*Justin Gaethje lands a crushing jab to the nose of Rafael Fiziev. Credit: MMA Junkie.*

The UFC returns after a six-week hiatus and is kicking off the new year with a fantastic, stacked card. From top to bottom, this event has been filled with electrifying matchups, rising stars, and title contenders all vying for a chance to earn a highlight-reel victory. In the co-main event, we’ll see former Bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley take on the hard-charging marauder Song Yadong. In the main event, two top-five Lightweights will go toe-to-toe for a chance to challenge for gold when perennial title contender Justin Gaethje takes on red-hot grappling ace Paddy Pimblett. Let’s take a look at the fights on the main card.

#6 Arnold Allen vs. #10 Jean Silva

*Arnold Allen lands a vicious kick to the head of Giga Chikadze. Credit: MMA Fighting.*

Featherweight Bout

Arnold Allen: 20-3-0, 7 KO/TKO, 4 Sub.

Jean Silva: 16-3-0, 12 KO/TKO, 3 Sub.

Allen has won three of his last five fights and has UFC victories over #6 ranked Lightweight Dan Hooker (24-13-0), Sodiq Yusuff (13-5-0), and Giga Chikadze (15-6-0). He is an excellent technical striker, possessing serious speed, power in his hands, and a solid arsenal of kicks. He has some of the best striking defense in the UFC, averaging under three significant strikes absorbed per minute, and has successfully defended 61% of significant strikes attempted on him. Allen throws long, extended combinations, constantly varying his attacks and often mixing in head and body kicks at the end of his combinations. He throws everything with substantial power but remains accurate throughout, allowing him to push a heavy pace across three rounds with ease. Training at BKK Fighters, he averages about one takedown landed per fifteen minutes and is equally comfortable on the ground as he is on the feet. Allen seems never to be in one place for long, constantly moving and attacking from different angles, always remaining elusive and defensively sound.

*Jean Silva blasts Melsik Baghdasaryan with a thunderous right hand. Credit: MMA Fighting.*

Silva has won four of his last five bouts, holding UFC victories over Bryce Mitchell (18-4-0), Charles Jourdain (17-8-1), and Drew Dober (28-15-0). He’s a dangerous scrapper with devastating power in both hands who constantly hunts for a knockout. He starts slow, looking for openings and throwing heavy, single shots while controlling the center of the octagon. Silva will often get wild on the feet, fighting with his hands low, talking trash, and regularly attempting spinning and jumping attacks. Training with the Fighting Nerds, he heats up as the fight continues, gradually gaining confidence and increasing his forward pressure and output. Although he won’t typically pursue takedowns, Silva is a solid grappler and has a dangerous submission game, especially his chokes. Silva has not gone to a decision in his UFC tenure and has earned four consecutive post-fight bonuses.

#2 Natalia Silva vs. #6 Rose Namajunas

*Natalia Silva stuns Alexa Grasso with a side kick to the face. Credit: MMA Fighting.*

Women’s Flyweight Bout

Natalia Silva: 19-5-1, 5 KO/TKO, 7 Sub.

Rose Namajunas: 15-7-0, 2 KO/TKO, 6 Sub.

Silva is on a thirteen-fight win streak and has UFC victories over #3 ranked Flyweight Alexa Grasso (16-5-1), #7 ranked Flyweight Jasmine Jasudavicius (14-4-0), and #9 ranked Strawweight Jéssica Andrade (26-15-0). She is an outstanding kickboxer with lightning-fast kicks and excellent footwork. She’s constantly feinting with her hips and switching stances, making her highly unpredictable and constantly dangerous. Silva is highly accurate and throws every shot with power and purpose, usually starting or ending combinations with kicks. Training with Team Borracha, she does an excellent job of holding the center, constantly moving in and out of the pocket without absorbing damage. She’s willing to grapple but tends to keep it on the feet, and she has excellent takedown defense, having defended 91% of takedowns attempted against her in the UFC. Silva pushes a heavy pace throughout the fight, but remains technical and never slows down.

*Rose Namajunas looks to unload ground and pound onto Miranda Maverick. Credit: Ag. Fight.*

Namajunas has won three of her last five outings, with UFC victories coming over #1 ranked Strawweight Zhang Weili (26-4-0), #8 ranked Flyweight Tracy Cortez (12-3-0), and #10 ranked Flyweight Miranda Maverick (17-6-0). She’s a well-rounded fighter with solid striking skills and excellent Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Training at Genesis Training Center, she’s a technical striker with sneaky power and a sturdy chin, unafraid to let her hands go inside the pocket. Holding black belts in both Taekwondo and Karate, Namajunas has very educated feet to back up her hands, as well as excellent distance management and footwork. She has plenty of five-round experience and will maintain a solid pace throughout, always coming forward and pressuring her opponent. She’s averaging over one takedown landed per 15 minutes, has great entries and timing on her takedowns, and is very fluid on the mat, moving from position to position without losing control of her opponent. A former two-time Strawweight champion, she’s faced some of the best competition in the promotion and leaves everything inside the cage.

