Light heavyweight contenders Magomed Ankalaev and Johnny Walker will square off in the main event of the UFC's first fight card of 2024, UFC Fight Night in Las Vegas on Saturday night (4 p.m. ET on ESPN+). This bout is a rematch of their fight at UFC 294, which was ruled a no-contest following an illegal knee from Ankalaev.
Ankalaev (18-1-1, 1 NC), who fought to a draw against Jan Blachowicz in a title fight in December 2022, has had his last two bouts end without a winning fighter. He is ESPN's No. 5 ranked light heavyweight. Walker (21-7, 1 NC), ranked No. 9, was on a three-fight winning streak before the fight vs. Ankalaev.
Brett Okamoto spoke to former UFC welterweight and ESPN MMA analyst Alan Jouban to get his perspective on the UFC main event. ESPN's betting experts Reed Kuhn and Ian Parker add their insights and analysis on the main event and other intriguing bets they like on the card.
Editor's note: Responses have been edited for brevity and clarity.