MMA Event Breakdown - UFC Fight Night: Ankalaev vs. Walker 2
UFC Fight Night: Magomed Ankalaev vs. Johnny Walker 2
After a brief winter respite, the combat sports leader is back in our lives for a fight night offering to kick off 2024 live from the UFC Apex Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. The card has lost some of its luster with the cancellation of a flyweight title eliminator between Manel Kape and Matheus Nicolau, but the supporting cast is ready to pick up the slack for the first fight night of the year.
Joshua Van vs. Felipe Bunes
Fight Odds: -250 Van vs. +200 Bunes
Weight Class: 125lb. (Men’s Flyweight)
Joshua Van is a UFC prospect on the rise. Van stepped up in place of his current opponent Felipe Bunes to take on Zhalgas Zhumagulov on short notice last June. He was able to upset the apple cart as a +180 underdog, defeating the veteran and looking extremely comfortable for a 21-year-old debutant. Van followed that up with a solid performance against fellow prospect Kevin Borjas, delivering as a -2xx favorite and showing that he has the goods to compete with other strikers in the division.
Felipe Bunes has been on the radar of the UFC for some time as a former LFA Champion, but a USADA test failure delayed his promotional debut. Now Bunes will make his first octagon walk as a 34-year-old flyweight with 6 losses as a professional. Bunes has several on-paper advantages in this matchup, including size (2” height & 6” reach adv.), grappling credentials (black belt vs. blue belt), and professional experience (19 vs. 10 pro fights). Van will be the younger, faster striker with more knockout power and tighter, varied boxing combinations ripping the head and the body. Van also has superior cardio and pacing relative to his adversary, so the longer he can extend the fight, the more likely he is to take over. If Bunes wants to win, he should try to cling to Van and lean on him or hop on his back early.
Prediction: Joshua Van defeats Felipe Bunes via CLUB & SUB 2/3