UFC Fight Night: Cannonier vs. Imavov odds, predictions, time: MMA expert reveals surprising fight card picks

Former middleweight title challenger Jared Cannonier will look to position himself for another title shot on Saturday as he faces up-and-coming Nassourdine Imavov in the main event of UFC Fight Night: Cannonier vs. The UFC fight main card is set for 8 p.m. ET at KFC Yum! Center in Louisville. The fourth-ranked Cannonier has scored victories over two top-five opponents since losing his title shot against former champion Israel Adesanya. Another impressive win could give him the edge for another title shot in the heaviest division. The seventh-seeded Imavov is a versatile prospect who has just one loss in his last six matches, but is still searching for a signature win that will potentially put him in the title fight conversation.

Imavov is a -125 favorite (risk $125 to win 100), while Cannonier is priced at +105 in the latest UFC Fight Night: Cannonier vs. UFC odds. In the co-main event, veteran light heavyweight hitters face off as Dustin Jacoby (-220) takes on Dominick Reyes (+180). Before finalizing any UFC Fight Night: Cannonier vs. Imavov, be sure to see MMA predictions and betting advice from SportsLine expert Daniel Vithlani.

From analyzing film and closely following fighters and their camps, to tracking sharp action and betting market signals, Vithlani covers the entire breadth of the MMA betting landscape, from top to bottom. He also trains amateur boxers and regularly talks to MMA fighters to understand the nuances of the sport.

Vithlani made his SportsLine debut in January 2023 and swept the UFC 283 main card with a 5-0 record and has been a consistent winner ever since. Over the last 12 UFC pay-per-view events, Vithlani has had an 8-4 record on main event picks and his main card selections over that span have netted his followers a profit of more than $1,500.

His highlights include predicting an upset for Sean O’Malley (+210) against Aljamain Sterling (-250) at UFC 292 as part of a 4-1 main card and his UFC 299 winners included underdog selections in Poirier (+190 ) against Saint Denis (-230) and Michael Page (+110) against Kevin Holland (-130). Anyone who followed him saw massive returns.

Now, with UFC Fight Night: Cannonier vs. Imavov on deck, Vithlani studied the card from top to bottom and released his top selections. You can only see your picks and analysis on SportsLine.

UFC Fight Night: Cannonier vs Imavov preview

Cannonier (17-6) got off to a late start by MMA standards. He only made his professional debut at age 27 and also made several career adjustments before emerging as a middleweight title challenger. Cannonier began his UFC career at heavyweight before moving up to light heavyweight. He went 2-3 at light heavyweight and appeared to have a journeyman’s ceiling at best before choosing to move down one more division to middleweight.

The Dallas native’s dedication to disciplined training and nutrition paid off. Now 40, he is 7-2 at middleweight, with his only losses coming to former champions Adesanya and Robert Whittaker. He also won a split decision over Sean Strickland, who won the title after the fight.

Unfortunately for Cannonier, his lackluster performance against Adesanya for the title at UFC 276 in July 2022 hurt his chances of immediately returning to title contention. However, a dominant performance on Saturday would put him on the short list of viable title contenders behind Adesanya, Whittaker and Strickland.

Imavov (13-4-1) is a skilled athlete with a refined skill set who has won four of his first five matches. UFC brass floated him as a prospect and booked him for the Fight Night main event against Strickland in January of last year. Strickland dominated the fight wire to wire and won a unanimous decision before beating Adesanya for the belt last September.

However, after a no-contest win against veteran Chris Curtis, Imavov got back on track with a majority decision win against fellow contender Roman Dolidze in February. You can only see who to support at UFC Fight Night here.

UFC Fight Night Predictions

We will share here one of Vithlani’s selections for UFC Fight Night: he is betting on Ludovit Klein (-125) to beat Thiago Moises (+105) in a lightweight fight on the preliminary card.

Klein (21-4-1) is a versatile fighter who has emerged as a prospect due to a five-fight winless streak. The 29-year-old Slovakian fighter is coming off a first-round stoppage of AJ Cunnigham in March.

Moises (18-7) is a six-year UFC veteran who has faced some of the biggest names in the division. The 29-year-old Brazilian wrestling specialist has won three of his last four, with all three wins by stoppage.

“Klein is a damaging kickboxer and if he can defend Moises’ advances, he will be the most dangerous attacker,” Vithlani told SportsLine. See who else can return here.

How to make choices in UFC Fight Night

Vithlani has strong choices for Cannonier vs. Imavov and other fights on the UFC Fight Night card. He is also backing a fighter who “is a highly technical kickboxer” to emerge with a dominant victory. His picks and analysis are only available on SportsLine.

Who wins UFC Fight Night: Cannonier vs. Imavov, and how exactly does each fight end? Visit SportsLine now for in-depth UFC Fight Night picks, all from the MMA expert who cashed in more than $1,500 on his 2023 UFC main card picksand find out.

UFC Fight Night odds, fight card

See all the UFC Fight Night picks, predictions and best bets here.
Jared Cannonier (+105) vs.
Dominick Reyes (+180) vs.
Raul Rosas (-230) x Ricky Turcios (+190)
Bruno Ferreira (-270) x Dustin Stolzfus (+220)
Julian Márquez (-130) vs.
Punahale Soriano (+160) x Miguel Baeza (-190)
Thiago Moisés (+105) vs. Ludovit Klein (-125)
Carlos Prates (-230) x Charles Radtke (+190)
Brad Katona (-600) vs. Jesse Butler (+400)
Daniel Marcos (-115) vs.
Eduarda Moura (-160) x Denise Gomes (+130)
Cody Stamann (+220) vs.