UFC Fight Night 279 takes place tomorrow night in Las Vegas and we’ve got our predictions for all the fights below.

Main Card

Manel Kape vs. Kyoji Horiguchi

Manel Kape is closing in on a title shot after three straight T(KO)s took him to No.2 in the flyweight rankings, but first he has to rematch the No.5 placed Kyoji Horiguchi, who has won both his fights since returning to the UFC.

The 32-year-old Kape is an explosive striker with the kind of power that’s rare to see in this weight class, producing 14 stoppages via strikes so far. He’s quick and crafty with his punches, kicks, and knees, though his low output at times can prove problematic if he doesn’t find a finish. Kape can threaten with submissions too, but he’s also been submitted twice, including once by Horiguchi when they first engaged in a back-and-forth fight in the Rizin promotion back in 2017.

Horiguchi went 7–1 during a good UFC campaign a decade ago, before surprising fans by moving to Rizin. He proved to be a big success there too, becoming a champion in two divisions during a 15–3 (+1 NC) run, while beating the likes of Sergio Pettis, Kai Asakura, and Ian McCall. Now back in the UFC and continuing to perform well at 35-years-old, Horiguchi is still fast, well-rounded and well-conditioned too. Horiguchi stays mobile on the feet, has good volume and respectable power, while he’s also a solid wrestler and he’s been notching up more submission wins in recent years too. Meanwhile he’s also gone 15-2 in fights that have gone to the scorecards.

This should be a very competitive fight, especially on the feet, but Horiguchi’s more active offense and better wrestling give him the tools to win close rounds and emerge with a hard-fought decision victory.

Pick: Kyoji Horiguchi wins by decision.

Ion Cuțelaba vs. Navajo Stirling

Ion Cutelaba returns after a submission win back in March to face Navajo Stirling, who has won all four of his UFC fights so far.

The 32-year-old Cutelaba is a fast-starting, all-action fighter who aggressively pursues power shots on the feet from the opening bell, while he also has hard-hitting ground-and-pound and will go for submission too. His pursuit of a finish has certainly paid off more than a few times, with 17 of his 20 wins have come inside the distance. However, the problem is that his habit of overcommitting to his strikes and leaving defensive openings on the feet and mat, while also failing to pace himself properly, can be exploited. As such his overall UFC record stands at just 9-10-1. To be fair it looks like he’s tried to rein in his more reckless tendencies in recent years, but he’s still very unpredictable.

The 28-year-old Stirling switched over to MMA from muay thai in 2022 and has rapidly ammassed a 9-0 record. He’s a good‑sized light-heavyweight who will hold a 3-inch height and 4-inch reach advantage here. He has solid muay thai technique, good volume, and notable power, with five of his wins have having come by strikes, including a TKO in his last appearance. He can be taken down though, but so far he’s shown the athleticism and composure to work back to his feet.

Cutelaba’s always a threat on the feet early in his fights, and he could pose problems for Stirling on the mat if he chooses to go down that route. Still, I think Stirling can get the better of him in the striking department with his size advantage and cleaner technique, leading to a TKO stoppage in the 2nd round.

Pick: Navajo Stirling wins by TKO in Rd2.

Andre Fili vs. Vinicius Oliveira

Andre Fili dropped a split decision loss earlier this year and now faces Vinicius Oliveira, who is coming off a submission defeat.

The 35-year-old Fili has spent the last six years alternating between wins and losses in the UFC, and his struggle to really stamp his authority in fights is reflected in the fact that seven of his fights in the Octagon have ended by split-decision. Fili is tall, rangy striker who works at a steady pace and counters well, but he’s not the most sound fighter defensively and has become less durable. Meanwhile, his grappling is serviceable, but he rarely finds a finish, with just three submissions in 39 fights, along with three submission defeats.

The 30-year-old Oliveira was an experienced fighter on the regional scene and has continued to perform well since joining the UFC, going 4-0 against a good level of opposition before being submitted by Mario Bautista. Oliveira is an athletic, aggressive and dynamic striker with a long history of knockout wins, though tougher competition lately has pushed him into more decisions. He still maintains a high output striking style though, and despite being a bit wild at times he doesn’t get hit as often as you’d expect. He has been stopped by strikes three times in the past though, but his submission loss last time out was the first of his career.

Oliveira is the more dangerous, purposeful striker here, and I think that will enable him to find a TKO finish here at some point in the second-half of the fight.

Pick: Vinicius Oliveira wins by TKO in Rd2.

Hyder Amil vs. Christian Rodriguez

Hyder Amil and Christian Rodriguez both could do with a win on Saturday night as they try to break free from back-to-back defeats.

The 36-year-old Amil came into the UFC in 2024 unbeaten and put together a further wins in a row, before a 26‑second KO loss derailed his momentum, followed by a decision defeat last time out. Amil likes to employ high‑volume muay‑thai striking while pushing the pace, but his intensity often comes at the cost of clean technique and defense. He has also had some issues being outwrestled, and in general his ground game isn’t as competent as his striking.

The 28-year-old Rodriguez built a reputation as a prospect‑killer by handing fighters like Raul Rosas Jr., Cameron Saaiman, Isaac Dulgarian, and Austin Bashi their first career losses. However, he’s struggled against more seasoned opponents, leading him to lose three of his last four fights. He’s not a fighter than stands out in any particular regard, but is a steady all-rounder with solid fundamentals, good cardio, composure, and durability.

I can see Rodriguez getting past the early pressure here and building as the fight goes on, aided by having the advantage on the mat, to win by decision.

Pick: Christian Rodriguez wins by decision.

Melsik Baghdasaryan vs. Murtazali Magomedov

Melsik Baghdasaryan’s form has slipped recently with losses in two of his last three fights, while newcomer Murtazali Magomedov arrives from the Contender Series with a perfect 10-0 record.

Baghdasaryan, 34, is a former pro‑kickboxer, who also briefly dabbled in boxing, but has settled on competing in MMA since 2019 and has gone 4-2 in the UFC so far. He’s very competent on the feet with high‑output striking, real power in his hands, and his head‑kicks are always a threat. Other aspects of his MMA game are less convincing though, with his grappling in particular remaining a clear weakness, resulting in two submission losses so far, while he’s coming in off his first TKO loss, albeit against a talented fighter in Jean Silva.

While he’s yet to prove himself in the UFC, the 26-year-old Magomedov has certainly looked promising on the regional scene, including finishing all 10 of his fights, split between strikes and submissions. He’s comfortable striking at range and has good speed, but he’s also a strong wrestler with well-versed grappling, making him far more well‑rounded than your average newcomer.

Magomedov can compete with Baghdasaryan on the feet, but the clearest path to victory is to take him down, and I think that will lead him to a 2nd round submission win.

Pick: Murtazali Magomedov wins by submission in Rd2.

Prelims (Predicted winners in bold)

Andre Lima vs. Kevin Borjas
Beatriz Mesquita vs. Melissa Mullins
Allan Nascimento vs. Mitch Raposo
Gastón Bolaños vs. Michael Aswell Jr.
Karol Rosa vs. Luana Santos
Leon Shahbazyan vs. Levan Chokheli
Shane Collins vs. Otari Tanzilovi