UFC Fight Night Dern v Hill main card betting preview & best bets

The main card for UFC Fight Night – Dern versus Hill features a mixture of fan favourites, upcoming talents, and combatants who are rebuilding following adversity. Read on for all our tips and analysis.

Mackenzie Dern vs Angela Hill

Mackenzie Dern vs Angel Hill

Edmen Shahbazyan v Anthony Hernandez

Edmen Shahbazyan vs Anthony Hernandez

Edmen Shahbazyan (12-3-0) looked like a world-beater up until 2019 with a perfect 11-0 record and seeming unlimited potential. He then suffered three consecutive defeats, two via knockout, and was forced to reassess his game plan. Shahbazyan took a year away from the sport, changed training camps, and emerged with a solid knockout win on his return. We will now see if his confidence is restored against a tougher opponent and in a high profile, co-main event slot.

Anthony Hernandez (10-2-0) is a canny fighter who only normally enters the ring once a year. While this lack of activity does not help his ranking, it gives the Californian plenty of time to train and recover. Hernandez has only been finished once on the feet, a 39 second KO loss to Kevin Holland in 2020, and once on the mat, a submission defeat to Markus Perez in 2019. He will have a two-inch height disadvantage here but is blessed with a long reach so should be comfortable fighting from any range.

Emily Ducote v Loopy Godinez

Emily Ducote vs Loopy Godinez

Emily Ducote (12-7-0) also has a decision loss to Angela Hill on her record from December 2022, but prior to that was on a four-fight win streak. Three of the wins came at Invicta, which can be considered a lower grade of talent, but Ducote looks at home on the UFC roster and will be hungry for success in the premier promotion. She packs a more powerful punch than Godinez and will be looking to add another knockout finish to her highlight reel.

Loopy Godinez (9-3-0) is a solid, volume fighter who likes to outwork her opponents. She has one knockout win to her credit, one submission, and seven victories coming via the judges across her professional career. Godinez most recently closed out a narrow, split decision win over Cynthia Calvillo, and prior to that lost on points to Angela Hill, who appears at the top of this card.

Andrew Fialho v Joaquin Buckley

Andrew Fialho vs Joaquin Buckley

Andre Fialho (16-6-0) is a Portuguese boxer and grappler who was also finished via KO at his most recent outing. The contest was a back-and-forth affair, but Fialho looked a little dazed heading into the third round and had no answer to the repeated attacks of Muslim Salikhov. Fialho has taken a six-month break since, but it would be no surprise to see him struggle again when the blows starting landing.

Joaquin Buckley (15-6-0) is a hard-hitting striker from the deep south who has the power to knock out any opponent. Buckley was engaged in a slugfest with Chris Curtis in his most recent contest, losing in the second round when Curtis landed a big shot during a wild exchange. We expect Buckley to bounce back with a win here, probably via knockout given that his record boasts 11 victories via that method.

Deigo Ferreira v Michael Johnson

Diego Ferreira vs Michael Johnson

Diego Ferreira (17-5-0) enjoyed a winning run of six fights from 2016 through 2020 until his reflexes dulled slightly and he dropped the next three contests to Beneil Dariush, Gregor Gillespie, and Mateusz Gamrot. The 38-year-old is winding toward retirement but will be looking for late glory with a win against a fellow veteran of the fight game. Ferreira should have a solid edge on the mat, where he holds an impressive submission record, so look for takedown attempts before Johnson can find his stand-up range.

Michael Johnson (22-18-0) has been on a slide since 2019, winning just two of seven fights. During his long career Johnson has shared the cage with some of the biggest names in MMA including Nate Diaz, Khabib Nurmagomedov, and Justin Gaethje but a title shot was always just out of reach. The 36-year-old won his last trip to the octagon with a tidy performance against Marc Diakiese and has drawn a relatively favourable match-up here.

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UFC Fight Night: Dern vs Hill main card MMA multi

Place these bets in a multi for +1146 return:

• Diego Ferreira to win
• Jaoquin Buckley to win
• Emily Ducote to win
• Anthony Hernandez to win
• Mackenzie Dern to win

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