{"id":820122,"date":"2026-07-23T04:38:54","date_gmt":"2026-07-23T04:38:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/820122\/"},"modified":"2026-07-23T04:38:54","modified_gmt":"2026-07-23T04:38:54","slug":"ufc-abu-dhabi-s-best-betting-props-parlays-and-picks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/820122\/","title":{"rendered":"UFC Abu Dhabi \u2019s best betting props, parlays and picks"},"content":{"rendered":"

UFC Abu Dhabi<\/a> goes down this weekend (Sat., July 25, 2026) from Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. There\u2019s not much fanfare for this event, despite there being a No. 2<\/a>-ranked Light Heavyweight in the main event. Magomed Ankalaev vs. Bogdan Guskov will be scheduled for five rounds on Saturday, with Guskov coming in to replace Khalil Rountree Jr<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Ankalaev will want to claim a 205-pound title shot with a win, but he\u2019s never been top of mind for either the promotion or the fans.<\/p>\n

The co-main is Steve Erceg vs. Ramazan Temirov. That booking shows what UFC thinks of the former title challenger. He\u2019s been sent into enemy territory, here, to fight a hyped, albeit unranked, fighter with just two UFC bouts under his belt.<\/p>\n

Rounding out the main card is Islam Dulatov vs. Wellington Turman, Rizvan Kuniev vs. Tyrell Fortune vs. Magomed Zaynukov and Abubaker Vagaev vs. Sayid Izagakhmaev.<\/p>\n

The \u201cPrelims\u201d are headlined by Valter Walker vs. Thomas Petersen. Walker is going for his fifth heel hook win in a row! The \u201cPrelims\u201d also have Santiago Ponzinibbio vs. Sam Patterson and Ismael Bonfim vs. Axel Sola.<\/p>\n

As always, there\u2019s lots to bet on this card and we\u2019ve got odds for all the fights below:<\/p>\n

\"Tim<\/a>\"MMA<\/p>\n

UFC OKC FIGHT STREAK RESULTS!!! Get your picks in for UFC Abu Dhabi!<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

DDP and Alden Coria helped a lot of folks out last week, including our leader JKWI. I want to shout out Whipcreamfajita for their pick, though. They were the only one who went with Jose Delgado.<\/p>\n

Here’s what they said about that:<\/p>\n

Alright boys, I\u2019m jumping back in. Not playing it safe for an easy dub. Give me Delgado over Bashi. To me, I can see the ceiling for Austin bashi. I doubt he ever breaks into top 10.<\/p>\n

Now it’s time to pick for this weekend’s UFC Abu Dhabi. I’m going with Valter Walker to keep the heel hook streak going!<\/p>\n

UFC Abu Dhabi Main Event On Paramount+<\/a>:<\/p>\n

205 lbs.: Magomed Ankalaev vs. Bogdan Guskov (not Khalil Rountree Jr.<\/a>)<\/p>\n

UFC Abu Dhabi Main Card<\/p>\n

125 lbs.: Steve Erceg vs. Ramazan Temirov
265 lbs.: Rizvan Kuniev vs. Tyrell Fortune
170 lbs.: Islam Dulatov vs. Wellington Turman
155 lbs.: Magomed Zaynukov vs. Damian Rzepecki
170 lbs.: Saygid Izagakhmaev vs. Abubakar Vagaev<\/p>\n

UFC Abu Dhabi \u2018Prelims\u2019 Card <\/p>\n

265 lbs.: Valter Walker vs. Thomas Petersen
155 lbs.: Ismael Bonfim vs. Axel Sola
205 lbs.: Brendson Ribeiro vs. Magomed Tuchalov
155 lbs.: Nurullo Aliev vs. Mike Davis
170 lbs.: Santiago Ponzinibbio vs. Sam Patterson
205 lbs.: Dustin Jacoby vs. Muhammad Said
135 lbs.: Abdul Hussein vs. Cody Gibson<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Rec 1CommentsThin Stroke Comment Icon BubbleReplyRead 17 replies<\/p>\n

UFC Abu Dhabi Main Card Money Line Odds<\/p>\n

\"Magomed<\/a><\/p>\n

Magomed Ankalaev gets a short notice opponent at UFC Abu Dhabi. Jeff Bottari\/Zuffa LLC<\/p>\n

