PREVIEW: UFC 282

The vacant Light Heavyweight championship gold is up for grabs as former champ Jan Blachowicz challenges the division’s number No. 3 seeded fighter Magomed Ankalaev at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

In the co-main event of the evening, a superstar in the making, Paddy “The Baddy” Pimblett clashes with his toughest test to date in the lightweight division, Jared Gordon.

The final Pay-Per-View event of 2022, UFC 282 is stacked from top to bottom and for South Africans, we are represented by two fighters who are ready to stamp their names on the world’s biggest promotion. Middleweight Dricus du Plessis battles top 10 ranked Darren Till, and bantamweight Cameron Saaiman makes his UFC debut as a betting favourite against undefeated Steven Koslow.

Sunday 11 December

Betting supplied by Hollywoodbets

Jan Blachowicz 2/1 | Magomed Ankalaev 1/3
(Light Heavyweight Championship)

Jiri Prochazka’s honourable decision to vacate the Light Heavyweight belt after shoulder surgery has opened the door for top-ranked contenders. Former champion Jan Blachowicz battles it out with scary No. 3 ranked light heavyweight Magomedov Ankalaev.

Jan Blachowicz (29-9) had a great run to the title late in his 30s and was dethroned by an even later run in his 40s. Jan is still yet to defeat a champion to earn the belt after making light work of Dominick Reyes to earn the vacant belt back in 2020 and now sits on the verge of earning himself another vacant title. 

Magomed Ankalaev (18-1) has only lost once in his career against Paul Craig in the final seconds of the fight – which he was winning, almost five years ago. Like many of his countrymen, the trademark Dagestani Sambo his hallmark, but what really sets him apart is his striking. Since joining the UFC, Ankalaev has stopped five of his 10 opponents in devastating fashion. The Dagestani is a murderer on his feet, putting together some solid kicking and striking combinations, and at just 30 years of age, he is arguably not even in his prime yet.

Verdict: Over 3.5 Rounds 1/1

A Magomed Ankalaev win is extremely likely, but I’m not 1/3 confident in that. Jan Blachowicz is tough to take down and the big Pole has this weird knack for finding success against those who seem on paper to be better strikers. Ankalaev is so disciplined in his approach and hardly ever gets caught making errors. I’m backing the Over 3.5 rounds for value at 1/1.

Paddy Pimblett 38/100 | Jared Gordon 18/10
(Lightweight)

A must-see attraction in the fight world, Paddy Pimblett faces his toughest test to date in the lightweight division against grizzled veteran Jared Gordon.

Pimblett (19-3) is in search of his fourth straight UFC victory and his sixth consecutive MMA win. The 27-year-old has finished each of his last four fights in the first round with his latest spilling over into the second. Whether on the feet or on the ground, Paddy can do it all, and I wouldn’t be surprised if we witness another spectacle.

The 34-year-old Jared Gordon (19-5) has struggled to string together the consistent run of wins required to climb up the pecking order, but a co-main event against a rising superstar is more than he could have ever asked for. The New Yorker often jumps between featherweight and lightweight with his recent stint in the 155lb division earning him two wins and one loss. After suffering his first-ever submission loss to Grant Dawson in April of this year, Jared dominated Leonardo Santos to get back to winning ways. Gordon’s toughest test to date was unquestionably Charles Oliveira back in 2019, but now the spotlight is brighter than ever.

Verdict: Paddy Pimblett 38/100

Both fighters have 19 victories to their name. However, Gordon has two more defeats than Pimblett. In addition, both fighters also have an almost identical knockout rate, but the Liverpool-born star has a significantly higher submission rate. While Pimblett has taken heavy shots in recent fights that have left him wobbling, his ability should get him across the line comfortably against a fighter whose inconsistency could cost him. 

Darren Till 27/20 | Dricus du Plessis 51/100
(Middleweight)

Ultimate Fighting Championship strikers Darren Till and Dricus du Plessis will go to war this weekend!

England’s former premier talent, Darren “The Gorilla” Till (18-4-1), had hoped that a middleweight move would revive his career, but he’s lost two of three at 185 pounds. The Englishman looked out-of-shape and flat in his last outing against Derek Brunson, and he’s now in dire need of a win, otherwise, his title dreams will fully kick the bucket.

