The UFC is back in Las Vegas on October 4th. Putting the spotlight on rematches and title fights. The main event is a highly anticipated rematch for the light heavyweight strap — Magomed Ankalaev defending his belt against Alex Pereira. In the co-main, Merab Dvalishvili looks to continue his title reign as Cory Sandhagen challenges him for his bantamweight belt. Also featured is a high-stakes fan-favorite fight between Jiří Procházka and Khalil Rountree Jr.
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Main Card Predictions and Breakdown
Magomed Ankalaev (-270) (c) vs. Alex Pereira (+220) 2
This is a redemption or retirement sort of fight for Alex Pereira. Ankalaev shocked many when he defeated Pereira at UFC 313 via unanimous decision, winning the light heavyweight title. Now Alex gets his shot to reclaim what was once his.
Magomed Ankalaev’s style is well-rounded — strong wrestling, control, and very good striking. Pereira, on the other hand, brings explosive power, striking creativity, and that dangerous knockout ability, especially his left hook. The question is: can Alex Pereira avoid the grappling and keep it standing, or will Ankalaev attempt to keep Alex on his toes and go for the takedown?
Prediction: Alex Pereira via KO (Round 3). I’m banking on Alex Pereira making the correct necessary adjustments using angles, mixing up kicks and stuffing the potential takedown attempts. Eventually landing a blow that switches momentum dramatically.
Merab Dvalishvili (-380) (c) vs. Cory Sandhagen (+290)
At bantamweight, “The Machine” continues his title defense run. Dvalishvili is relentless with his non-stop pace and wrestling dominance, and he’s now showing increased comfort in striking exchanges. Cory Sandhagen, however, is a proven striker with knockout power and a creative offensive arsenal — along with a highly underrated ground game.
If Sandhagen can keep it standing and avoid being taken down, he has a real shot. But if Merab drags it to the mat, it’s probably game over for Cory.
Prediction: Merab Dvalishvili via unanimous decision. He imposes his pace and outworks Cory over five rounds.
Jiří Procházka (-183) vs. Khalil Rountree Jr. (+158)
This one is a fan favorite matchup. Jiri Procházka is crazy and unorthodox; when he’s on, he’s one of the scariest fighters in the game. Khalil Rountree, meanwhile, has power in both hands and constantly hunts for the finish. He will attempt to use his high-level Muay Thai and KO Jiri, but with Jiri you never know what will happen.
Given their trajectories, this fight could swing violently in either direction.
Prediction: Jiří Procházka via KO (Round 1). The craziness favors Jiri: he finds the window, eats the shot, but counters brutally with elbows and knees.
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