Magomed Ankalaev (-535) vs. Bogdan Guskov (+400)<\/p>\n

This is Ankalaev\u2019s first fight since he lost to (and was posterized by<\/a>) Alex Pereira at UFC 320<\/a> back in Oct. 2025 (see it here<\/a>). That loss cost Anakalaev the title, which he\u2019d won from Pereira seven months earlier. Ankalaev earned his first shot at \u201cPoatan\u201d with a 12-fight undefeated streak in UFC. He was preparing to fight Khalil Rountree Jr. in this spot, but the \u201cWar Horse\u201d fell out the fight last week.<\/p>\n

Guskov was getting ready to fight Jan Blachowicz in Serbia in August. He slides in here to get his first UFC main event, though. His last fight was a draw against Blachowicz in Dec. 2025. Most thought the draw was a fair decision after Guskov almost put away Blachowicz in the second round to earn 10-8 scores. Before that, Guskov scored a technical knockout on Nikita Krylov (see it here<\/a>) and a submission on Billy Elekana (see it here<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Ankalaev\u2019s lack of charisma and any kind of X-Factor<\/a>, will always make bets against him seem quite tempting. Guskov also feels a little like a new toy in this realm of the Light Heavyweight division and he\u2019s coming off a sexy run of results. However, Ankalaev is very good at winning mixed martial arts (MMA) fights. He\u2019s only failed to do that three times in 24 bouts. One of those was that Hail Mary submission loss to Paul Craig, one was that loss to future Hall of Famer Pereira and the other was a draw to the aforementioned Blachowicz, which he should have won. I\u2019m struggling to imagine Guskov doing something to join that list.<\/p>\n

Guskov might be able to have some success on the feet with Ankalaev, but I think he might struggle to stay on his feet. His takedown defense is a porous 57 percent. Other than Zac Pauga, every UFC fighter who has attempted a takedown on Guskov has gotten one.<\/p>\n

Ankalaev doesn\u2019t focus much on wrestling, but he has that ability in his locker. He only lands 0.79 takedowns per fifteen minutes. But I think he might try those out here, given how Guskov seems to struggle with that area of the game.<\/p>\n

I can\u2019t take the moneyline on Ankalaev and the point spread, at -13.5, feels too big considering Guskov does have knockout power in his hands. The round total is 2.5 with the over at -114 and the under at -145. That\u2019s a very tough line.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m struggling to find something I like when it comes to this fight. I think Ankalaev wins, but I\u2019m torn as to whether it\u2019s a decision or a stoppage right around that 2.5-round mark.<\/p>\n

For my best bet I\u2019m going to take a parlay of Ankalaev to win and over 1.5 rounds. It\u2019s pretty safe and boring, but the odds are -120. I\u2019m not seeing anything else I like better than that.<\/p>\n

Best bet: Magomed Anakalaev to win and Over 1.5 (-120)<\/p>\n

\"Tim<\/a>\"MMA\"Steve<\/a><\/p>\n

Steve Erceg heads to enemy territory for UFC Abu Dhabi. Ed Mulholland\/Zuffa LLC<\/p>\n

Steve Erceg (-115) vs. Ramazan Temirov (-105)<\/p>\n

Erceg got a good win over Tim Elliott in May. Before that, he registered a decent win over Ode Osbourne. Those two victories followed his loss to Brandon Moreno, which I think was closer than the unanimous decision suggests. He\u2019s now 5-3 in UFC and best remembered for losing to then champion Alexandre Pantoja in a fight where he had Pantoja on the ropes. Erceg was given that title shot after just three wins in UFC.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, it\u2019s been more than one year since we saw Temirov. In March 2025, he scored a unanimous decision over the mercurial Charles Johnson. Before that, he TKO\u2019d CJ Vergara in his UFC debut.<\/p>\n

\u201cTemurlan\u201d is now 19-2 as a professional.<\/p>\n

Despite his name ending in \u201cov,\u201d Temirov is not much of a wrestler. He likes to swing for the fences with his overhand right and also spam spinning kicks to the body. I think Erceg is good enough on the feet to avoid all that and also land with some nice, clean straight punches down the middle. He has a five-inch reach advantage, too, so that should help.<\/p>\n

