UFC Fight Night 293 takes place tomorrow night at the Meta Apex in Las Vegas and we’ve got our predictions for all the fights below.

Main Card

Waldo Cortes-Acosta vs. Johnny Walker

In a main event put together on just nine days’ notice, Waldo Cortes-Acosta looks to bounce back from consecutive losses when he takes on Johnny Walker, who scored a first-round knockout of Mick Parkin in his first heavyweight fight last month.

Cortes-Acosta has been active fighter over the past four years, going 10-4 in the promotion, but is currently having to respond to the first back-to-back defeats of his career. A former professional baseball player who didn’t transition to MMA until age 24, the 35-year-old tends to rely on a straightforward but effective approach built around solid boxing fundamentals, making frequent use of his steady jab along with occasional low kicks. He’s light on his feet for a heavyweight, has a good work rate and dependable cardio, which helped him rack up several decision wins earlier in his UFC run. However, as his confidence grew, so did his willingness to sit down on his punches and generate more power, leading to a number of finishes. However, higher-level opponents lately have highlighted the limitations in his striking, with both Alexander Volkov and Curtis Blaydes managing to outpoint him on the feet this year.

The 34-year-old Walker has been with the UFC for eight years now, putting together an inconsistent 9-7 (+1nc) run in the promotion. He stands 6ft 5in with a long 82-inch reach and has a dangerous and diverse Muay Thai striking game that’s clocked up 18 stoppage wins from 23 victories overall. There’s an unpredictability to his offense and he’s found finishes via a variety of methods, from standard punches and kicks, through to flying knees, elbows and spinning techniques, and he is also capable of submission finishes too. However, his offensively-minded style comes at a cost as defensive lapses and a questionable chin have led to six defeats by strikes, and while he certainly has the frame to be a heavyweight, his durability is clearly an ongoing concern. To be fair, Walker has attempted to become a more measured fighter over the years, but it’s not something that’s come naturally and so it doesn’t take much for him to return to his old ways.

Walker’s dynamic striking makes him a real threat here, but Cortes-Acosta is the more composed and reliable fighter with his focus on fundamentals, and given that he’s also much more durable I favour him to survive some early danger and then find a home for his own straight punches to claim a TKO finish in the 2nd round.

Pick: Waldo Cortes-Acosta wins by TKO in Rd2.

Tatiana Suarez vs. Virna Jandiroba

Former strawweight title challengers go head-to-head here as Tatiana Suarez looks to build on back-to-back victories in a fight with Virna Jandiroba, who returned to winning ways with a decision victory earlier this year.

Few fighters have endured as many setbacks outside the cage as Suarez. The 35-year-old battled thyroid cancer in her younger years and has suffered a string of career-threatening injuries that have led to multiple long-term absences from the sport, making her 9-1 UFC record all the more impressive. A former TUF winner and Olympic-calibre wrestler, Suarez has built her success around her high-level wrestling and dominant top control, backed up by an assured submission game that has produced six finishes. Her striking remains less effective however, and Zhang Weili exposed that in Suarez’s only professional defeat. Her physically demanding style can also lead to cardio issues late on in fights.

The 38-year-old Jandiro secured a shot at the vacant strawweight title last year after putting together a five-fight winning streak, but came up short against Mackenzie Dern. An accomplished grappler, Jandiroba excels at controlling opponents on the mat while hunting for submissions, with 14 of her 23 wins coming by tap-out. Most of her recent victories have tended to come through positional control rather than finishes though. On the feet, she’s far less threatening, lacking the volume and power to consistently trouble opponents, which is reflected in her lone career win by strikes. Her age is now a concern, but while a marked decline could happen at any stage, for now she remains durable and has never been finished.

This is a very competitive fight in terms of pure jiu-jitsu, but Suarez holds the advantage in terms of wrestling and so I think she will be able to gain control here and win on the scorecards.

Pick: Tatiana Suarez wins by decision.

Davey Grant vs. Elijah Smith

Davey Grant returns after picking up a win earlier this year and now faces rising prospect Elijah Smith, who has started his UFC career with three straight victories.