The former KSW champion, Dricus “Stillknocks” du Plessis (17-2), has stormed out of the gates to win three straight UFC fights, proving that his combination of physicality, aggression, and an unorthodox offence poses a legitimate threat even at the highest level. He’s a lot of fun to watch, and now we’ll find out if “Stillknocks” is a real player among the upper echelon.

Verdict: Dricus du Plessis 51/100

It is a must-win for Darren Till, and the 29-year-old’s counter-striking will not make this an easy night by any means. It’s important to remember that mediocre strikers do not go toe-to-toe in razor-thin contests with men like Robert Whittaker and Stephen Thompson. However, there’s no stopping the steam train that is Dricus du Plessis. Till is not unhittable, as demonstrated by Jorge Masvidal with sneaky shifts that caught him off-guard. Get on the South African. 

Cameron Saaiman 3/10 | Steven Koslow 9/4
(Bantamweight)

South Africa now has a bantamweight contender representing the nation at the biggest promotion in the world. All eyes will be on Cameron Saaiman’s debut as he takes on undefeated Steven Koslow on the early preliminary card.

An understudy of UFC Middleweight contender, Dricus du Plessis, Cameron Saaiman (6-0) claimed EFC Bantamweight gold in his fifth pro fight. This led him to Contender Series, where he knocked Josh Wang-Kim out cold and secured himself a UFC contract. Just one of Saaiman’s professional fights has ever gone the distance, and with high praise from the UFC president Dana White, the 21-year-old could be a future star of MMA.

Steven Koslow (6-0) won 10 straight as an amateur en-route to a 2019 pro debut. He’s yet to see the second round in the paid ranks, submitting all six of his opponents in 4:05 or less. There’s not much to gather from Koslow’s fights hidden behind a paywall, but from the results, we can see that his jiu-jitsu is a strength the 25-year-old will seek to impose.

Verdict: Cameron Saaiman 3/10

Steven Koslow replaced Ronnie Lawrence on less than two weeks’ notice, coupled with the fact that we have not seen him in the latter stages of the fight making this a huge factor on the betting line. However, a debut brings a different kind of motivation for a fighter to impress, and I wouldn’t be surprised if this proves to be a hill to climb for both fighters. Many fighters have not seen Cameron Saaiman’s ground game, and we will get to see him tested on that aspect, and I’m backing him to pass this test with flying colours. This will force the fight to the feet where the South African will excel to victory.

Full card predictions

Main Card: 05:00 CAT, Sunday 11 December

• Light Heavyweight (C) Jan Blachowicz (2/1) vs Magomed Ankalaev (1/3): Ankalaev
• Lightweight Paddy Pimblett (38/100) vs Jared Gordon (18/10): Pimblett
• Catchweight (180lbs) Alex Morono (29/20) vs Santiago Ponzinibbio (48/100): Ponzinibbio
• Middleweight Darren Till (27/20) vs Dricus du Plessis (53/100): Du Plessis
• Featherweight Bryce Mitchell (23/20) vs Ilia Topuria (62/100): Mitchell

Prelims: 03:00 CAT, Sunday 11 December

• Heavyweight Jairzinho Rozenstruik (54/100) vs Chris Daukaus (13/10): Rozenstruik
• Bantamweight Raul Rosas Jr. (38/100) vs Jason Perrin (18/10): Rosas Jr.
• Middleweight Edmen Shahbazyan (31/100) vs Dalcha Lungiambula (43/20): Shahbazyan
• Middleweight Chris Curtis (23/20) vs Joaquin Buckley (62/100): Buckley

Early Prelims: 01:00 CAT, Sunday 13 November

• Bantamweight Billy Quarantillo (54/100) vs Alexander Hernandez (13/10): Quarantillo
• Featherweight TJ Brown (89/100) vs Erik Silva (82/100): Brown
• Flyweight Vinicius Salvador (47/100) vs Daniel da Silva (15/10): da Silva
• Bantamweight Cameron Saaiman (3/10) vs Steven Koslow (9/4): Saaiman