UFC Vegas 84: Magomed Ankalaev vs. Johnny Walker kicks off the main card with a fight in the middleweight division between Phil Hawes and Brunno Ferreira. Hawes is coming off of consecutive first-round knockout losses as he comes into this weekend's matchup meanwhile, Ferreira is coming off his first professional loss as he looks to get back on track this weekend. With that said, check out our UFC odds series for our Hawes-Ferreira prediction and pick.
Phil Hawes (12-5) is now 4-3 in the largest MMA promotion with losses in each of his last two fights by brutal knockout. He is desperately in need of a big win this weekend to keep his roster spot in the UFC. Hawes has to take on yet another power puncher in Brunno Ferreira when he steps into the octagon this weekend at the UFC Apex.
Brunno Ferreira (10-1) came in guns blazing with a brutal short-notice knockout in his UFC debut against Gregory Rodrigues. Unfortunately, he was then on the receiving end of a brutal knockout at the hands of UFC debutant Nursulton Ruziboev. Ferreira will be looking to get back on track after suffering his first defeat when he takes on Phil Hawes this weekend at UFC Vegas 84.
Here are the UFC Odds, courtesy of DraftKings.
UFC Vegas 84 Odds: Phil Hawes-Brunno Ferreira Odds
Phil Hawes: +110
Brunno Ferreira: -130
Over 1.5 rounds: +190
Under 1.5 rounds: -250
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Why Phil Hawes Will Win
Phil Hawes has had his fair share of ups and downs during his MMA career. It took him three tries to finally get a UFC contract. He appeared on The Ultimate Fighter Season 23 and then on the Contender Series in 2017 and 2020 and finally, that last shot on the Contender Series did the trick. Now he is 4-3 in the biggest MMA promotion and is coming off back-to-back brutal knockout losses as he looks to right the ship this weekend.
Hawes will take on fellow knockout artist Brunno Ferreira in a fight that should be a ton of fireworks. Hawes is a physical specimen for 185 pounds and a former collegiate wrestler but has chosen to stand and bang for the majority of his time spent with the UFC. While it has worked well for him in spots like against Deron Winn, but it also has led to his demise in his three losses with the promotion. If Hawes fights smartly utilizes his wrestling in this fight and avoids getting into a firefight with Ferreira he could get back into the win column in a big way this weekend at UFC Vegas 84.
Why Brunno Ferreira Will Win
Brunno Ferreira secured a UFC contract when he knocked out his opponent on the Contender Series in less than two minutes. After Gregory Rodrigues' original opponent had to withdraw from the bout, Ferreira stepped in and upset the massive favorite with a brutal first-round knockout. Things however didn't go so well in his second fight with the promotion as he suffered his first professional loss at the hands of UFC debutant Nursulton Ruziboev by vicious knockout in under two minutes.
Ferreira now looks to get back into the win column when he faces off against another heavy hitter Phil Hawes in this weekend's matchup. He would look to have the striking advantage in this fight just purely based on what has always been his background throughout his time as an MMA fighter with seven of his 10 wins coming by knockout. While Hawes has some dynamite in his hands much like Ferreira, if Ferreira can just avoid the big bomb from Hawes and defends the takedowns he could land the kill shot to put Hawes out for the third time in a row.
Final Phil Hawes-Brunno Ferreira Prediction & Pick
What an absolute banger to kick off the first main card of 2024. These two middleweights are expected to throw some heavy leather until one of them drops like a sack of potatoes. Phil Hawes certainly has more tools in the toolbox and has fought the far better competition during his time in the UFC but he has shot himself in the foot time and time again.
As for Ferriera, we've seen his incredible power but he showed that he is still quite green in his most recent knockout loss. What makes this fight so intriguing is that this fight could end with just one punch on either side. With Hawes' back against the wall and needing the win as bad as he does we can expect him to throw the gameplan out there and attempt to go toe-to-toe with Ferreira which spells disaster as Ferreira packs a bit more of a punch and is more technically sound than Hawes on the feet. It will come down to who hits harder and who lands first and my money is Ferreira getting yet another first-round knockout.
Final Phil Hawes-Brunno Ferreira Prediction & Pick: Brunno Ferreira (-130), Under 1.5 Rounds (-250)
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