Erceg is also the more willing wrestler. Temirov hasn\u2019t been taken down in UFC yet, but his two past opponents aren\u2019t known for going for takedowns. Erceg, I think, will want to limit his time on the feet a little bit. I can see him going for takedowns and landing one or two. Those, together with some effective striking can probably win him the decision.<\/p>\n

After that Kai Kara-France technical knockout loss, though, I am a little worried that one of Temirov\u2019s big shots might sneak through. Even so, I believe Erceg is the better fighter in this match-up and that should take precedence when it comes to this decision.<\/p>\n

Best bet: Steve Erceg moneyline (-115)<\/p>\n

\"Tim<\/a>\"MMA<\/p>\n

Which UFC Abu Dhabi fight do you care the most about?<\/p>\n

<\/a>UFC Abu Dhabi Main Event On Paramount+<\/a>:<\/p>\n

205 lbs.: Magomed Ankalaev vs. Bogdan Guskov (not Khalil Rountree Jr.<\/a>)<\/p>\n

UFC Abu Dhabi Main Card On Paramount+<\/a> (3 p.m. ET):<\/p>\n

125 lbs.: Steve Erceg vs. Ramazan Temirov
265 lbs.: Rizvan Kuniev vs. Tyrell Fortune
170 lbs.: Islam Dulatov vs. Wellington Turman
155 lbs.: Magomed Zaynukov vs. Damian Rzepecki
170 lbs.: Saygid Izagakhmaev vs. Abubakar Vagaev<\/p>\n

UFC Abu Dhabi \u2018Prelims\u2019 Card On Paramount+<\/a> (12 p.m. ET):<\/p>\n

265 lbs.: Valter Walker vs. Thomas Petersen
155 lbs.: Ismael Bonfim vs. Axel Sola
205 lbs.: Brendson Ribeiro vs. Magomed Tuchalov
155 lbs.: Nurullo Aliev vs. Mike Davis
170 lbs.: Santiago Ponzinibbio vs. Sam Patterson
205 lbs.: Dustin Jacoby vs. Muhammad Said
135 lbs.: Abdul Hussein vs. Cody Gibson<\/p>\n

Closes in 2 days \u2022 27 total votesView results<\/p>\n

Ankalaev vs. GuskovErceg vs. TemirovPonznibbio vs. PattersonBonfim vs. SolaOther (see comments)Rec 0CommentsThin Stroke Comment Icon BubbleReplyRead 15 replies\"Islam<\/a><\/p>\n

Islam Dulatov is the hottest prospect at UFC Abu Dhabi. Cooper Neill\/Zuffa LLC<\/p>\n

Islam Dulatov (-750) vs. Wellington Turman (+525)<\/p>\n

Dulatov impressed in his proper UFC debut one year ago, when he stopped Adam Fugitt (see that here<\/a>). That got him to 12-1 as a professional. His only loss was his pro debut, losing a decision to Gjoni Palokaj as a 19 year-old. Palokaj is a recent OKTAGON MMA title challenger. Dulatov has a 30-second submission win over Will Chope on his record, too.<\/p>\n

Turman is 3-6 in UFC and hasn\u2019t fought since 2023, when he was submitted by Jared Gooden. His UFC wins were over Misha Cirkunov, Sam Alvey and Markus Perez.<\/p>\n

Dulatov is the biggest favorite on the card \u2026 and for good reason. He\u2019s a top prospect with a lot of skills and he\u2019s fighting someone who UFC probably forgot was on its books.<\/p>\n

Best bet: Islam Dulatov by KO\/TKO\/DQ (-190)<\/p>\n

\"Magomed<\/a><\/p>\n

Magomed Zaynukov makes his long awaited return at UFC Abu Dhabi. Chris Unger\/Zuffa LLC<\/p>\n