#5 Waldo Cortes-Acosta vs. #8 Derrick Lewis

*Waldo Cortes-Acosta fires a stiff straight left at Shamil Gaziev. Credit: MMA Fighting.*

Heavyweight Bout

Waldo Cortes-Acosta: 16-2-0, 8 KO/TKO, 1 Sub.

Derrick Lewis: 29-12-0, 24 KO/TKO, 1 Sub.

Acosta has won four of his last five fights and owns UFC victories over #7 ranked Heavyweight Serghei Spivac (17-6-0), #9 ranked Heavyweight Ante Delija (26-7-0), and #11 ranked Heavyweight Shamil Gaziev (14-2-0). He is a heavy-handed brawler with excellent boxing and a dangerous right hand. He throws every shot with power, constantly coming forward to unload looping hooks and devastating overhands. Training at UKF Gym, Acosta is most at home in a wild scrap, working inside the pocket and firing knees and elbows in the clinch. He tends to favor power to volume, unloading single shots with knockout intentions. While he won’t usually initiate grappling exchanges, he has demonstrated a solid ability to return to his feet. Acosta is defensively sound and won’t usually absorb much damage, having outlanded eight of his eleven UFC opponents.

*Derrick Lewis staggers Tallison Teixeira with a powerful right hand. Credit: MMA Fighting.*

Lewis has won three of his last five bouts, holding UFC victories over #2 ranked Heavyweight Alexander Volkov (39-11-0), #4 ranked Heavyweight Curtis Blaydes (19-5-0), and #7 ranked Heavyweight Marcin Tybura (27-10-0). Known for his kill-or-be-killed approach, he’s one of the most devastating power-punchers in UFC history. Training at Silverback Fight Club, he has a unique, patient style, regularly going from slow and lumbering to suddenly unloading vicious shots. Along with his punching power, Lewis has a surprising arsenal of flashy attacks, particularly jumping kicks and flying knees. He doesn’t often initiate grappling exchanges and is well known for his non-technical wrestling style of “just getting up,” but he can do serious damage if he gets on top of someone. He’s incredibly resilient and is never truly out of a fight, especially since he only needs to land one clean shot to find a finish. Lewis is the all-time record holder for UFC knockouts with 16 and looks to add to that number every time he steps in the cage.

#3 Sean O’Malley vs. #5 Song Yadong

*Sean O’Malley tags Petr Yan with a straight right hand. Credit: MMA Fighting.*

Bantamweight Bout

Sean O’Malley: 18-3-0, 12 KO/TKO, 1 Sub.

Song Yadong: 22-8-1, 9 KO/TKO, 3 Sub.

O’Malley has won three of his last five outings and owns UFC victories over Bantamweight champion Petr Yan (20-5-0), #5 ranked Featherweight Aljamain Sterling (25-5-0), and #8 ranked Bantamweight Marlon Vera (23-11-1). He’s a dynamic, dangerous striker with heavy hands and an outstanding arsenal of kicks. He does an excellent job varying both his attacks and their locations, constantly battering his opponent’s head, body, and legs with a multitude of different strikes. Training at Red Hawk Academy, O’Malley rarely engages in grappling exchanges, preferring to stay at range and pick his opponent apart with long punches and kicks. He’s highly accurate and throws every shot with purpose, never wasting energy or loading up his shots. He moves in and out of the pocket with impressive speed and is an excellent counterstriker, constantly slipping his opponent’s attacks, doing damage, and returning to range unscathed. O’Malley holds various UFC Bantamweight records, including the most post-fight bonuses (9), the most significant strikes landed in a title fight (230), and the highest significant strike differential (3.31).

*Song Yadong blasts Julio Arce with a vicious head kick. Credit: Zuffa LLC.*

Yadong has won three of his last five fights, with UFC victories coming over #8 ranked Bantamweight Marlon Vera (23-11-1), Ricky Simón (22-7-0), and Chris Gutiérrez (22-7-2). He’s a technical, durable fighter who’s always coming forward and throwing with knockout intentions. He has significant power in both hands, throws everything in combination, and remains technical throughout the fight, usually fighting behind his jab. Training at Team Alpha Male, Yadong varies his shots well, attacking the head and body evenly and remaining technical at all times. He’s powerful in the clinch and won’t typically pursue takedowns, but has defended 72% of takedowns attempted on him in the UFC. He’s always willing to eat a shot to land one, regularly marching through punches to close the distance and throw offense of his own. Yadong has outlanded seven of his last ten opponents and always pushes a relentless pace.

#4 Justin Gaethje vs. #5 Paddy Pimblett

*Justin Gaethje catches Dustin Poirier with a thunderous head kick. Credit: MMA Weekly.*

Lightweight Bout

Justin Gaethje: 26-5-0, 20 KO/TKO, 1 Sub.

Paddy Pimblett: 23-3-0, 7 KO/TKO, 10 Sub.

