The new UFC Fight Night main event is a light heavyweight matchup between Johnny Walker and Jamahal Hill. Johnny Walker is currently ranked #10 and Jamahal Hill is ranked #12. This is an intriguing matchup in the small cage at the UFC Apex. This UFC Vegas 48 Main Event is priced wide but we do have a value spot.
The Skillset of Johnny Walker
Johnny Walker entered the UFC in grand fashion. After beating Luis Henrique da Silva on Dana White’s Contenders Series, he went on to finish his next three UFC fights in the 1st round with highlight KOs. The sky was the limit for Johnny Walker until Corey Anderson overwhelmed him with strikes and floored him for Johnny’s first loss in the UFC, a quick first-round KO. He is now 1-3 in his last four fights entering this matchup with Jamahal Hill.
Walker currently trains at SBG Ireland under John Cavanagh. This is important to note based on his approach in his most recent fight vs Thiago Santos. Johnny Walker respected the power of Thiago Santos and used a distance striking approach to this fight. He relied on the leg kicks from distance and was not as aggressive and willing to trade as he was in his earlier fights. Johnny’s previous approach to his opponents would have him very willing to exchange, clinch, and walk through the fire to make fights violent. I expect to see a calculated striking attack from distance vs Jamahal Hill.
The Skillset of Jamahal Hill
Jamahal Hill has a mixed martial arts record of 9-1. His lone loss was frustrating to watch and yet he showed his toughness to continue fighting with a dislocated elbow. That aforementioned loss was to Paul Craig. Jamahal Hill decided to go down to the ground with Paul Craig and got his arm caught in an armbar that dislocated his elbow. Hill continued striking with his other arm until the referee stopped the fight. There are two things I can take from that fight. The frustrating part of that fight was watching Hill go down to Paul Craig’s world on the ground. Craig is a submission grappler and Hill did not fight to his strength by going to the ground which got him in trouble immediately. My second take is how tough Jamahal Hill is for continuing to fight with that injury. He is a fighter that is looking to win and will fight for your money.
Jamahal Hill is a pressure fighter that is at his best when he keeps the fight standing and moves forward. He is capable of overwhelming his opponent with volume. He is looking to throw strikes in combination to the head and body. He has good footwork and head movement.
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The Stats
- Johnny Walker has a 2-inch height advantage and a 3-inch reach advantage vs Jamahal Hill
- Jamahal Hill averages 7.45 strikes landed per minute, Johnny Walker averages 3.42 strikes landed per minute
- Johnny Walker has a 40% striking defense while Jamahal Hill has a 45% striking defense
- Johnny Walker has secured one takedown in his UFC career, Jamahal Hill has no takedowns credited to him in his UFC career
Picking a Winner
My pick to win the Main Event:
- Jamahal Hill
My preferred bet for the Main Event:
- Prop: Over 1.5 Rounds -125
The outcome of this fight is going to be determined by Johnny Walker’s approach to this fight. If Walker is willing to exchange with his opponent in the pocket, one of these guys is going to get finished early. I don’t believe that will be his game plan.
I expect Johnny Walker will use a similar approach to the Thiago Santos fight in which he was willing to strike from distance, predominantly with leg strikes. Jamahal Hill will be chasing Walker in an attempt to close the distance and get this fight at boxing range. Walker’s movement will be key to his scoring opportunities and his elusiveness could very well frustrate Hill into making a mistake. The bet I favor at this point is over 1.5 rounds. These guys will respect each other’s power. This should be a technical striking fight that lasts a few rounds.
🚨🚨 UFC Vegas 48 Stats!! 🚨🚨
— UncleWeezyMMA (@MmaWeezy) February 12, 2022
Here are the stats for all the fighters on the UFC Vegas 48 card next Saturday February 19th, 2022. Let's get ahead of the game and stack cashed tickets like flapjacks!#UFCVegas48 https://t.co/M70srUizAm
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