Damian Rzepecki (+285) vs. Magomed Zaynukov (-360)<\/p>\n

The 31 year-old Zaynukov is 9-0 in his MMA career. He earned his UFC contract with a decision on Contender Series<\/a> in Oct. 2025 (where he out-struck his opponent 235 to 72). Despite having not fought much, Zaynukov has become a viral sensation due to the mishearing of his \u201cChanco\u201d nickname<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Rzepecki, on the other hand, is 10-0 and 24 years-old. Despite being Polish, he\u2019s never gotten a look in KSW. He\u2019s instead fought in the FEN promotion, where he was a champion.<\/p>\n

He\u2019s fought scrubs there, but he does have a nice highlight reel.<\/p>\n

My big question is \u2026 are we getting a little too excited over Zaynukov because of his viral popularity and proximity to Islam Makhachev?<\/p>\n

He might be the next big Dagestani fighter, but I think we need to see more than a Contender Series<\/a> fight to know that. With these kinds of odds, it\u2019s very tempting to take a flyer on Rzepecki (especially when you watch how low Zaynukov\u2019s hands were in that Contender Series<\/a> fight). However, I doubt Rzepecki has ever seen a wrestler like Zaynukov. I have a feeling Rzepecki might have some success on the feet, but lose this after getting taken down.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s a low round total here at 1.5, probably because of the hype around Zaynukov. I\u2019ll take the over, imagining Rzepecki is tough on the feet and forces Zaynukov and his team to slow down and go for a more methodical approach.<\/p>\n

Best bet: Over 1.5 rounds (-230)<\/p>\n

Betting on sports involves risk, so please only wager amounts you can afford to lose. If you or someone you know if struggling with gambling help can be found with the organizations listed below:<\/p>\n

USA: National Problem Gambling Helpline \u2014 Call or text 1-800-GAMBLER to receive support and learn about available services.UK: GamCare – Call 0808 8020 133 to speak to an advisor about gambling (or visit gamecare.org.uk for live chat and forum options).Canada: Visit responsiblegambling.org for resources on helplines in Canada\u2019s various provinces and territories.Australia\/New Zealand: National Gambling Helpline \u2014 Call (800) 858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au.\"LAS<\/a><\/p>\n

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – MARCH 07: Rizvan Kuniev of Russia poses on the scale during the UFC 313 ceremonial weigh-in at Michelob ULTRA Arena on March 07, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari\/Zuffa LLC)<\/p>\n

Rizvan Kuniev (-258) vs. Tyrell Fortune (+210)<\/p>\n

Kuniev won a snore fest against Jailton Almeida in February. That got Almeida the boot from the promotion. Before that fight, Kuniev was robbed of a decision against Curtis Blaydes (who he hurt in the fight). The Blaydes fight was his UFC debut.<\/p>\n

Long-time Bellator veteran Fortune finally debuted for UFC in March. In his debut, he took a decision over Marcin Tybura. Fortune\u2019s record is now 18-3 with his only losses being to Sergey Bilostenniy, Linton Vassell and Timothy Johnson. Among his wins are Matt Mitrione, Jack May and Marcelo Golm.<\/p>\n

This might be a God-awful fight to watch. Both these guys are coming off dull fights. I think this is one of those Heavyweight fights where we see two tired guys leaning on each other against the fence for fifteen minutes.<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t care about who wins this one, so I\u2019ll just go with the over. If I\u2019m wrong, at least that means the fight is probably more watchable.<\/p>\n

Best bet: Over 2.5 rounds (-145)<\/p>\n

\"Sayid<\/a><\/p>\n

Sayid Izagakhmaev gets his second fight at UFC Abu Dhabi. Jeff Bottari\/Zuffa LLC<\/p>\n

Abubaker Vagaev (-250) vs. Sayid Izagakhmaev (+205)<\/p>\n

This is a rare \u201cChechen vs. Dagestani\u201d match-up in UFC, with Vagaev fighting out of Grozny and Izagakhmaev coming from Makhachkala.<\/p>\n

Vagaev is a champion of Ramzan Khadyrov\u2019s Akhmat MMA promotion. He won the title with a decision over Albert Tumenov in Feb. 2025. He also beat Michel Prazeres in Akhmat. He\u2019s 33 and 24-4. Three of his losses are via (technical) knockout.<\/p>\n

