The best UFC sportsbooks favor Ankalaev when he faces Johnny Walker at UFC 294. In a way, I guess you could say that Ankalaev is going to hit the bottle pretty hard. Unless, of course, he’s more of a Bourbon guy.
UFC 294 Magomed Ankalaev vs. Johnny Walker Odds by BetUs
| Fighter | Odds |
|---|---|
| Ankalaev | -345 |
| Walker | +275 |
Betting Magomed Ankalaev
As per the best online sportsbooks, Magomed Ankalaev is a -345 fave to Johnny Walker’s +275 as the underdog. That is an implicit win probability of 77.5 percent for Ankalaev. He is the No. 2 ranked light heavyweight in the UFC.
The best USA sportsbooks odds are currently not boding well for Brazil’s Johnny Walker. However, if you like him to get upset, you can wager $100 on Walker to win $275. Magomed Ankalaev has yet to lose a fight in the promotion since he lost to Paul Craig when he tapped out back in the year 2018.
His latest wins include wins over Volkan Oezdemir, Thiago Santos, and Anthony Smith. Ankalaev’s previous fight resulted in a split draw versus former light heavyweight champion Jan Błachowicz.
Ankalaev has a decent 3.55 Strikes Landed per Minute with a strong 52% Striking Accuracy.
When it pertains to striking, Magomed Ankalaev is not what you would call a slouch. He has a flair for hitting clean blows and he does so with accuracy. His striking defense is remarkable as well. He sits at a nice 59 percent. This shows his skill for avoiding damage and keeping his opponent’s strikes at bay.
And now the damn veggies. His Strikes Absorbed per Minute of 2.15 indicates that he does tend to get hit. His Striking Accuracy is good but not great. This could be to the advantage of his opponent if they are able to cash in on these weaknesses.
Let us discuss the mat game. Magomed Ankalaev has a distinct edge in the wrestling department. His Takedowns Average per fifteen minutes is almost twice that of Walker. His Takedown Accuracy is 29 percent, which is all right.
Moreover, his Takedown Defense ranks at 86%, which shows his skill in thwarting takedown attempts. The only area where he might struggle is in submissions. He has an average of 0.0 submissions per fifteen minutes. He’s not a submission artist by any stretch of the imagination.
Betting Johnny Walker
Johnny Walker has been trending upward since he won three consecutive fights in a row from 2022 to 2023. Walker’s latest was a win over Anthony Smith, which is similar to Ankalaev. Walker has a combination of knockout power and submission prowess and has become a more well-balanced threat to his foes.
Walker has a higher SLpM with 3.85, together with an outstanding 56 percent Striking Accuracy. This dude can throw hands prison-style. When he connects, he connects with power. His accuracy is something close to exceptional. On the other hand, his striking defense isn’t as good. He sits at 46 percent. This could be an avenue to stay away from the upright battle with Ankalaev.
Walker has an unrivaled wrestling stat that is outstanding. A perfect 100 percent Takedown Accuracy. Should he decide to take the fight to the floor, Walker is almost guaranteed to get the job done there.
Conversely, his Takedown Defense leaves a little to be desired at 60 percent. His foe could exploit that were he to put his wrestling ability to good use. All things considered, how do any of these fighters win the fight?
Ankalaev’s road to victory resides in his striking and defensive skills. He ought to focus on keeping the fight vertical. That way he can use his striking precision to hit clean blows and avoid his opponent’s punches and kicks with his great defense.
If Ankalaev manages to keep the fight vertical and pick his spots smartly, he might secure a decision win or perhaps a KO. Walker must use his better striking to gain the advantage. He has to keep pressuring and be on the lookout for windows to exploit Ankalaev’s weaknesses.
Moreover, Walker can keep the other guy on his toes by resorting to his remarkable takedown accuracy in order to catch Ankalaev off his guard and bring the fight to the mat, where he could conceivably secure a tap out.
Magomed Ankalaev vs. Johnny Walker Pick
Can Ankalaev endure the flurry of Walker’s strikes and keep his defensive strength? If he does, he has a good chance to win by decision. If Walker can take advantage of Ankalaev’s weak striking defense, he can stop the Russian by TKO or a submission.
