Table of Content
The second consecutive week of Apex events brings us UFC Vegas 124, headlined by a late-notice heavyweight bout between Waldo Cortes Acosta and Johnny Walker. While the 13-fight card lacks traditional star power, it presents plenty of interesting betting opportunities across the board.
Waldo Cortes Acosta vs. Johnny Walker
The original main event featuring Sean Brady and Gabriel Bonfim was scrapped, leading the UFC to quickly book Johnny Walker against Waldo Cortes Acosta. Neither fighter was in a full training camp, creating a relatively level playing field for the matchup. As a heavyweight clash, weight-cut concerns are minimized, with Acosta typically weighing in near the upper limit and Walker moving up from light heavyweight after weighing 242 pounds in his heavyweight debut.
Walker holds a four-inch reach advantage and possesses superior speed on the feet compared to Acosta, who rarely relies on grappling. The matchup suits Walker well against an opponent who neither threatens with takedowns nor carries the devastating one-punch power needed to exploit Walker’s questionable durability. With the market moving toward Walker after opening around +240, the value lies in taking him at +170 via DraftKings.
Thomas Petersen vs. Gabriel Lorenco
Thomas Petersen enters this matchup as the favorite despite holding a 1-2 record over his last three fights, including two stoppage losses and a majority decision win. Overall, his UFC record stands at 3-4, with all three victories coming from the judges’ scorecards and three of his four defeats ending in finishes.
Petersen steps in on short notice to replace Alvin Hines against Gabriel Lorenco, who secured his UFC contract with a first-round knockout as an underdog on the Contender Series. Lorenco enters with the advantage of a full training camp, a younger age, and better physical conditioning, making him well-equipped to push a fast pace. Lorenco is listed at +140 via BetMGM.
Murtazali Magomedov vs. Jose Delano
Both Murtazali Magomedov and Jose Delano carry 1-0 UFC records following victories on the Contender Series, but their paths to the Octagon differed significantly. Delano required competitive decisions to secure his opportunities, whereas Magomedov spent less than three minutes combined inside the cage for his wins.
The betting market consistently favored Delano in previous outings while treating Magomedov as an underdog, presenting another overvaluation spot. Magomedov has faced tougher opposition and delivered more dominant performances, leading to early line movement toward his side.