Izagakhmaev is 31 and 22-3. He debuted with a split decision loss to Nicolas Dalby in November. That was his first loss since getting submitted by Carlston Harris back in UAE Warriors in 2021. His other pro loss was also to a UFC vet; Elias Silverio in 2018.<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t know much about either of this guys, but I\u2019ll take Izagakhmaev because he\u2019s gotten a look in UFC before and I don\u2019t trust wins for Chechen fighters in Akhmat MMA.<\/p>\n

Best bet: Sayid Izagakhmaev moneyline (+205)<\/p>\n

\"Tim<\/a>\"MMA<\/p>\n

Favorite underdog at UFC Abu Dhabi?<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

Closes in 3 days \u2022 18 total votesView results<\/p>\n

Bogdan GuskovTyrell FortuneIsmael BonfimThomas PetersenOther (see comments)Rec 0CommentsThin Stroke Comment Icon BubbleReplyRead 1 replies<\/p>\n

UFC Abu Dhabi \u2018Prelims\u2019 Under Card Odds<\/p>\n

\"Axel<\/a><\/p>\n

Axel Sola heads to UFC Abu Dhabi after an absolute war in his last fight. Jasper Wax\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

Ismael Bonfim (+150) vs. Axel Sola (-180)<\/p>\n

Bonfim is on a two-fight losing skid. He was TKO\u2019d by Chris Padilla in his last fight (see it here<\/a>). He also missed weight for that. Before that, he was stopped by Nazim Sadykhov. Bonfim is now 2-3 in UFC. His other loss was a submission to Benoit Saint-Denis.<\/p>\n

Sola, meanwhile, looked great in his UFC debut in Sept. 2025, taking apart Rhy McKee in Paris. His follow up fight was much tougher, though. He and Mason Jones put down their candidate for \u201cFight of the Year<\/a>\u201d in at UFC London<\/a> in March. Sola lost that one by unanimous decision.<\/p>\n

That was the first loss of his 13-fight career.<\/p>\n

This could be a very fun and wild fight, but I think Sola has a pretty big advantage in this match-up. He\u2019s much taller than Bonfim and has a three inch reach advantage. I think there will be a lot of striking in this bout, but if there is some wrestling, that size for Sola could be crucial.<\/p>\n

Sola is mostly a kickboxer, but he\u2019s not afraid to mix it up. He landed three takedowns on Jones in his last fight. Sola having those two dimensions to his game have me picking him over Bonfim here, who I imagine just wants to strike.<\/p>\n

Best bet: Axel Sola moneyline (-180)<\/p>\n

\"Valter<\/a><\/p>\n

Valter Walker, and his beard, will fit in at UFC Abu Dhabi. Chris Unger\/Zuffa LLC<\/p>\n

Valter Walker (-192) vs. Thomas Petersen (+160)<\/p>\n

Walker and his leg locks have been terrorizing UFC\u2019s Heavyweight division since 2024 now. After losing his UFC debut, by decision to Lukasz Brzeski, the Brazilian has gone all in on his heel hook and has won his last four bouts with that move. No one has ever done anything like that and he\u2019s not showing any signs of stopping his run anytime soon.<\/p>\n

Petersen is 3-3 in UFC and is coming off a majority decision win over Guilherme Pat. He earned a 10-8 third round in that fight. Most onlookers thought that should have made the bout a draw, with Pat probably winning the first two rounds. Petersen has lost two of his last four, both by KO (to Vitor Petrino and Shamil Gaziev).<\/p>\n

My pick for this fight is what I want to happen. And I think it might come true, too. Walker is going to extend his heel hook streak and have Petersen tapping in the first round.<\/p>\n

Best bet: Under 1.5 rounds (+130)<\/p>\n

\"Dustin<\/a><\/p>\n

Dustin Jacoby is only on the \u201cPrelims\u201d at UFC Abu Dhabi. Chris Unger\/Zuffa LLC<\/p>\n

Dustin Jacoby (-166) vs. Muhammad Said (+140)<\/p>\n

Jacoby comes into this bout on a nice three-fight win streak, with all KO finishes. Last time out he put away Julius Walker (see it here<\/a>). Before that it was Bruno Lopes and Vitor Petrino. Those wins came after he was finished by Dominick Reyes in 2024. He\u2019s 38 now and 10-6-1 in UFC competition.<\/p>\n

