The UFC is taking a trip to Seattle, Washington. The Climate Pledge Arena becomes the venue to host what may be a short but pretty interesting fight night for the UFC, with some interesting names on the fight card.
The main fight will see the return to the cage of the former double-weight champion, Henry Cejudo, as he clashes with Yadong Song, another rising contender in the Bantamweight Division.
We also get an exciting middleweight clash for the co-main event when Brendan Allen faces Anthony Hernandez to see who can climb their way to the top of the division.
Rob Font and Jean Matsumoto also bring more attention to the Bantamweight Division, as one of them looks to remain at the top while the other tries to stay undefeated in this clash.
This might be a short fight night, as we have five main card fights and seven prelims. Things are bound to be pretty fun, as not only do we have big names on the main card, but we get three undefeated fighters putting it all on the line, and the fighters on the prelims are likely going to want to showcase their case to get everyone’s attention and rise through the ranks.
You can check all the UFC/MMA bets, the analysis of each fighter, and the final bet you can make in these fights.
UFC Fight Night: Seattle Fight Card Odds and Info
| Henry Cejudo 3.15 | Yadong Song 1.375 |
| Brendan Allen 3.285 | Anthony Hernandez 1.336 |
| Rob Font 2.401 | Jean Matsumoto 1.569 |
| Jean Silva 1.189 | Melsik Baghdasaryan 4.75 |
| Alonzo Menifield 1.436 | Julius Walker 2.798 |
| Ion Cutelaba 2.451 | Ibo Aslan 1.545 |
| Andre Fili 1.909 | Melquizael Costa 1.86 |
| Nick Klein 1.096 | Mansur Abdul-Malik 6.58 |
| Ricky Simón 3.06 | Javid Basharat 1.374 |
| Austin Vanderford 2.198 | Nikolay Veretennikov 1.667 |
| Nursulton Ruziboev 1.312 | Eric McConico 3.41 |
| Modestas Bukauskas 1.33 | Raffael Cerqueira 3.285 |
| When? | Saturday, February 22nd, at 6:00 pm ET, 5:00 pm CST, 4:00 pm MT, and 3:00 pm PT |
| Where? | the Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, Washington. |
| Where Can I Watch It? | UFC Fight Pass |
UFC Fight Night: Henry Cejudo vs. Yadong Song
Why Bet on Henry Cejudo?
Cejudo is primarily a wrestler known for being one of the most technically skilled grapplers in mixed martial arts. While it’s clear he will likely depend on his wrestling to secure a victory in this fight, it’s worth noting that Song has had difficulties defending against takedowns in the past, making him vulnerable in that area. Cejudo could certainly leverage his wrestling expertise to win this matchup.
What concerns us the most about Henry is that he is quite hittable, and whilst Aljamain Sterling had success in landing strikes against Cejudo, Song packs a lot more power and speed with his strikes if Cejudo plays too many games against Song on the feet, he’s only going to be on the receiving end of devastating strikes.
Cejudo is a bit of a traditional karate/kickboxer when he strikes, leads side kicks, and boxing combinations. He’s not just a wrestler, but Song will be that much faster and much more effective than Cejudo.
Why Bet on Yadong Song?
Song has always been a fighter that we thought would make it far, but the more that we see him, the more we think he’s still a fighter who’s learning how to fight at a high level. Each time we see him fight, he’s improved, but it remains a mystery if he will be making enough improvements to take on someone already at such a high level.
Song is great at blitzing and dealing damage in short bursts, and he’s going to have to do that to disrupt the rhythm and pattern that Henry will attempt to use, but to do that for potentially five rounds will be a tough one.
Now, the potential improvements of Song’s takedown defense are going to be a major talking point. We think he’s going to struggle the first couple of rounds dealing with Cejudo’s wrestling. In those intermittent moments in which Cejudo is standing and making his way into wrestling range, that’s all 4-inch height advantage for Song, whether it knees up the middle, short boxing combinations with emphasis on the uppercuts, front teeps, anything that is in the arsenal of Song will be a problem for Cejudo.
Final Betting Analysis: Henry Cejudo vs. Yadong Song
It would not surprise us if Cejudo won this fight because it’s quite a winnable one for him, but we have to go with Song here, as those improvements to his takedown defense intrigue us.
