UFC Fight Night: Waldo Cortes-Acosta vs. Johnny Walker Full Card Picks & Predictions

The UFC remains home in Las Vegas today for another UFC Fight Night event, and MMA KO’s Drew Beaupré is here to provide predictions for all 14 of the card’s bouts.

After the original main event between Sean Brady and Gabriel Bonfim fell through, the UFC acted quickly to book a new short-notice heavyweight headliner featuring Waldo Cotes-Acosta and Johnny Walker.

In the night’s co-main event, former title challengers Virna Jandiroba and Tatiana Suarez square off to see which woman can take a step closer towards a second crack at the UFC strawweight belt.

UFC Vegas 124 Main Card Predictions

Waldo Cortes-Acosta vs. Johnny Walker

Curtis Blaydes (blue gloves) fights Waldo Cortes Acosta (red gloves) during UFC Fight Night at Desert Diamond Arena. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Walker certainly turned some heads with a brutal knockout in his heavyweight debut just over a month ago, but Cortes-Acosta is a significantly more-credentialed opponent than Mick Parkin and is in need of a big win after dropping back-to-back fights.

(Pick: Cortes-Acosta)

Virna Jandiroba vs. Tatiana Suarez

Tatiana Suarez (red gloves) fights Loopy Godinez (blue gloves) during UFC 327 at Kaseya Center. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The winner of this fight could find themselves positioned for another shot at the strawweight belt, and it’s hard to see a clear path to victory here for Jandiroba unless she’s able to outwork Suarez on the feet or snatch a submission when things hit the ground.

(Pick: Suarez)

Davey Grant vs. Elijah Smith

Grant defied Father Time once again his last time out when he spoiled Adrian Luna Martinetti’s UFC debut, but as crafty as he is I do think that the 40-year-old may just be physically outmatched by Smith here.

(Pick: Smith)

Billy Elekana vs. Lucas Fernando

Rafael Tobias (red gloves) fights against Lucas Fernando (blue gloves) in the light heavyweight bout during UFC 330 at Xfinity Mobile Arena. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Elekana might be a live dog here given how he’s looked during his current three-fight winning streak, but it’s hard to pick against Fernando after the Brazilian put together one of the more impressive UFC debuts in recent memory at UFC 330.

(Pick: Fernando)

Priscila Cachoeira vs. Nina Milošević

There’s really no secret as far as what the UFC has in mind for this matchup – Cachoeira is now 38 years old and has lost three in a row, while Milošević is on a nine-fight win streak and earned a “Performance of the Night” bonus for an impressive finish in her debut with the promotion.

(Pick: Milošević)

Mitch Raposo vs. Marcos Degli

There's a reason that Degli was one of the most highly-touted fighters scheduled to compete on Dana White’s Contender Series last season, and this matchup with Raposo should provide him with a chance to show off the devastating striking that he didn’t need to utilize in order to earn a UFC contract.

(Pick: Degli)

UFC Vegas 124 Preliminary Card Predictions

Ollie Schmid vs. Keiichiro Nakamura

Schmid only got a short-notice call up to the UFC because he was coming off a 15-second knockout and was available to step in at UFC Perth, and the New Zealander has been given another brutal matchup for his sophomore Octagon outing.

(Pick: Nakamura)

Thomas Petersen vs. Gabriel Lorenço

Thomas Petersen (red gloves) reacts after defeating Don'Tale Mayes (blue gloves). | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The UFC heavyweight division is always in need of new talent, but as long as Petersen doesn’t spend too much time trading strikes during this matchup then he could be a frusrating debut opponent for Lorenço.

(Pick: Petersen)

Karine Silva vs. Gabriella Fernandes

Jasmine Jasudavicius (red gloves) fights Karine Silva (blue gloves) during UFC Fight Night at Canada Life Centre. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Another loss here would leave Silva on a 1-4 run across her last five fights, but this looks like a solid spot for her to bounce back after Fernandes had a three-fight win streak halted by Casey O’Neill her last time out.

(Pick: Silva)

Jose Delano vs. Murtazali Magomedov

This is easily one of the best matchups on the card, and if Delano can nullify Magomedov’s grappling then I think the Brazilian has a good chance of ending his unbeaten run here.

(Pick: Delano)

Austin Bashi vs. Carlos Calderon

Austin Bashi (red gloves) fights Jose Miguel Delgado (blue gloves) during UFC Fight Night at Paycom Center. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

I’m a little surprised to see how lopsided the current betting odds are even with Calderon coming in on very short notice, but Bashi should still be able to handle the former Fury FC champion here and even out his own UFC record in the process.

(Pick: Bashi)

Andre Petroski vs. Mantas Kondratavičius

Mantas Kondratavicius (red gloves) fights Antonio Trocoli (blue gloves) during UFC Fight Night at O2 Arena. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Kondratavičius’s UFC debut against Antonio Trocoli wasn’t quite as emphatic as the Lithuanian was probably hoping for, but if he can keep things standing then this looks like a good spot to get his first UFC finish with Petroski coming in on a three-fight skid that includes back-to-back losses via strikes.

(Pick: Kondratavičius)

Seok Hyeon Ko vs. Wellington Turman

The UFC already tried feeding Turman to Islam Dulatov in July, and Ko still looks to be a very difficult matchup for what will be the Brazilian’s first outing in nearly four years.

(Pick: Ko)

Jose Souza vs. Jonny Parsons

Parsons has the power necessary to pull off the upset here if Souza gets careless, but it’s hard to have any real trust in the American given that he’s the significantly older fighter and comes into this matchup following a massive layoff – not to mention the fact that he’s going to be at a significant height and reach disadvantage.

(Pick: Souza)

Be sure to check back with us later today for live results and highlights from all the action at UFC Vegas 124.

Add us as a preferred source on Google