Said is a UFC newcomer with zero experience on Contender Series, TUF, etc. He\u2019s coming off a TKO win over Luis Henrique da Silva, who went 2-4 in UFC about a decade ago. He\u2019s 30 with a 9-0 record.<\/p>\n

This is a curious match-up. Fighters from this part of the world are usually given very winnable fights when the show goes down in UAE, Qatar or Saudi Arabia. But Said has been given a tough, ranked veteran, on a finishing streak.<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t think Said looks particularly special, so I have major doubts about whether he can hang with Jacoby. Jacoby is past his prime, but he\u2019s shown \u2014 very recently \u2014 that at his age he can still crack and put away younger opposition. And Said isn\u2019t even a youngster, he\u2019s 30.<\/p>\n

Best bet: Dustin Jacoby moneyline (-166)<\/p>\n

\"Santiago<\/a><\/p>\n

Santiago Ponzinibbio will rep Argentina at UFC Abu Dhabi. Josh Hedges\/Zuffa LLC<\/p>\n

Santiago Ponzinibbio (+320) vs. Sam Patterson (-410)<\/p>\n

Ponznibbio suffered the fifth (technical) knockout loss of his career in his last fight. That was because of a Daniel Rodriguez left hook in May 2025 (see it here<\/a>). That came after his technical knockout win over Carlston Harris in Jan. 2025. Ponzinibbio\u2019s UFC record now stands at 12-8. He\u2019ll be 40 in September.<\/p>\n

Patterson lost a dull decision to Michael Page at UFC London in March. That was on main card. The loss landed him in the \u201cPrelims\u201d here, despite Patterson having won four straight fights before that (all by stoppage). Among those wins were a standing technical knockout over Trey Waters (see it here<\/a>) and a big upset over Danny Barlow (see it here<\/a>).<\/p>\n

At this stage in his career, Ponzinibbio seems to have embraced the \u201cI\u2019ll go out on my shield\u201d style of fighting and I think that would be a pretty terrible approach in this bout.<\/p>\n

Patterson won\u2019t ever crack elite status, but he\u2019s got clean striking and a lot of power. He\u2019ll also have a five-inch reach advantage in this fight. He will take one to land one, himself. But, I think that reach will mean he\u2019s going to be hitting Ponznibbio first. And I don\u2019t think, at 40, Ponzinibbio will be able to take very much of that.<\/p>\n

Best bet: Under 1.5 rounds (-125)<\/p>\n

\"Brendson<\/a><\/p>\n

Brendson Ribeiro is an underdog (again) at UFC Abu Dhabi. Jeff Bottari\/Zuffa LLC<\/p>\n

Brendson Ribeiro (+500) vs. Magomed Tuchalov (-700)<\/p>\n

I\u2019m stunned that Ribeiro is still on UFC\u2019s roster. It seems he\u2019s being kept around for cruel reasons, though. He\u2019s lost his last three fights, all by stoppages. Those opponents were Abdul Rakhman Yakhyaev, Oumar Sy and Azamat Murzakanov. In those fights he was a +800, +425 and +500 underdog. He\u2019s been an underdog in every one of his seven UFC fights, including the ones he won over Diyar Nurgozhay and Caio Machado.<\/p>\n

Tuchalov is 26 and 7-0. He just knocked out Caio Machado to win the UAE Warriors Light Heavyweight title. He was born in St. Petersburg, Russia, but now fights out of Dubai.<\/p>\n

Ribeiro is a professional can and he\u2019s going to get crushed again. I\u2019ll take the under, to avoid that -700 moneyline.<\/p>\n

Best bet: Under 1.5 rounds (-219)<\/p>\n

\"Beast<\/a><\/p>\n

Beast Boy is back at UFC Abu Dhabi. Jeff Bottari\/Zuffa LLC<\/p>\n

Nurullo Aliev (-166) vs. Mike Davis (+140)<\/p>\n

Aliev is 11-0 after dominating Shem Rock in November for a unanimous decision. His other UFC wins are all unanimous decisions, too. Those are over Joe Solecki and Rafael Alves.<\/p>\n

