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USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Matt Erickson

UFC Fight Night 234: Make your predictions for Magomed Ankalaev vs. Johnny Walker

We want your predictions for Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 234 event in Las Vegas.

Our staff picks feature includes the consensus picks from MMA Junkie readers. Simply cast your vote for each bout below, and we’ll use the official tallies that are registered by Thursday at noon ET (9 a.m. PT).

Those MMA Junkie reader consensus picks will be part of the UFC Fight Night 234 main card staff predictions we release Friday ahead of the event. UFC Fight Night 234 takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The card streams on ESPN+.

Make your picks below.

Felipe Bunes vs. Joshua Van

Records: Bunes (13-6 MMA, 0-0 UFC), Van (9-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC)
Past five: Bunes 3-2, Van 5-0
Division: Flyweight
Rankings: None
Odds (as of 01.08.24): Van -225, Bunes +185

Nikolas Motta vs. Tom Nolan

Records: Motta (13-5 MMA, 1-2 UFC), Nolan (6-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC)
Past five: Motta 3-2, Nolan 5-0
Division: Lightweight
Rankings: None
Odds (as of 01.08.24): Nolan -340, Motta +265

Jean Silva vs. Westin Wilson

Records: Silva (11-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC), Wilson (16-8 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
Past five: Silva 5-0, Wilson 3-2
Division: Featherweight
Rankings: None
Odds (as of 01.08.24): Silva -900, Wilson +550

Farid Basharat vs. Taylor Lapilus

Records: Basharat (11-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC), Lapilus (19-3 MMA, 4-1 UFC)
Past five: Basharat 5-0, Lapilus 5-0
Division: Bantamweight
Rankings: None
Odds (as of 01.08.24): Basharat -260, Lapilus +210

Gaston Bolanos vs. Marcus McGhee

Records: Bolanos (7-3 MMA, 1-0 UFC), McGhee (8-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC)
Past five: Bolanos 3-2, McGhee 4-1
Division: Bantamweight
Rankings: None
Odds (as of 01.08.24): McGhee -275, Bolanos +225

Preston Parsons vs. Matthew Semelsberger

Records: Parsons (10-4 MMA, 1-2 UFC), Semelsberger (11-6 MMA, 5-4 UFC)
Past five: Parsons 3-2, Semelsberger 2-3
Division: Welterweight
Rankings: None
Odds (as of 01.08.24): Semelsberger -125, Parsons +105

Andrei Arlovski vs. Waldo Cortes-Acosta

Records: Arlovski (34-22 MMA, 23-16 UFC), Cortes-Acosta (10-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC)
Past five: Arlovski 3-2, Cortes-Acosta 4-1
Division: Heavyweight
Rankings: None
Odds (as of 01.08.24): Cortes-Acosta -600, Arlovski +425

Brunno Ferreira vs. Phil Hawes

Records: Ferreira (10-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC), Hawes (12-5 MMA, 4-3 UFC)
Past five: Ferreira 4-1, Hawes 2-3
Division: Middleweight
Rankings: None
Odds (as of 01.08.24): Ferreira -115, Hawes -105

Mario Bautista vs. Ricky Simon

Records: Bautista (13-2 MMA, 7-2 UFC), Simon (20-4 MMA, 8-3 UFC)
Past five: Bautista 5-0, Simon 4-1
Division: Bantamweight
Rankings: Simon No. 11, Bautista honorable mention
Odds (as of 01.08.24): Simon -175, Bautista +145

Gabriel Benitez vs. Jim Miller

Records: Benitez (23-11 MMA, 7-6 UFC), Miller (36-17 MMA, 25-16 UFC)
Past five: Benitez 2-3, Miller 4-1
Division: Lightweight
Rankings: None
Odds (as of 01.08.24): Benitez -110, Miller -110

Manel Kape vs. Matheus Nicolau

Records: Kape (19-6 MMA, 4-2 UFC), Nicolau (19-4-1 MMA, 7-2 UFC)
Past five: Kape 4-1, Nicolau 4-1
Division: Flyweight
Rankings: Nicolau No. 11, Kape No. 12
Odds (as of 01.08.24): Kape -250, Nicolau +205

Magomed Ankalaev vs. Johnny Walker

Records: Ankalaev (18-1-1 MMA, 9-1-1 UFC), Walker (21-7 MMA, 7-4 UFC)
Past five: Ankalaev 3-1-1, Walker 3-2
Division: Light heavyweight
Rankings: Ankalaev No. 4, Walker No. 10
Odds (as of 01.08.24): Ankalaev -525, Walker +375

UFC Fight Night 234 fight card (as of Jan. 8, 11 a.m. ET)

MAIN CARD (ESPN+, 7 p.m. ET)

  • Magomed Ankalaev vs. Johnny Walker
  • Manel Kape vs. Matheus Nicolau
  • Gabriel Benitez vs. Jim Miller
  • Mario Bautista vs. Ricky Simon
  • Brunno Ferreira vs. Phil Hawes

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, 4 p.m. ET)

  • Andrei Arlovski vs. Waldo Cortes-Acosta
  • Preston Parsons vs. Matthew Semelsberger
  • Gaston Bolanos vs. Marcus McGhee
  • Farid Basharat vs. Taylor Lapilus
  • Jean Silva vs. Westin Wilson
  • Nikolas Motta vs. Tom Nolan
  • Felipe Bunes vs. Joshua Van

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 234.

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