As MMA fans have grown so accustomed to seeing, the UFC Fight Nights continue to provide us with so much fun and excitement. That will certainly be the case come Saturday, Oct. 2, as Thiago Santos and Johnny Walker will headline things at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. In this article, we have UFC picks for Santos vs. Walker Fight Night in what’s sure to be a great one.
Heading into things, Thiago Santos is a slight favorite over Johnny Walker for their showdown in early October. This light heavyweight matchup has all the makings to be a thriller, with the two always jacking things up whenever they’re inside the octagon. Entering the matchup, Santos is 21-9-0 in his fighting career, while Walker is an impressive 18-5-0, and he’ll be ready to try and record an upset.
Entering this fight, Santos has been given -160 odds for the brawl, while Walker is +132. While Santos is a bit of a favorite, Walker’s UFC odds tell you that he really does have a great chance of recording a victory as well. The last time Santos was in action, he suffered a tough loss at UFC 259 via decision. As for Walker, he recorded a first-round TKO in a UFC Fight Night in March of 2020. Santos is ready to put on a show.
| UFC odds |  |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santos to win | -160 | -160 | -160 | -160 |
| Walker to win | +132 | +132 | +132 | +132 |
| Jotko to win | -170 | -170 | -170 | -170 |
| Cirkunov to win | +140 | +140 | +140 | +140 |
“I will show that I deserve to be UFC fighter, that I deserve to be No. 4 in the light heavyweight rankings,” Santos told MMA junkie in a recent interview. “I need to show to everyone who I am. I think my last fight I didn’t show who I am. This fight I want to show to everyone that I’m better than before my surgery. I will try to finish the fight – show everyone that I deserve to get back to the title shot.”
Santos is clearly motivated to get the job done and do so in convincing fashion. With that said, Walker is hopeful to record an upset and show that he’s a true contender in the division as well. Yes, this one is going to be incredibly tough to call, but we’re going to go with Santos to finish Walker off and record a win. He’s our pick. Do you agree with us? Check out our UFC betting sites and get a wager in.
Entering things, MMA fans will also want to know will Krzysztof Jotko be able to take down Misha Cirkunov? Similar to the fight listed above, the odds are incredibly close. In the co-main event for this UFC Fight Night, the two middleweights are also going to be ready to give it their all in exchanging some serious blows from start to finish when they face off.
Jotko is 22-5-0 in his career, while Cirkunov is 15-6-0. Both are known for their strong power, with the ability to deliver a knockout on any occasion. For Jotko, he took on Sean Strickland in a Fight Night showcase in May, but he suffered a rough loss via a decision. Meanwhile for Cirkunov, he lost to Ryan Spann in March due to a first-round knockout, which was disappointing. Fighting in Vegas continues to be a dream for Jotko.
“This was always my big dream: to fight in Las Vegas,” said Jotko in an interview earlier this year ahead of a big fight. “Las Vegas or MSG in New York — they’re the biggest places for mixed martial arts fights and I’ve always wanted to compete in one of those places.”
Per the Las Vegas sportsbooks, Jotko is the favorite at -170, while Cirkunov has been listed at +140. Folks are talking about this matchup and for good reason: it will be a back-and-forth tilt. Cirkunov will be hungry to record an upset, but from this chair, we think that Jotko is going to prove to be the superior fighter and record an impressive win. We’re going with Jotko as our pick.
In another fun meeting, Casey O’Neill should cruise to an easy win over Antonina Shevchenko in a women’s flyweight tilt. With the two getting ready to light up the stage for fans to enjoy, O’Neill is undefeated in her career, posting a 7-0-0 mark. Meanwhile for Shevchenko, she’s 9-3-0 and will get ready to try and stun O’Neill at this UFC Fight Night. That will surely be easier said than done.
O’Neill indeed has been downright spectacular inside of the octagon. It’s incredibly difficult to go undefeated in the first seven fights of your career. Yet, that’s exactly what O’Neill has been able to get done. She continues to skyrocket up the rankings and it’s easy to understand why. Each time she fights, she makes easy work of her opposition, which has been great to see.
Vegas thinks that O’Neill should get things done without any issues on Oct. 2, as O’Neill has been given -225 odds. Shevchenko surely will have quite the uphill battle to come out victorious, as she’s been given +163 odds. While she’ll have the mindset to get things complete, we think it will be just too difficult for her to pull this one off. We’re rocking with O’Neill as our pick.