Davis last fought one year ago, when he TKO\u2019d Mitch Ramirez (see it here<\/a>). Before that, he had a strange loss to Fares Ziam, where he pulled guard and did other things that suggested he came into the fight with an injury. He lost that bout by unanimous decision. He\u2019s only fought three times since Oct. 2022.<\/p>\n

So, which Davis is going to show up here?<\/p>\n

At his best, I think Davis is capable of surprising the relatively raw Aliev, especially in the grappling department. If he\u2019s not in shape, though, then Aliev\u2019s much improved boxing might cause some problems.<\/p>\n

I really like Davis and I have more respect for his strength of schedule than Aliev\u2019s. I think he\u2019s the more complete fighter and I\u2019ll take those slight underdog odds.<\/p>\n

Best bet: Mike Davis moneyline (+140)<\/p>\n

\"Cody<\/a><\/p>\n

Cody Gibson opens the show at UFC Abu Dhabi. Chris Unger\/Zuffa LLC<\/p>\n

Abdul Hussein (-470) vs. Cody Gibson (+360)<\/p>\n

Hussein is Finnish, but has fought a lot on UAE Warriors. He\u2019s 28 and has a 15-2 record. His last fight was a KO win over UFC veteran Tyson Nam (where he knocked him out cold). He has a 2021 decision loss to Muhammad Mokaev on his record, too.<\/p>\n

Gibson turns 39 in September. He was KO\u2019d by Aoriqileng in Oct. 2025 (see it here<\/a>). Before that, he was submitted by Da\u2019Mon Blackshear.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s pretty hard to get too excited about Gibson in this match-up. He\u2019s also coming in on short notice (replacing Muin Gafurov). This screams of the UFC\u2019s practise of offering guys short notice fights, expecting them to turn it down, just so they can extend their contracts. Perhaps the UFC were surprised Gibson said yes to this. Either way, I don\u2019t think he\u2019s got much chance of winning against a man ten years younger than him and who packs a punch.<\/p>\n

I think Hussein gets this over quickly.<\/p>\n

Best bet: Under 2.5 rounds (-180)<\/p>\n

\"Will<\/a><\/p>\n

Will things be close in the main event of UFC Abu Dhabi? Jeff Bottari\/Zuffa LLC<\/p>\n

UFC Abu Dhabi Long Shots!<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a couple of long shots for Saturday night\u2019s action …<\/p>\n

Magomed Ankalaev to win by split or majority decision (+1400)<\/p>\n

I like Ankalaev in this fight, but I don\u2019t love him. I like Guskov, too, but also don\u2019t love him. I do doubt Guskov gets the win here, but I think he might be a pretty game opponent. Both these guys have draws in UFC, so I think there is also potential for something unusual in the scoring or refereeing.<\/p>\n

Damian Rzepecki to win by KO\/TKO\/DQ (+1100)<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t know whether to buy or sell on \u201cChanco\u201d right now; however, I do think he\u2019s getting a little over-hyped after just one Contender Series<\/a> appearance. If he\u2019s not as good as advertised, maybe the aggressive Rzepecki can expose that.<\/p>\n

Two-bet parlay: Walker vs. Petersen Under 1.5 rounds & Dustin Jacoby vs. Muhammad Said Under 1.5 rounds (+475)<\/p>\n

Walker is getting that heel hook on Saturday. And I bet it gets it quickly, on the dry leg of Petersen. I think Jacoby vs. Said is a mismatch and Jacoby is in a rich vein of form right now.<\/p>\n

\"Jesse<\/a>\"MMATo checkout the latest and greatest UFC Abu Dhabi: \u201cAnkalaev vs. Guskov\u201d news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"UFC Abu Dhabi goes down this weekend (Sat., July 25, 2026) from Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":820123,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[444],"tags":[49,48,641,33601,638,82,139445,702,17056,17055,8729],"class_list":["post-820122","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-mma","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-fighting","tag-latest-ufc-mma-news","tag-mma","tag-sports","tag-ufc-on-paramount","tag-ufc-news","tag-ufc-odds","tag-ufc-predictions","tag-ufc-previews"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/820122","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=820122"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/820122\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/820123"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=820122"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=820122"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=820122"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}