After a week away because of the Thanksgiving holiday, UFC Vegas 44 brings caged violence back to television screens from inside the UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nev.
The Dec. 4 event is headlined by a battle of top five bantamweights looking to move another major step forward in their aspirations to land a championship fight in 2022. If the winner of the matchup between fourth-ranked Rob Font and fifth-ranked Jose Aldo is not next in line for either a lineal or interim title fight, a showdown with former two-time 135-pound champion TJ Dillashaw is most likely their next booking in the Octagon.
The card also features the return of fast-rising lightweight Rafael Fiziev, UFC uber-stalwart Clay Guida, and a light heavyweight matchup between young guns Jimmy Crute and Jamahal Hill that has “fight of the night” potential.
How to watch UFC Vegas 44fon Dec. 4
- UFC Vegas 44 airs Dec. 4 and will be simulcast on ESPN and streaming service ESPN+
- The event kicks off at 7 pm ET with the preliminary card and is then followed by the main card at 10 pm ET
- You can purchase “VIP Experience” tickets to UFC APEX events directly from the promotion here
UFC Vegas 44 fight card
Main Card
Rob Font (-145) vs. José Aldo (+125)
Rafael Fiziev (-120) vs. Brad Riddell (+100)
Clay Guida (+160) vs. Leonardo Santos (-190)
Jimmy Crute (-180) vs. Jamahal Hill (+155)
Brendan Allen (-365) vs. Chris Curtis (+280)
Maki Pitolo (+145) vs. Duško Todorović (-165)
Preliminary Card
Jake Matthews (-190) vs. Jeremiah Wells (+160)
Zhalgas Zhumagulov (+180) vs. Manel Kape (-220)
Mallory Martin (+160) vs. Cheyanne Buys (-190)
Alonzo Menifield (-165) vs. William Knight (+145)
Claudio Puelles (-105) vs. Chris Gruetzemacher (-115)
Alex Morono (-220) vs. Mickey Gall (+180)
Louis Smolka (-140) vs. Vince Morales (+120)
Azamat Murzakanov vs. Jared Vanderaa
betting odds via draftkings
UFC Vegas 44 appointment television fights
Rob Font (19-4) vs. Jose Aldo (30-7)
December 4 is Rob Font’s chance to finally ascend to the elite level of the bantamweight division, and join the likes of lineal champion Aljamain Sterling, interim titlist Petr Yan, former champion TJ Dillashaw, and beloved talent Corey Sandhagen. A second straight win over a previous UFC champion, and a Hall-of-Famer at that, will be the moment where his potential has finally realized. For former featherweight king Aldo, he gets the chance to play spoiler in a win-win scenario and kick father time down the stairs one more time en route to an even bigger fight next.
Prediction: Font by unanimous decision
Jimmy Crute (12-2) vs. Jamahal Hill (8-1)
Both Australia’s Jimmy Crute and American Jamahal Hill worked their ways to the Octagon off a reputation of finishing fights. That has continued as members of the UFC roster, and even includes exciting finishes when they are on the wrong end of the result. This fight is a battle of young and talented fighters who will swap some heavy leather and has all kinds of FOTN potential. Don’t miss it.
Prediction: Jimmy Crute by submission, round 3
Brendan Allen (17-4) vs. Chris Curtis (27-8)
Brendan Allen is a highly-touted prospect with one loss in the promotion, and that came against the animal known as Sean Strickland. Chris Curtis is on the complete opposite spectrum as a journeyman who stunned the MMA world with a knockout win in a Nov. debut that probably shouldn’t have happened. Can Curtis continue his underdog story on Saturday, or does “All In” serve as midnight for Cinderella? We should all be excited to find out.
Prediction: Allen by TKO, round 2
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