David Onama and Steve Garcia headline their first fight card inside the Octagon when the featherweights square off in the main event at UFC Fight Night at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Saturday ( 7 p.m. ET on ESPN+, with prelims at 4 p.m.).
Onama enters the fight riding a four-fight winning streak; his most recent victory was a unanimous decision over Giga Chikadze in April. Garcia is on an unbeaten streak dating back to October 2022. He has won six consecutive fights, including a unanimous decision over Calvin Kattar in his most recent appearance in July.
ESPN MMA analysts and commentators provide their main event predictions, and ESPN betting expert Ian Parker adds insight on the value bets available on the card.
Featherweight main event
Prediction: Garcia to win by knockout.
Steve Garcia is on a run, and he’s a breath of fresh air to that division and the sport. He’s somewhat of a successor to Justin Gaethje’s fighting style. That pressure and willingness to stand in the pocket will wear on Onama and knock him out. — Din Thomas
Betting analysis
Odds accurate as of Oct. 30. For the most up-to-date odds, visit ESPN BET.
Parker: Garcia to win (-135). In his last outing, Garcia showed that he can maintain his power and high pace for three rounds. As long as Onama can’t take him down and hold him there for long stretches, expect Garcia to win the fight on the feet with his volume and power. Onama has taken a lot of damage in the UFC, and a clean shot from Garcia could put him to sleep if he’s not careful.
Parker’s best bets on the rest of the card
Heavyweight: Waldo Cortes-Acosta vs. Ante Delija
Delija to win (-135). Coming off a loss to Sergei Pavlovich two months ago, Cortes-Acosta is taking on another athletic and powerful striker in Delija. Between the two fighters, Delija is more well-rounded and can take this fight to the ground if he is struggling on the feet against Cortes-Acosta. Delija is coming off back-to-back knockout wins, and it wouldn’t shock me if he got it done here as well. I love the odds on Delija getting his second consecutive win inside the Octagon.
Women’s bantamweight: Ketlen Vieira vs. Norma Dumont
Dumont to win (-175). Dumont is looking for her sixth win in a row against Vieira, and if she gets it, it could land her a title shot. Although Vieira is skilled and tough, she will likely struggle against Dumont’s power and ground control game. Look for Dumont to pressure early, take Vieira down and stay in top control for the majority of the fight.
Strawweight: Talita Alencar vs. Ariane Carnelossi
Alencar to win by submission or decision. Unless Carnelossi catches Alencar with a knockout shot early in the fight, expect Alencar to implement her world-class jiu-jitsu skills to earn her second win in a row. In her last fight against Vanessa Demopoulos, who I believe is stronger competition than Carnelossi, Alencar won in all facets of the fight. I expect the same type of fight against Carnelossi. Alencar is the better striker and has shown great durability in previous fights. If she can’t get her opponent down right away, look for her to utilize her evolving kickboxing to score points and win rounds.