The main event between Jamahal Hill and Johnny Walker is set to ignite the light-heavyweight division. Even though Saturday’s UFC Fight Night has been rearranged, the main and co-main events are worthy of a pay-per-view card. The sportsbook has Hill favored to beat Walker and Kyle Daukaus to beat Jamie Pickett, with the favorites worth a two-fight parlay.
Jamahal Hill vs Johnny Walker
Jamahal Hill is a rising star of the light-heavyweight division after knocking out Jimmy Crute in December, the 48-second dismissal one for the highlight reel and giving the 30-year-old a chance to climb the rankings.
It was an excellent bounce-back performance after getting knocked out by Paul Craig in June, his only pro loss.
Currently ranked outside the top 10 in the division, Hill can test some of the best, including Johnny Walker.
Walker is the younger-but more experienced-fighter at 16-8. He couldn’t beat Thiago Santos in October, but his knockout win over Ryan Spann in 2020 put him on the map.
He’s the bigger fighter, so that’s an advantage. Betting online markets have Walker at +200, which doesn’t accurately reflect his ability. We’re giving him more respect than bookmakers, but we’re still in the camp of Hill.
He is trying to stay locked in and beat whoever the UFC puts in front of him.
“I don’t have anything to prove,” Hill told UFC.com. “Just be myself. Lock in. Stay within myself. Maximize me, and I’ll be fine.
“I just want to go in and put on a show. I want to assert my dominance, honestly. Most people are like, ‘Oh, I want a war.’ I don’t want a war. I want to assert my dominance, but make no mistake, I’m ready for war.”
UFC betting odds have Hill at -260 and he’s worth including in Fight Night parlays. Hill is a rising star of the division and the fight extending to five rounds shouldn’t make much of a difference.
Pick: Jamahal Hill (-260)
Jamie Pickett vs Kyle Daukaus
Promising middleweights go to war as Kyle Daukaus looks to put aside recent frustrations against Jamie Pickett.
The 28-year-old Daukaus hasn’t won since beating Dustin Stolzfus in 2020, including a loss to Phil Hawes and a draw against Kevin Holland.
He looked well-prepared to fight Roman Dolidze in November before the fight was canceled, but the extra preparation shouldn’t do him any harm.
The -220 favorite has plenty to prove, and it won’t be easy against the 13-6 Pickett.
‘The Night Wolf’ defeated Jhonoven Pati in Dana White’s Contender Series then lost consecutive fights in the UFC. They were humbling losses for the promising fighter, but he has since won twice.
He defeated Laureano Starpoli and Joseph Holmes by decision, and he’ll need to be wary of a Daukaus knockout.
Daukaus is one of our UFC best bets for the card. He has the added advantage of having a brother in the UFC, which has helped his progression.
“We live on the same block, we pretty much spend every waking moment together except for a few moments here and there,” Daukaus said. “You can have really good corners and really good teammates but it’s not the same as a brother who’s there and he knows your experiences.”
We’re not worried about the -220 odds and bettors should have him on their tickets.
Pick: Kyle Daukaus (-220)
Parlay: Jamahal Hill (-260) & Kyle Daukaus (-220) at $101