We hold no high stakes on this main event, and we have to admit that it’s always difficult to predict these kinds of fights, but hell are we fascinated.
Our vote is on Song, but anything could happen here.
UFC Fight Night: Brendan Allen vs. Anthony Hernandez
Why Bet on Brendan Allen?
Allen may not be good enough to be a champion, but not bad enough to be in the main card. Anyway, Allen has to fight a bit uphill this weekend as he faces Hernandez in what might be the most high-paced fight of his career.
Yes, he has decent grappling, but as we have seen when he fought Imavov, if he doesn’t get any takedowns, he’s as useless as wet tape. Now, the good news is that Hernandez is likely more than happy to take this fight to the ground. However, that’s as far as the good news goes for Allen, as we suspect that Hernandez’ wrestling is gonna be far better than Allen’s guard game.
Allen does have decent striking. He has various strikes that he could use to deter Hernandez. Allen has an additional two inches in reach and could perhaps sneak a knee up the middle.
However, we don’t think that’s likely to happen since Hernandez is hungry for takedowns.
Why Bet on Anthony Hernandez?
Hernandez impressed us greatly with his win over Michel Pereira, with 29 takedowns attempted, 10 landed, 15 minutes of control time, and a whopping 97 strikes landed on the ground. That is a world-breaking amount of ground strikes. If you know the stats, you will rarely see ground strikes exceed 50-60.
As previously mentioned, we know that Hernandez will fight aggressively, attempting and landing many takedowns.What makes this fight particularly interesting is what is likely to happen on the ground. At any moment, Allen could attempt a submission from his back with varying degrees of success. However, Hernandez, who has successfully submitted Rodolfo Vieira, is likely well-prepared for such situations. Therefore, we can be confident that he will handle things effectively on the ground.
Final Betting Analysis: Brendan Allen vs. Anthony Hernandez
We think Allen will be on the defensive this weekend, trying to fend off the takedown attempts from Hernandez before eventually tiring out.
This is a 3-round fight, so we expect Hernandez to fight at a high pace, but we think that expectations are going to be there anyway for Hernandez, whether it’s a 3-round or 5-round bout.
On the feet, Hernandez has been somewhat known to eat shots, although since he’s going to be going most of the pressuring. Our only concern for Hernandez is a knee up the middle of an uppercut as he approaches and goes for the level change.
If Hernandez is gonna fight smart, he should take the win here easily.
UFC Fight Night: Rob Font vs. Jean Matsumoto
Why Bet on Rob Font?
Font has been in there with the meanest fighters of this division, and whilst he has had his fair share of losses, each time he has entered the octagon, we have seen improvements and adjustments everywhere.
However, at 37, we need to bring in just how much more time he has left to improve because whilst he’s certainly not nearing the end of his career, he is facing tougher and tougher competition, and Matsumoto does have the right tools in his belt to get a win against Font.
Font’s boxing is fantastic, but that is to be expected as a New England Cartel fighter. Chartier is an outstanding coach when it comes to MMA boxing.
Font’s jab is something to keep an eye on, and as the longer fighter, it is going to be his primary attack that will likely lead to a victory. That jab is going to be the building foundation for any follow-up attack. His one-two is incredible and so clean. Simple boxing combinations are going to be his key to success here.
Why Bet on Jean Matsumoto?
Matsumoto only has two fights in the UFC, and they were against Katona and Argueta, TUF-level fighters who honestly shouldn’t be in the UFC at the rate that they’re fighting, but still, we saw some excellence from Matsumoto in that his striking against someone like Katona, whilst a bit wild due to Katona’s volume, he still managed to fare well.
Now, Matsumoto’s first round is going to be his best round because he doesn’t require any setups with his strikes as everything he throws comes in bunches, and that’s going to create a bit of chaos against Font as Font is a bit more of a slower starter who requires a bit of reading from that first round to succeed in other rounds.
If Matsumoto does choose to be an aggressor, he would have to hope to get Font out of there in the first round. Otherwise, Font is going to be privy to the openings from Matsumoto and retaliate accordingly, and a Font that’s dialed in is a dangerous one.
