Pushing P’s UFC 294 Predictions

This Saturday’s UFC lineup is one of the most exciting events in a while. Just when we thought it couldn’t get any better, the two main events got even more exciting despite two of the fighters for the main event dropping out due to injuries. Here are my predictions for the upcoming matches:

Said Nurmagomedov vs Muin Gafurov

I have strong confidence in Said Nurmagomedov for this fight, and I believe the odds don't reflect his true potential. Nurmagomedov recently experienced a very close loss to Jonathan Martinez, a fight he dominated in the first round. In contrast, Muin Gafurov had a less successful run on the Contender Series and suffered a loss to John Castenada in his first UFC bout. Nurmagomedov's striking abilities are very impressive and should trouble Gafurov throughout the fight, with a good chance of leading to a KO or TKO. Jonathan Martinez had to give an extraordinary performance to defeat Said, and it's clear that Gafurov is not in the same league as Martinez.

Ikram Aliskerov vs Warlley Alves

This fight isn’t even close in my opinion. Although Warlley can boast one more win than Ikram, he has 5 more losses. Not to mention that Ikram’s one loss is to Khamzat Chimaev who is leagues above Warlley Alves. Ikram should absolutely wipe the floor with him based on that record.

Magomed Ankalaev vs Johnny Walker

Although Ankalaev is favored at -375 as of the time of writing this article, I wouldn’t say the discrepancy between these fighters' skill is reflective of the line. He can take the hits as shown in his bout against Jan Blachowicz, where his blood painted the octagon. But Ankalaev has to rely on takedowns as his striking is not the best. Johnny Walker has won his last three fights, so he’s coming out with a lot of momentum and high energy. He just needs to make sure to use his power strategically, avoid getting tired, and avoid Magomed’s big shots. If he can do that, I say he has a fairly decent shot of taking this match.

Khamzat Chimaev vs Kamaru Usman

I think even if Kamaru Usman had time to prepare for this fight, Khamzat still smashes him. Right now he’s on a tear. Chimaev is an absolute monster, relentless, with explosive power and never ending stamina. He hasn’t lost yet with a record of 12-0-0 and this is definitely not going to be his first.

Islam Makhachev vs Alexander Volkanovski

An excited Volk is a dangerous Volk. That’s what he said in one of his vlogs on his YouTube channel. Many may think he’s crazy for taking on this challenge at such short notice, but that may be exactly what gives him the edge in this fight. He’ll be fresh, full of energy, without any injuries from enduring an intense training camp. Last battle was a battle of the ages and one of the most entertaining brawls in UFC history and I believe this one will be too. Despite being in home territory in the last matchup between these two, he was considered an underdog. Now this fight will be in Abu Dhabi with the majority of the crowd cheering on Islam. So once again Volk is the underdog in this story. Some considered the last fight to be a highway robbery for Alex, but it was clear Islam was the winner based on who won each round. But Alex will be coming with the dog in him. He has nothing to lose now. He’s ready and he’s excited, so like he said, an excited Volk is a dangerous Volk, so I believe this time he will get the upper hand.

- Pushing P