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USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Dan Tom

Volkan Oezdemir vs. Johnny Walker prediction, pick, start time, odds for UFC on ABC 6

Volkan Oezdemir and Johnny Walker meet Saturday on the main card of UFC on ABC 6 from Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup from MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom.  

Volkan Oezdemir vs. Johnny Walker UFC on ABC 6 preview

Oezdemir (19-7 MMA, 7-6 UFC) will look to keep the momentum going after scoring an early finish in his last outing. “No Time” made quick work of Bogdan Guskov last September, finishing the fight by submission in the first round. Oezdemir will look to put together back-to-back wins for the first time since 2019. … Walker (21-8 MMA, 7-5 UFC) was on the wrong end of a knockout in his previous fight. In January, Walker was stopped in the second round by Magomed Ankalaev, ending a run of three consecutive wins, aside from a no contest with Ankalaev last October.

Volkan Oezdemir vs. Johnny Walker UFC on ABC 6 expert pick, prediction

Considering that every fight under 185 pounds has been relegated to the prelims, one can only assume that the UFC matchmakers are just blatantly micturating on the memory of Joe Silva and his surefire method of kicking off main cards with lightweight or featherweight fights.

Nevertheless, this light heavyweight bout between Oezdemir and Walker should be weird for as long as it lasts.

Walker, who can be somewhat “Jekyll and Hyde” given his inconsistencies, has steadily steered toward more of a conservative route since joining forces with SBG Ireland.

On one hand, it’s nice to see Walker honing in on the fundamentals and trying to develop a process. On the other hand, it’s hard to get too excited given that the Brazilian’s staying power remains beyond suspect.

For that reason, I’ll semi-reluctantly side with Oezdemir to edge out the scorecards in a fight that only gets stranger down the stretch.

Volkan Oezdemir vs. Johnny Walker UFC on ABC 6 odds

The oddsmakers and the public believe this is a pick’em fight, listing Walker with a slight edge at -110 and Oezdemir at -106, via FanDuel.

Volkan Oezdemir vs. Johnny Walker UFC on ABC 6 start time, how to watch

As the opening bout on the main card, Oezdemir and Walker are expected to make their walks to the octagon at approximately 3:10 p.m. ET. The fight broadcasts live on ABC and streams on ESPN+.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ABC 6.

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