Final Betting Analysis: Rob Font vs. Jean Matsumoto
We think we’re going to see Matsumoto be a lot more active than Font in the first round to varying degrees of success, and once rounds two and three start, we expect Font to pick it up a bit and start landing his beautiful combinations.
With things flipping over time in this fight, we expect Rob Font to take the victory in the judge’s scorecards once the match is finished.
UFC Fight Night: Jean Silva vs. Melsik Baghdasaryan
Why Bet on Jean Silva?
Silva is certainly gaining momentum each time he fights, from his wins over Drew Dober and Jourdain to his long experience training alongside some seriously good fighters at Fighting Nerds, Silva’s ceiling is yet to be seen, and we are genuinely intrigued to see how he fares against Baghdasaryan.
Silva is a sniper with his strikes as he picks the perfect strike to throw, sets up his angles exceptionally well, and has so many weapons to rely on that we doubt we’ve seen everything despite the results he’s already produced.
Why Bet on Melsik Baghdasaryan?
Baghdasaryan has a soft spot in our hearts. He’s not at Zabit Magomedsharipov’s levels of greatness, but he is still entertaining. His southpaw stance could allow him to target Silva’s liver early in the fight, as he is quick to throw those power-side kicks and straights.
The problem with Baghdasaryan is that we have not seen enough of him, as his last fight was in 2023 against Tucker Lutz, and even then, Lutz managed to land three takedowns and keep control of Baghdasaryan for some time. While we are in doubt that Silva will choose to wrestle against Baghdasaryan, we do think that if the firefights get too hot, the option for a takedown is there for Silva as he works alongside a diverse group of excellent fighters with various specializations.
Final Betting Analysis: Jean Silva vs. Melsik Baghdasaryan
We expect Silva’s variance to perhaps keep Baghdasaryan guessing, but on the flip side, expect Baghdasaryan to meet that aggression head-on.
This fight is going to be quite tough to predict, but we are putting our token on Jean Silva to get the win here, even though there is a chance for an upset.
UFC Fight Night: Alonzo Menifield vs. Julius Walker
Why Bet on Alonzo Menifield?
Menifield is an absolute missile of a fighter. He is nothing but force, power, and explosiveness. He has been a threat to so many of his opponents in the past.
That is practically the only way we can describe him because any other way is just rambling. There is no doubt in our mind that Menifield will look to throw hammers and hopefully find the chin of the newcomer, but he does have a noticeable weakness, and that’s his takedown defense. He has had arduous fights in which his takedown defense has failed him time after time and thus has led to a few losses.
Menifield wastes no time in making sure the crowd is awake and watching. He throws heavy and often, and if Walker isn’t ready for that kind of heat, then he is likely to get caught with something.
The power comes from both sides. It’s just natural strength and power. Menifield also can wrestle, but it’s more explosive takedowns with no real traditional wrestling technique, just raw strength and power.
Why Bet on Julius Walker?
Walker is someone who is coming into this fight on a winning streak in the regional setting, although we would say that we’re pleased to see that he has done quite a lot less Promotion hopping than a few other debutants in this event, so that’s good to see.
Walker has decent wrestling, but we feel like he’s going to be a bit undersized compared to Menifield if we’re looking at this fight from a strength perspective, and his punching power is certainly not on the same level as Menifield.
Final Betting Analysis: Alonzo Menifield vs. Julius Walker
We expect the bully in this fight to be Menifield. He’s been in the limelight before, he’s used to tough competition, and even though his losing streak is pretty gross to look at, there is no denying that he is still a powerhouse of the division and a major threat to anyone who faces him, that power is unreal.
UFC Fight Night: Ion Cutelaba vs. Ibo Aslan
Why Bet on Ion Cutelaba?
Cutelaba is the epitome of angry fighting. He’s explosive and angry inside the cage, and outside the cage, but only when the fight isn’t happening because once the fight happens, he’s just a regular Light Heavyweight fighter who can land heavy shots and wrestle well, but he is as inconsistent as taking a dump whilst on opiates, and that’s one of the most frustrating things about him as an analyst, you can break him down as well as anyone else, and he fights the complete opposite and loses.