Gaethje has won three of his last five bouts and has UFC victories over #9 ranked Lightweight Rafael Fiziev (13-4-0), #12 ranked Lightweight Michael Chandler (23-10-0), and Dustin Poirier (30-10-0). He’s one of MMA's most brutal, vicious strikers and is always willing to throw down. Possessing devastating power in both hands, he’s developed into a much more technical, skillful fighter in his promotional tenure. To match his KO power, Gaethje has some of the hardest leg kicks in MMA and throws them constantly. He has a collegiate wrestling background and solid takedown defense but has only landed a single takedown in the UFC and rarely goes to the mat. He’s exceptionally durable and is always willing to eat a shot to land one. Training with Elevation Fight Team, Gaethje has fantastic cardio and is always dangerous, capable of producing both early and late finishes.

*Paddy Pimblett rains down heavy ground and pound shots onto Michael Chandler. Credit: Bloody Elbow.*

Pimblett is on a nine-fight win streak and has UFC victories over #12 ranked Lightweight Michael Chandler (23-10-0), Jared Gordon (21-8-0), and King Green (33-17-1). He’s a well-rounded scrapper with a fantastic submission game. He throws every shot with power, regularly unloading looping hooks or blitzing forward while firing heavy power shots. Training at Next Generation MMA, he has a good chin and is willing to exchange inside the pocket. He has solid takedowns and transitions very quickly on the mat, usually finding himself in full mount or on his opponent’s back with impressive speed. He has smothering top control and is very active in top position, constantly raining down ground and pound shots until he creates an opening for a submission. All of Pimblett’s submission victories have come via some form of choke, and he’ll pursue them at any time, often attempting flying triangles while standing.

Best Bets

Natalia Silva by Decision: This is an excellent matchup of a rising star and an established veteran. Silva is on a 13-fight win streak, including 7 UFC victories, and has proven to be one of the best strikers in the Flyweight division. Namajunas is a former Strawweight champion and has been in the UFC since 2014, facing almost exclusively top-tier talent throughout her tenure. While Namajunas is a solid striker, Silva has a clear advantage on the feet, with both power and speed. Although Namajunas has a solid kicking game, she tends to favor her hands, and I believe she'll have a hard time tracking down Silva or keeping her stationary long enough to land combinations. I also believe Silva has the takedown defense to keep the fight standing, where she's most comfortable. I expect this fight to get off to a quick start, with Silva taking control of the striking exchanges immediately. Once Namajunas becomes overwhelmed, I expect her to start pursuing and failing to secure takedowns, slowing her offensive output and allowing Silva to make full use of her striking skills. Namajunas has proven exceptionally durable in her UFC career, so while I believe she has the chin to stand with Silva and last until the final bell, I think she's extremely outmatched if the fight stays standing. I anticipate a dominant showing in a decision victory for Silva.

Sean O’Malley by Decision: A matchup seemingly long in the making, these fighters entered the UFC in the same year and are finally going to meet inside the octagon. Although both fighters started their UFC careers in 2017, they’ve gone down very different paths. O’Malley quickly became a fan favorite and rose to the top of the Bantamweight division, capturing the title in 2023 and defending it once before dropping the belt to Merab Dvalishvili. Yadong, although yet to realize a championship, has gone 12-3 in the UFC and has spent most of his tenure ranked within the top ten of the division. Both fighters are dangerous and share somewhat similar styles, but I believe O’Malley is the more polished striker. He’s consistently proven to be one of the best pure strikers in the division, even holding a controversial victory over current Bantamweight champion Petr Yan, where, despite any debate on the outcome, he did serious damage and put on a show against what’s now the division’s titleholder. Yadong has struggled against top-tier strikers in the past, such as Yan and Sandhagen, and has earned some of his best victories against more grappling-focused fighters. I believe O’Malley is both too big and too fast for Yadong, and I expect him to utilize his size advantage throughout the fight, staying out of punching range and battering Yadong with kicks. I anticipate O’Malley, who’s in his first non-title bout since 2023, to take advantage of his five-round experience and wear down Yadong, maintaining a high pace and not allowing it to become a wild brawl. Yadong is exceptionally tough to finish, with his only finish loss in the UFC coming via doctor’s stoppage, so while I don’t anticipate a knockout, I foresee an impressive decision win for O’Malley.

Gaethje vs. Pimblett Under 2.5 Rounds: An outstanding matchup of two top-five Lightweights, I’ve been looking forward to this one. Although Gaethje is known for his striking and Pimblett for his grappling, they’re both prolific finishers. Across 57 combined fights, they have produced 38 finish victories, with 27 knockouts and 11 submissions. Of their combined 57 fights, just thirteen have gone the distance, with twenty-three of them ending in the first round. To summarize, neither of these men sees the judge’s scorecards very often. I don’t expect much of a feeling-out process in this fight, especially considering the vitriol they’ve been throwing at each other in press conferences. Along with their apparent dislike of each other, the winner of this fight will most likely earn a shot at the Lightweight title, making a highlight-reel win that much more desirable. Although I expect both to be hunting for a finish throughout, I don’t anticipate a wild brawl, especially since Pimblett is more likely to be pursuing a submission than trying to stand and bang with Gaethje. I expect entertaining striking exchanges, but I also foresee contested grappling encounters, with both fighters showing off the full range of their skill sets. Regardless of who emerges as the victor, I’m confident this fight will end within two and a half rounds.

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