Johnny Walker vs. Ion Cutelaba: UFC 279 Odds, Prediction
Saturday’s UFC 279 main card from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas kicks off with a light heavyweight bout between No. 13 contender Johnny Walker and the unranked Ion Cutelaba. Walker is a once burgeoning star in the UFC who is looking to get back into contention after only managing one win over the last three years. On the other side of the cage, it’s been a wild ride in the Octagon for Cutelaba as the man from Moldova has struggled to string together any consistent momentum. It should be a wild finish for this bout.
Cutelaba is a -225 favourite to win on the MMA odds, while Walker is a +165 underdog.
Johnny Walker UFC 279 Odds
Walker is 18-7 in a pro MMA career that dates back to 2013. The 30-year-old debuted in the UFC in 2018 and quickly stringed together three straight first-round knockout wins. Unfortunately things have gone south since then and he has only managed one win in his last five fights. Over his professional career, he has 12 wins by KO/TKO, two by decision and one by decision.
All four of Walker’s UFC wins have come by first-round knockout, so he’s clearly dangerous. The Brazilian’s last win was a devastating elbow and punches KO against Ryan Spann in September 2020. His next fight was a unanimous decision loss against Thiago Santos in October 2021. He last fought in February of this year, falling by first-round KO against Jamahal Hill.
Walker will have a massive six-inch height advantage and seven-inch reach advantage in this fight. He’s a creative fighter with undeniable power, but that creativity sometimes leaves him vulnerable, which is what happened against Hill. Walker averages 3.45 significant strikes landed per minute with 58 per cent accuracy. He absorbs 2.78 strikes with 42 per cent defence.
Walker is a brawler, so grappling doesn’t come into the equation too much, although he does have 100 per cent takedown accuracy in his limited attempts. It’s really hard to pinpoint what strategy Walker will have on his mind because quite frankly, he doesn’t seem to ever have one. The one thing you can guarantee is Walker will come out swinging hard and it will be an entertaining fight.
Ion Cutelaba UFC 279 Odds
Cutelaba has racked up a 16-7 record with one draw and one no contest since his pro MMA debut in 2012. The 28-year-old has 12 career wins by KO/TKO, two by submission and two by decision.
“The Hulk” has been completely unpredictable in 12 UFC fights since 2016. He has five wins, six losses and one draw in the Octagon, but he bizarrely has only had back-to-back losses and back-to-back wins just once each. He has suffered key losses against Jared Cannonier, Glover Teixeira and Magomed Ankalaev. His last win was a unanimous decision victory over Devin Clark last September. He last fought in May, losing against Spann by first-round submission with a guillotine choke.
Cutelaba will be at a fairly significant size and reach disadvantage against Walker, but he’s proven by the multiple weigh-in tussles he’s been involved in that he won’t be intimidated by anyone. He’s more of a straightforward brawler than Walker and he can be just as dangerous. He averages 4.81 significant strikes landed per minute with 42 per cent accuracy. He absorbs 3.39 strikes with 48 per cent defence.
Cutelaba is definitely more of a grappler than Walker. He averages 4.75 takedowns per 15 minutes and his takedown accuracy is 62 per cent. His takedown defence is 79 per cent compared to 62 per cent for Walker. Cutelaba knows Walker’s reputation as a wild fighter who takes chances, so expect him to let the fight come to him and wait for the perfect opportunity to strike.
UFC 279 Prediction: Johnny Walker vs. Ion Cutelaba
This has the makings of a really entertaining fight to kick off Saturday’s main card. Walker’s creativity and power gives him a chance against anyone, but he just takes too many risks. Besides, if Cutelaba’s win-loss-win-loss-win-loss history is any indication, he’s due for a victory on Saturday. Cutelaba wins by unanimous decision.