Now, we do expect him to wrestle in this fight because Aslan is a man of fist and fury, someone who shoves aside careful planning and reading his opponent and drives himself forward and fights like someone who has to quickly run after the fight, wasting no time and looking for the finish within the first 5 minutes.
So, if there is anything we expect Cutelaba to do, it’s to wrestle and finish Aslan with ground and pound because Cutelaba is excellent at that and is perhaps the only thing we know for certain he will attempt to do.
Why Bet on Ibo Aslan?
Aslan is coming off a disgustingly quick finish over Cerqueira, and it honestly did not tell us much about him other than the fact that when he smells blood in the water, he lets all of his weapons go.
His fight against Turkalj went to the distance, but it was perhaps anomalous in that it was a bit of a slower tit-for-tat fight, something that is a bit abnormal for an Aslan fight.
Expect Aslan to be aggressive. Maybe he’ll stuff a few takedowns, maybe not, but since he managed to stuff all of Turkalj’s takedowns, we expect that Aslan will stuff the takedowns and just land powerful shots.
Final Betting Analysis: Ion Cutelaba vs. Ibo Aslan
We might need to watch out for a chance of a Cutelaba Submission because that’s probably going to be the only way that Cutelaba wins if he gets the takedown, as he would need to control Aslan to maintain position, and you can’t quite control someone if you’re posturing up and landing ground and pound.
Our token is placed on Ibo Aslan to take the victory.
UFC Fight Night: Andre Fili vs. Melquizael Costa
Why Bet on Andre Fili?
Fili is a fantastic striker with a lot of speed and power in his punches, and we honestly do think that when a fistfight ensues during this bout, Fili will likely be the more successful striker during these exchanges as he is more used to flowing and throwing in the most heated of fights.
We are quite concerned about his chin, and if he were to lose by KO once more during this fight, it would be his 5th knockout loss in his career.
What we do suspect is going to occur during this fight is a bit of a technical tit-for-tat fight, as Fili is great at picking his shots and adding a bit of variety to his target. It is not only his striking that is in the limelight this weekend, but it will also be his ability to change level and wrestle on the fly, and we believe that is going to be a massive difference maker here since Costa does not have the best takedown defense.
Why Bet on Melquizael Costa?
Costa is certainly an entertaining fighter who has been in some fantastic fights, but in terms of experience, he still is lacking quite a bit in comparison to Fili.
Costa is a ferocious striker who isn’t afraid to make it a chaotic brawl when the situation calls for it, and that’s going to be his best way to win this fight, make it so frenetic that Fili is unable to slow it down, unable to react and eventually unable to avoid getting hit, but that’s the sport for ya, eventually, a wild pace becomes successful even if its intermittent and sparse.
Costa is decent on the ground as he has displayed some excellent submission offense and grappling defense in his fight against Neurdanbieke, and it is thanks to that grappling ability that we’re likely to see Fili in a position that will score him the points, but the grappling defense of Costa will eventually lead this fight to go the distance.
Final Betting Analysis: Andre Fili vs. Melquizael Costa
What we expect most from Fili is hopefully a bit of maturity and patience as he is coming into this fight with a win-loss cycle, so if he can break out of that, it would give him a major confidence boost.
We believe the first round is going to be the most dangerous for Fili as Costa is an excellent first-round fighter. He has a relentless pace that can only be nullified in this fight by Fili’s wrestling, and we think that’s what we’re likely to witness here. We’re going to see Fili be on the defensive for the most part as Costa pushes forward, throwing volume and power until Fili can time a takedown and get the fight to the ground.
We think we will see this one go to the judges, but Fili will find a way to take the points during the fight and make it end on a decision win.
UFC Fight Night: Nick Klein vs. Mansur Abdul-Malik
Why Bet on Nick Klein?
Klein is coming into this fight with a lightning-quick RNC submission over his DWCS opponent. The problem with that kind of performance is that whilst, amazingly, he got a fantastic submission win over his opponent, nothing else was learned about him.
Klein is typically a quick finisher, much to the chagrin of his girlfriend or partners, but the problem with all of that is we just don’t have consistent data or information on how he will perform in the later rounds.
