

Volkan Oezdemir -233 vs. Alonzo Menifield +185

Hard-hitting Light Heavyweights collide in this fun matchup. Volkan Oezdemir is a powerful boxer who has competed with many of the toughest in the division, returning here for the first time in a year. Alonzo Menifield is an explosive fighter who swings big strikes and mixes in some wrestling, although he has not always shown the highest fight IQ.

I'll pick Oezdemir here, as he is the cleaner striker with good enough defensive grappling to keep this one standing and land his shots.

Prediction: Oezdemir by 2nd Round TKO

Jack Hermansson +195 vs. Myktybek Orolbai -250

Two Welterweights coming in from other weight classes meet up here. Jack Hermansson comes down in weight here as a well-rounded fighter with good movement on the outside. Myktybek Orolbai comes up in weight as a strong grappler with nasty submission skills and good durability.

I'll go with Orolbai as the younger fighter moving up here against a thirty-seven-year-old in Hermansson, coming down after a brutal knockout loss, which isn't a good sign to me.

Prediction: Orolbai by Decision

Waldo Cortes-Acosta -139 vs. Shamil Gaziev +113

Short notice replacement steps in here to save a fight at Heavyweight. Waldo Cortes-Acosta is a hard-hitting boxer who makes a quick turnaround here after finishing Ante Delija earlier this month. Shamil Gaziev is a powerful guy with dangerous striking early, although his cardio has been an issue in the past.

Even with the late notice, I lean towards Cortes-Acosta, as he will likely still be in decent shape and is the more experienced and dangerous fighter.

Prediction: Cortes-Acosta by Decision

Kyoji Horiguchi +170 vs. Tagir Ulanbekov -213

After a wait, these Flyweight grapplers finally meet in the octagon. Kyoji Horiguchi returns to the UFC here after a long run in RIZIN and Bellator, where he used his grappling skills to earn world titles on multiple occasions. Tagir Ulanbekov is a tall, long grappler who has won four straight matches by using his length to control striking exchanges and dominate other strong grapplers on the ground.

I like Ulanbekov in this one as I see Horiguchi having a tough time grappling him with his length.

Prediction: Ulanbekov by Decision

Luke Riley -256 vs. Bogdan Grad +205

Intriguing prospect makes his UFC debut here at Featherweight. Luke Riley is an undefeated striker who makes his UFC debut here with some excitement behind him after scoring three knockouts in his last four Cage Warriors fights. Bogdan Grad is a tough striker who keeps good pressure on his opponents and can mix in some grappling.

I'm going with the UFC experience of Grad in this one, as I have questions about Riley's ground game at this level, and Grad can mix things up nicely. With that, Bogdan Grad is this week's Underdog Best Bet of the Week.

Prediction: Grad by Decision Bet: Grad MoneyLine

Saygid Izagakhmaev -323 vs. Nicolas Dalby +250

Debutant takes on a tough veteran here at Welterweight. Saygid Izagakhmaev is a Dagestani wrestler who also holds serious power in his hands, although he hasn't been very active in recent years and had a concerning performance against Carleston Harris several years ago. Nicolas Dalby is a tough and high-pressure veteran with solid grappling and good volume striking, although his age is a concern, with him being over forty years old.

I'm going with Izagakhmaev in this, as despite the layoff, he has length and wrestling that could give Dalby trouble, and he is the much younger fighter.

Prediction: Izagakhmaev by Decision

Alex Perez +160 vs. Asu Almabayev -196

Flyweight grapplers clash in this preliminary matchup. Alex Perez is a well-rounded veteran coming back from over a year away following a knee injury he suffered against Tatsuro Taira. Asu Almabayev is a grappler coming off an impressive victory over Jose Ochoa, which was his fifth win in six UFC fights.

I'm going with Perez at these odds as he matches up well with his solid defensive grappling and what I believe is a slight striking advantage.

Prediction: Perez by Decision

AbdulRakhman Yakhyaev -1667 vs. Raffael Cerqueira +800

Finishers square off in this Light Heavyweight showdown. AbdulRakhman Yakhyaev is a dominant finisher who comes in off this year's season of Dana White's Contender Series. Raffael Cerqueira is a kickboxer who has struggled badly in the UFC despite showing dangerous power before signing.

Yakhyaev is likely going to finish this one early, as he has with many of his past opponents, as Cerqueira does not appear UFC-level, and Yakhyaev could be a real threat in the division.

Prediction: Yakhyaev by 1st Round KO

Bekzat Almakhan +112 vs. Aleksandre Topuria -137

Hard-hitting Bantamweights collide in this fun prelim matchup. Bekzat Almakhan is a very dangerous striker with serious knockout power, which he demonstrated his last time out by becoming the first man to knock out Brad Katona. Aleksandre Topuria is a very skilled and well-rounded fighter with crisp boxing and a strong wrestling game, which he mixes well.

I like Topuria in this one, as he is the more well-rounded fighter and much more defensively responsible.

Prediction: Topuria by Decision

Ryan Loder +116 vs. Ismail Naurdiev -143

Middleweights looking to get back in the win column face off here. Ryan Loder is a wrestler who won The Ultimate Fighter not long ago, though his UFC debut was disappointing, as he lost by first-round knockout to Azamat Bekoev. Ismail Naurdiev is a well-rounded fighter who uses a kick-heavy attack on the feet and also mixes in some wrestling, although he lacks much finishing ability, with all six of his UFC fights having gone the distance.

I lean towards Naurdiev here, as I feel he is the cleaner, more active striker with a good enough ground game to avoid being controlled by Loder.

Prediction: Naurdiev by Decision

Nurullo Aliev -294 vs. Shaqueme Rock +230

Lightweights looking to establish themselves in the division are matched up in this one. Nurullo Aliev is an undefeated prospect who is still just 24 and has shown a strong wrestling game, which he used to smother Joe Solecki in his last outing. Shaqueme Rock makes his UFC debut here as a solid grappler with a good ability to submit opponents off the back, although he struggles to do damage or finish strong defensive grapplers like he did in his last fight, where he won a split decision against a short-notice opponent.

Aliev should take this one, as he is the much better grappler and has the UFC experience advantage.

Prediction: Aliev by Decision

Marek Bujlo +170 vs. Denzel Freeman -213

Two Heavyweights making their UFC debut square off here. Marek Bujlo is an undefeated finisher with six quick wins on his record, having never gone even half a round, yet he has also not faced any tough competition. Denzel Freeman is a strong wrestler with solid professional experience, having fought in the PFL, showing a well-rounded game.

I'll pick Freeman here as he is the much more battle-tested fighter who isn't at any clear disadvantage, no matter where the fight goes.

Prediction: Freeman by 3rd Round TKO