UFC Fight Night: Ribas vs. Namajunas Betting Preview

The big night for the UFC is still a couple of weeks away, when we hit the milestone of UFC 300. On that night in April, 13 former and current champions will take to the octagon. But as great as that night will be, you don’t have to wait to satiate your great fight fix. This Saturday night from Las Vegas, it’s a fight night headlined by Amanda Ribas and Rose Namajunas.

Main Event

Amanda Ribas (+170) vs. Rose Namajunas (-205)

The main event and the final fight of the night will be former strawweight champion Rose Namajunas stepping up to flyweight to take on Amanda Ribas.

Ribas is 5-1 when fighting at strawweight (115 pounds), and only 2-2 at the heavier flyweight (125 pounds). She is notably small for this division, and while she is coming off a win in November in her most recent fight, that was at the smaller weight. She got a knockout in that win, but she was losing the fight until then.

Namajunas is the deserved favorite. She’s a better striker, has better footwork, and she’s more experienced with a five-round main event fight. Ribas has never been in a fight that lasts this long.

Namajunas is paying -205 on the moneyline, she’s -5.5 on the point spread, and she’s paying +140 to win by knockout, TKO, or disqualification.

Main Card Matches

Karl Williams (-192) vs. Justin Tafa (+160)

Karl Williams is the favorite in Saturday’s heavyweight fight with Justin Tafa. The odds speak to Williams’ climb through the ranks, but also show a little concern about the style of Tafa.

Williams is the better fighter, and he has been excellent at taking his opponents down. But at 34-years-old, he has passed his physical peak, and Tafa is an aggressive fighter who is four years younger and hasn’t lost a fight since 2021.

If there is a match primed for an upset, this is it. It’s plus-money on Tafa to win, and +215 if he wins by KO, TKO, or DQ. If the fight goes the distance and Tafa wins on points, that pays as much as +1000.

Edmen Shahbazyan (-205) vs. AJ Dobson (+170)

The middleweight fight between Edmen Shahbazyand and A.J. Dobson is between two fighters looking for relevancy in the weight class. Shahbazyan was 11-0 at one point in his career, and a rising star. But since then, he has lost four of five matches, including a loss in his most recent fight – a TKO defeat to Anthony Hernandez last May.

Dobson recorded his first UFC win last summer, and this is first return to the octagon since then. He’s not a longshot to make it two straight wins, but he’s also not a good bet to get the W.

Payton Talbott (-148) vs Cameron Saaiman (+124)

At bantamweight, we have Payton Talbott, who won his way into the UFC on Dana White’s Contender Series, vs. Cameron Saaiman, a 9-1, 23-year-old South African. Saaiman was 9-0 to begin his career, but his last time out, he lost a decision to Christian Rodriguez.

Talbott is 7-0 as a pro, 1-0 in the UFC, and he is the deserved favorite. But no matter which direction this fight goes on Saturday, both of these fighters have bright futures at 135 pounds, and this won’t be the last time we see them square off. 

Billy Quarantillo (-115) vs. Youssef Zalal (-105)

At the featherweight division, we get a pair of veterans going toe-to-toe in what is perhaps the most evenly matched fight of the night. Odds-wise, it is definitely the closest fight on the main card.

Billy Quarantillo is 18-5 as a pro, 6-3 in the UFC, while his opponent, Youssef Zalal, is 13-5-1 in his professional career, and 3-3-1 in the UFC. This fight was supposed to be Quarantillo vs. Gabriel Miranda, but Miranda pulled out and Zalal became the worthy fill-in.

Quarantillo last fought in August, a win by decision against Damon Jackson. Zalal’s last time out was a win by submission. It’s worth noting that all five of Zalal’s losses came by decision. He has never been knocked out. Quarantillo has been knocked out twice.

Fernando Padilla (-170) vs. Luis Pajuelo (+142)

Also fighting at featherweight is Fernando Padilla and Luis Pajuelo. Padilla lost his first UFC fight his last time out, and he will be looking to get things back on track. Pajuelo is 8-1 as a pro and making his UFC debut on Saturday.

Pajuelo is the underdog by virtue of his inexperience. But don’t be surprised if he can pull off the upset. He’s an experienced kickboxer who can damage his opponents from a distance, which is especially important in a fight against a taller opponent like Padilla.