Anyway, Klein looks to be someone who wastes very little time in achieving what he wants to achieve, whether that’s a takedown to a submission or a flurry of punches to put his opponent away. So, the only thing we can say for certain here is to expect Klein to start heavy with his pace and aggression. That first round will likely be Klein’s best if he does go all in.
Why Bet on Mansur Abdul-Malik?
Abdul-Malik is someone who ran through Todorovic, an “experienced” UFC fighter whose only real experience is losing via KO due to his horrific chin durability.
Abdul-Malik looks to be a relatively decent fighter, but similarly to Klein, his experience is mostly first-round finishes. We want to direct your attention to his fight on DWCS, in which he showed excellent sprawls and the ability to fight calmly in highly tenacious situations.
We think the most impressive thing that needs to be highlighted here is his ability to read takedown attempts and adjust/defend accordingly. He is so quick with the sprawl, and whilst he is probably going to struggle early on in the fight to get back to his feet (as anyone would if they were to face a fairly decent grappler), we do think he’s survivable enough to get back to his feet and thrive a little bit more than Klein.
Final Betting Analysis: Nick Klein vs. Mansur Abdul-Malik
Whatever could happen in a second and third round of this fight intrigues us greatly, but it’s impossible to predict what will occur as we haven’t seen Klein in that second or third-round setting.
In the end, we think Abdul-Malik will win. It’s a low-confidence one despite the odds because there’s a lack of footage from both fighters, but we are sure that we favor him slightly.
UFC Fight Night: Ricky Simón vs. Javid Basharat
Why Bet on Ricky Simón?
Simon is surely going to come into this fight with extra fire under his belly, and whilst that might not be too unusual for any avid viewer of the sport, we do believe that Simon’s going to have to use his hectic pace and unreal cardio to keep Basharat on the defensive and keep him from settling into a rhythm.
That is what Simon has historically done well, push a nasty pace and keep his opponent on the back foot. Recently, whether due to rough mismatches or just poor fight plans, he’s fallen into a three-fight losing streak, with the only caveat for those three losses being that he fought against wrecking balls in the division who effectively outstruck the nuclear submarine of a man.
Now, Simon loves his wrestling, and that much is noticeable in how he fights. He pushes forward, either eating shots but keeps moving forward or landing some of his own to cover distance and get into wrestling range, and once he has his hands wrapped around his opponent, he is relentless with the takedown attempts, one after another, just constant control, grip switches, and mat returns, anything you expect to see a wrestler do.
Why Bet on Javid Basharat?
Basharat is coming off his first loss in his career against Aiemann Zahabi. It was a fight where the smallest efforts led to the ultimate decisive winner, making it competitive.
Basharat utilizes a kick-heavy approach when he fights, you will likely see him throw more kicks than punches, and whilst it’s unique and a great approach to some of his opponents, we question whether or not it’s a good approach against a high-volume wrestler like Simon.
Even if Simon was to hold Basharat against the cage for 2 minutes, that’s 2 minutes of kicking that Basharat could have done to assert himself into the fight.
Anyway, Basharat’s takedown defense is pretty great andit’s going to be one of those stats that should hold up throughout the fight. The only struggle that we think he is going to have is keeping up that retreat motion and trying to keep away from getting himself pinned against the cage.
Final Betting Analysis: Ricky Simón vs. Javid Basharat
Basharat is crafty and no doubt has figured out the right game plan to win this fight, but we dare not underestimate the tenacity and hunger that Simon has displayed time and time again. The question here is, can Basharat survive and thrive during the constant aggression?
We believe Basharat’s best chance of winning is to approach this as a point-scoring fight. He should focus on kicking and moving, as well as jabbing and moving—essentially, employing good footwork and technique. As long as he lands at least one more strike than Simon, he should achieve great success, and the scorecards should reflect this strategy.
UFC Fight Night: Austin Vanderford vs. Nikolay Veretennikov
Why Bet on Austin Vanderford?
Vanderford’s chin is about a crisp wind gust away from collapsing like a dying star. However, Vanderford’s wrestling will likely play a major role in this fight.
Why Bet on Nikolay Veretennikov?
