Feb 17, 2024; Anaheim, California, USA; Anthony Hernandez reacts following his victory towards Roman Kopylov throughout UFC 298 at Honda Heart. Obligatory Credit score: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Photos The UFC Apex in Las Vegas will play host to its 99th occasion on Saturday night time, with a predominant card that includes a middleweight combat between rising 185-pound contenders Anthony Hernandez and Michel Pereira.
Hernandez, who turned 31 on Friday, enters his first predominant occasion using a five-fight win streak. That features three consecutive stoppages for the Dana White Contender Collection alum, most lately towards Roman Kopylov at UFC 298 in February.
Pereira has been having fun with the same rise with three consecutive stoppages of his personal. Every has are available faster vogue since becoming a member of the middleweight ranks. Additionally 31, Pereira has gained eight consecutive fights total.
Each fighters tipped the scales at 125.5 kilos throughout Friday’s official weigh-in.
Pereira has been backed by 80 p.c of the entire combat bets, driving his odds all the way down to +110 from +135 at BetMGM. Nonetheless, Hernandez (-135) has drawn 54 p.c of the cash.
Saturday night time’s predominant card is scheduled to being at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN+.
OTHER MAIN CARD FIGHTS
Rob Font vs. Kyler Phillips
The co-main occasion includes a bantamweight combat between the 37-year-old Font and the 29-year-old Phillips. Font has misplaced 4 of his previous 5 fights, making this a key journey contained in the Octagon to show he is nonetheless a viable draw towards elite opponents. Phillips got here out of the MMA Lab and has a three-fight win streak.
Phillips opened because the -300 favourite, and people odds have shortened much more to -450 with the general public backing him with 83 p.c of the combat cash. Font has been supported by 75 p.c of the entire bets at +340.
Charles Johnson vs. Sumudaerji
Sumudaerji steps contained in the Octagon for the primary time this yr and for less than the third time up to now three years. He has misplaced every of his previous two fights, and this is a crucial combat for the 28-year-old to regain contender standing. It is a starkly completely different story for Johnson, who will combat for the fourth time in 2024. He has gained every of the primary three, largely lately scoring a third-round knockout of Joshua Van.
The general public has been pretty cut up on this combat, backing Johnson (-225) with 55 p.c of the bets and Sumudaerji with 54 p.c of the cash.
Cameron Smotherman vs. Jake Hadley
Smotherman stepped in on lower than per week’s discover to fill in for Brady Hiestand, who withdrew for an undisclosed cause. The 27-year-old Smotherman, who fought as soon as on Dana White’s Contender Collection, shall be making his UFC debut. After arriving at UFC as a flyweight with blended outcomes, Hadley stepped in on brief discover to win a bantamweight combat towards Caolan Loughran in July after initially lacking weight.
Hadley, who’s 3-3 total within the UFC, opened as a -500 favourite. These odds have been pushed all the way down to -115 and he’s now the slim favourite over Smotherman, who has been backed by 86 p.c of the bets and 95 p.c of the cash at -105.
Darren Elkins vs. Daniel Pineda
Veteran featherweights step into the Octagon on the principle card. Elkins, 40, will make his twenty ninth UFC look and fortieth combat total, whereas the 39-year-old Pineda shall be in his forty eighth profession combat. Elkins final beat TJ Brown a yr in the past as he seeks handy Pineda his third consecutive defeat.
Elkins opened because the slight +100 underdog, however that has flipped to turning into the heavy -350 favourite as he has been backed by 87 p.c of the bets and 68 p.c of the cash. Elkin successful this combat has been essentially the most wagered-on predominant card play on the e-book. In the meantime, Penida’s odds have moved from -120 to +275.
Matheus Nicolau vs. Asu Almabayev
The primary card opens with this flyweight conflict between a pair of High 10 veterans. Nicolau, 31, has been knocked out in every of his previous two fights, most lately by Alex Perez, so this is a crucial combat to forestall an additional slide down the standings. Almabayev, 30, has gained 16 consecutive fights total and all three since becoming a member of the UFC.
The general public has trended towards Almabayev, who has drawn 54 p.c of the bets and 79 p.c of the cash because the -210 favourite to beat Nicolau (+170).
–Discipline Degree Media
