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After a lengthy hiatus, the world’s premiere MMA league is back this Saturday (January 13th) for their first show of 2024 in the form of UFC Fight Night: Ankalaev vs. Walker 2 at the ol’ APEX facility. After their first fight ended in a wonky no-contest, top-ranked light heavyweights Magomed Ankalaev and Johnny Walker will undergo an immediate rematch in Saturday’s main event. The co-main here is also a rematch, but one from the flyweight division. The UFC’s #6 ranked, Manel Kape, is running it back with the #5 ranked, Matheus Nicolau. The start time for this UFC fight card is set for 4:00 pm ET.
It was back at UFC 294 in Abu Dhabi that a mysterious and over-inserting ringside physician sprung an impromptu pop quiz on Johnny Walker in response to an eye poke. Johnny failed to properly identify which train left the station first, so the doc recommended that the fight be stopped, thus birthing the no contest. Up until that point the fight was pretty fun. Magomed Ankalaev was doing plenty of damage on the feet, with Walker still exploding into flying knees and other potential fight-enders. I fully expect some sort of spectacle form these guys again, whether it be a goofy ending, or another un-decided ending.
Matheus Nicolau is looking to rebound after having a six-fight winning streak savagely snapped by Brandon Royval last April. As for Manel Kape, he’s currently riding a four-fight winning wave, and hopes to break into the UFC’s top-5 with some good ol’ fashioned revenge. Nicolau vs. Kape 1 ended in a split decision back in March of 2021. It was a coin flip then, and it’s a coin flip now… although the oddsmakers are favoring Kape by a substantial amount. Manel is rocking a -258 betting line to Matheus’ +210 dog tag.
UFC Fight Night: Magomed Ankalaev vs. Johnny Walker 2 Full fight card
Main card
- – Magomed Ankalaev vs. Johnny Walker: Light Heavyweight
– Manel Kape vs. Matheus Nicolau: Flyweight- – Jim Miller vs. Gabriel Benítez: Lightweight
- – Ricky Simón vs. Mario Bautista: Bantamweight
- – Phil Hawes vs. Brunno Ferreira: Middleweight
Prelims
- – Andrei Arlovski vs. Waldo Cortes-Acosta: Heavyweight
- – Matthew Semelsberger vs. Preston Parsons: Welterweight
- – Marcus McGhee vs. Gaston Bolaños: Bantamweight
- – Farid Basharat vs. Taylor Lapilus: Bantamweight
- – Westin Wilson vs. Jean Silva: Flyweight
- – Nikolas Motta vs. Tom Nolan: Lightweight
- – Felipe Bunes vs. Joshua Van: Flyweight
Start date and time
UFC Fight Night: Magomed Ankalaev vs. Johnny Walker 2 takes place on January 13th, at the UFC APEX facility in Las Vegas, Nevada. The main card starts at 7 p.m. ET. The prelims begin at 4 p.m. ET.
Live streams
UFC Fight Night: Magomed Ankalaev vs. Johnny Walker 2 can be live streamed on ESPN+ in the United States and Canada. For full streaming details, and compatible devices go here.
What comes after UFC Fight Night: Ankalaev vs. Walker 2?
After UFC Fight Night: Ankalaev vs. Walker 2, will be UFC 297: Strickland vs. Du Plessis. This event will be happening on January 20th from the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The headliner here will see UFC middleweight champion, Sean Strickland, defend his belt against Dricus Du Plessis, and the co-main event will be Mayra Bueno Silva vs. Raquel Pennington for the vacant women’s bantamweight title.