Veretennikov will be privy to Vanderfolds Wrestling and adjust accordingly. He had a competitive enough fight against Morales on DWCS to make Morales adjust his style so he could win, as Veretennikov was effectively outstriking Morales in that first round.
Final Betting Analysis: Austin Vanderford vs. Nikolay Veretennikov
To be honest, this fight is the equivalent of having an ad break in the middle of a sports event.
We got Veretennikov winning this one.
UFC Fight Night: Nursulton Ruziboev vs. Eric McConico
Why Bet on Nursulton Ruziboev?
Ruziboev is coming off a tough loss against Buckley, and it was one of those losses in which Ruziboev did not produce an answer or response that was required to earn Buckley’s respect.
Ruziboev’s striking is relatively dangerous. We mean, a kick is a kick and all that, sure, but he still has all that experience, all those finishes, and all those wins.That height advantage is going to be present during this fight as he is going to be able to land those knees up the middle as well as those head kicks. That’s just something that Ruziboev usually defaults to when he strikes.
The one thing I’ve noticed is that Ruziboev’s boxing is a bit clumsy, as he has to lower his stance to throw any effective punch, as we saw in his fight against Buckley.
Why Bet on Eric McConico?
McConico is a debuting fighter who has yet to fight in the DWCS or the UFC, which at this rate is a genuine surprise since it seems like they let anyone in from DWCS these days.
Anyway, we have only watched some tape on McConico, but the one thing that screams at me is how he uses his right hand.As soon as he lets his left hand go, he becomes very, very square, and it is at that moment that we expect Ruziboev to use his right hand to find the head.
It will ultimately be a battle of who can land the power hand first. However, we’ll see what McConico does this weekend against the much taller fighter.
Final Betting Analysis: Nursulton Ruziboev vs. Eric McConico
We’re likely to see McConico look to throw heavy leather during this fight, trying to be the bully against the much taller fighter. Watch out for the right straights of Ruziboev as they will be a key deterrent in dealing with a potentially explosive McConico, who will likely need to launch himself into an attack to find Ruziboev’s chin.
The first round for this one is likely to be chaotic, but once things settle, we expect Ruziboev to get the nod.
UFC Fight Night: Modestas Bukauskas vs. Raffael Cerqueira
Why Bet on Modestas Bukauskas?
Bukauskas is someone who seemingly frustrates us because he has all of these incredible accolades as a kickboxer but fails to bring those skills effectively into an MMA setting.
In almost all of his fights, he has been outstruck. He did fight some tough competition in Rountree Jr and Petrino, but ultimately, one would think that someone as gifted of a striker as Bukauskas would have at least a smidge of success with his striking.
The fantastic thing about Bukauskas is that he’s a sniper when he wants to be, and that comes from his stance-switching and patient style. He is a coiled spring that’s loaded through absorbing attacks and getting reads of his opponents.
Our problem with Bukauskas is that he’s highly readable. Every attack comes with huge body motions that raise big alarms and tell his opponents that “Something’s coming!”.
Why Bet on Raffael Cerqueira?
Cerqueira has only had one fight in the UFC, in which he got absolutely assaulted by Aslan. It was not even a competition at that rate but a one-sided beatdown.
Now, before that horrible debut loss, Cerqueira did show some promise as a UFC fighter. He has fantastic striking and has shown some incredible power in those strikes when he fought in various promotions, but it’s often difficult to ascertain whether or not someone is UFC-ready when they’re hopping through so many promotions.
Final Betting Analysis: Modestas Bukauskas vs. Raffael Cerqueira
With Cerqueira’s debut ending in the first round, in which he lost through a raging bull that threw everything he had in his arsenal, we are highly doubtful that Bukauskas will be able to replicate that same kind of pressure and animalistic pace that Aslan used in that first fight against Cerqueira.
Cerqueira possesses a strong arsenal of body kicks, leg kicks, and combination attacks. We firmly believe that his leg kicks will be particularly effective. By targeting Bukauskas’ legs, Cerqueira can disrupt his stance switches, which are a key factor in Bukauskas’ unpredictability. If Cerqueira effectively utilizes these leg kicks, we anticipate that he will emerge victorious in this UFC Fight Night
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