UFC 294: Magomed Ankalaev vs Johnny Walker Prediction, Odds, and AI Picks
The biggest and best fight promotion in the world is back this weekend in Abu Dhabi to put on UFC 294, the PPV event for the month of October. With a card stacked full of talent, an interesting about to highlight is this clash between two top light heavyweight contenders. This is the case of the duel between Magomed Ankalaev and Johnny Walker. The Ankalaev vs Walker Prediction will be one to analyze in this article for sure.
Ankalaev vs Walker is everything you want from a light-heavyweight fight on paper. Both are massive athletes with power in both hands and all-around skills to be able to win this fight wherever it goes.
Keep reading for the official Ankalaev vs Walker prediction, along with an explanation of the picks and a breakdown of this matchup as a whole. Will the Russian keep his unbeaten streak alive en route to the title? Or will the dynamic Walker be able to snatch this win from the betting favorite?
Ankalaev vs Walker Prediction Odds
| FIGHTER | MONEYLINE | OVER/UNDER |
| MAGOMED ANKALAEV | -350 | O 1.5 |
| JOHNNY WALKER | +250 | U 1.5 |
According to the Ankalaev odds, he’s coming in as the big -350 betting favorite as he gets ready to perform in front of a packed UAE crowd. The Walker betting lines have him at around +285 to win, which are the worst odds he’s had in his UFC career coming into a fight.
The Ankalaev vs Walker prediction is a tricky one to make, with these lines coming out on fight week.
This light heavyweight bout is favored to end inside the distance at -190, with the line being as much as -205 in some sportsbooks. Ankalaev is -120 to get a finish, and Walker is +425 to do the same.
Since the Ankalaev vs Walker fight is only three rounds, you can get a lot of very valuable prop bet lines for either of them to get a finish in a specific round, and it’s not a far-fetched bet.
Bout Information
| MAGOMED ANKALAEV vs. JOHNNY WALKER |
| Location of the Game: Etihad Arena, Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, UAE |
| Date and Time: Saturday, October 21st, 2023 – 2 PM ET main card start |
| Reason: Light heavyweight Division Bout |
| How to watch: ESPN+ PPV |
Betting Preview
Magomed Ankalaev
Ankalaev is a 17-1-1 mixed martial artist from Russia, born in Dagestan like many others on this UFC 294 card. He has nine finishes in his professional MMA career, including the most recent over UFC veteran and former title challenger Anthony Smith in July of 2022.
Ankalaev is a 6’3” orthodox fighter with a reach of 75” at the age of 31. While in the UFC octagon, he averages 3.55 significant strikes landed per minute and 2.15 significant strikes absorbed per minute.
He also averages just under one takedown (0.99) per 15 minutes and has a stellar 86% takedown defense, being the #2 ranked light heavyweight contender in the world.
Johnny Walker
Walker is a Brazilian-born mixed martial artist with a professional MMA record of 21-7, with an impressive 19 wins coming inside the distance. He came onto the fight scene by earning a contract with the UFC at Dana White’s Contender Series, then starting his UFC career with three first-round KO victories.
Walker is a 6’6” orthodox striker with an 82” reach at the age of 31. After losing four out of five from 2019 to 2022, he is on a three-fight winning streak in the last year.
Walker averages 3.85 significant strikes landed per minute in the octagon and 2.58 significant strikes absorbed per minute. He also has a modest 60% takedown defense and a 100% takedown accuracy when he decides to change levels.
AI Betting Picks
| ODDS | AI BETTING PICKS |
| OVER/UNDER | OVER 1.5 Rounds (-165) |
| MONEYLINE | Magomed Ankalaev (-350) |
The Ankalaev vs Walker prediction points to Ankalaev because of his world-class skill set. He has experience as an amateur world MMA champion and has shown the ability to beat anybody in the division with his calculated striking and fundamentally sound grappling abilities.
This will be a kickboxing match within an MMA fight, and the advantage goes to Ankalaev. This might not be the most exciting fight of the night, but Ankalaev will always choose to get his hand raised before putting himself in danger for the crowd’s sake.
