UFC Fight Night predictions — Thiago Santos vs. Johnny Walker: Fight card, odds, start time, live stream

There aren’t many higher motion fights the UFC may make than Saturday’s Battle Evening headliner between Thiago Santos and Johnny Walker. Each gentle heavyweight strikers have 15 profession victories by knockout and fewer than 20% of their mixed fights have gone to the judges’ scorecards.

Each Walker and Santos are in want of a giant victory. Santos earned a title shot in opposition to champion Jon Jones in July 2019, battling the best gentle heavyweight in historical past to an in depth break up choice loss. Santos tore his ACL, PCL, MCL and meniscus in addition to breaking his tibia within the loss to Jones. After greater than a yr on the sidelines, Santos returned to motion in November 2020, dropping by submission to Glover Teixeira earlier than dropping a choice to Aleksandar Rakic this previous March. He now enters the battle with Walker on a three-fight dropping skid.

Walker solely just lately snapped his personal dropping skid. After starting his UFC profession with three straight knockouts in lower than three minutes mixed, Walker was knocked out by Corey Anderson in simply over two minutes. The loss to Anderson was adopted up with a choice loss to Nikita Krylov. In September 2020, Walker acquired again within the win column by knocking out Ryan Spann in lower than three minutes. He’ll want extra spectacular performances if he is hoping to make a run at an eventual title shot.

This is the battle card for UFC Battle Evening with the most recent odds from Caesars Sportsbook.

UFC Battle Evening card, odds

UFC Battle Evening viewing info

Date: Oct. 2 | Begin time: 7 p.m. ET
Location: UFC Apex — Las Vegas
Stream: ESPN+

Prediction

Thiago Santos vs. Johnny Walker: Santos has not appeared the identical because the Jones battle. That is not precisely stunning since his knee was fully destroyed. Nonetheless, he has not appeared good in his two fights since. Walker is a flawed fighter, for certain, however most of his greater points are additionally points for Santos. Each males have some vital cardio points so the battle may get ugly in a rush if there’s not an early end. This can be a coin flip battle that would come right down to who lands the primary good flurry, however Santos must show he is absolutely again to earn the good thing about the doubt in a harmful battle. Decide: Johnny Walker by way of TKO2