Grant may be approaching his 41st birthday, but he’s continuing to defy expectations with three of his last four outings. It helps that he’s a fighter who doesn’t rely to much on speed and reactions, and has managed to maintain his toughness, pace and dependable conditioning. Grant still has a high-volume striking style that keeps his opponents busy with a steady mix of punches and impactful kicks and also has a solid offensive submission game too, with half of his career victories coming on the mat. However, while he’s never been stopped by strikes, he has become easier to hurt in recent years, and his submission defence has been a recurring weakness throughout his career, accounting for five of his eight losses.

The 24-year-old Smith comes into this fight with a 10-1 records so far, and the son of former UFC fighter Gilbert Smith looks like a fighter to watch in the division with his explosive athleticism and well-rounded skill set. Smith is a fast, powerful striker with strong wrestling, as evidenced by his KO slam of Toshiomi Kazama in the Octagon. He’s aggressive on the ground too, delivering damaging ground-and-pound, while he’s also shown his submission game in the UFC too. The main concern is that his high-intensity style can drain his gas tank, making him less effective as fights progress, while his striking defence also still has room for improvement.

Even if he is almost 17-years older than his opponent, Grant’s experience, pressure and superior cardio could become big factors if this turns into a drawn-out battle. However, Smith’s youth, athleticism and speed advantages are hard to ignore, and I think he can find success both on the feet and with his wrestling to get the upper-hand here and secure a 2nd round TKO victory.

Pick: Elijah Smith wins by TKO in Rd2.

Ko Seok-hyeon vs. Wellington Turman

Ko Seok-hyeon looks to improve to 3-1 in the UFC when he takes on Wellington Turman, who comes into the the fight looking to snap a three-fight losing slump.

Nicknamed “The Korean Tyson”, Ko has compiled a 13-3 professional record and brings a well-rounded skill set backed by a solid background in Sambo. The 33-year-old is a powerful, athletic fighter who likes to unleash heavy hooks and has damaging leg kicks too, but in recent outings has increasingly leaned on his wrestling to get the job done. Strong takedowns and solid top control helped him earn victories over Oban Elliott and Philip Rowe in his first two UFC appearances, before suffering a setback against Jean-Paul Lebosnoyani last time out. While Ko is generally durable, he can be caught defensively at times and did suffer two knockout losses earlier in his career, although the most recent of those was five years ago.

The 30-year-old Turman’s UFC career has been equal parts underwhelming and frustrating. After a mixed 3-3 start in the promotion, he then suffered three consecutive defeats, and has since spent the past three years dealing with serious shoulder injuries and surgeries. At his best, Turman is a skilled grappler with a dangerous submission game that’s delivered 8 finishes. He can also have his moments in close-range striking exchanges, but defensive vulnerabilities have been a recurring problem throughout his career and he was once KO’d in back-to-back fights early in his UFC run, while his wrestling isn’t always reliable enough to get the fight to the mat consistently.

Turman’s very long layoff and injury history make it hard to back him here, particularly against a strong, well-rounded opponent. I think KO can get the better of both the striking and wrestling here and will come away with a 2nd round TKO finish.

Pick: Ko Seok-hyeon wins by TKO in Rd2.

Billy Elekana vs. Lucas Fernando

Billy Elekana brings a three-fight winning streak into his match-up against Lucas Fernando, who made an immediate impression in the UFC with a TKO victory in his August debut.

The 31-year-old Elekana arrived in the promotion with a 7-1 record after gaining experience in both LFA and PFL. He suffered a submission loss to Bogdan Guskov in his UFC debut, but has rebounded well with three consecutive victories, albeit against relatively modest competition. Elekana prefers to operate as a patient counter-striker, using his 6ft 3in frame and 77-inch reach to manage distance and pick his shots carefully. That approach has brought him some success, but it often comes at the expense of volume, and he’s only claimed three wins via TKO so far. Elekana is also a capable grappler with a purple belt in BJJ, and he’s made use of that to secure rear-naked choke finishes in his last two UFC outings.

Fernando has racked up a 14-3 record so far, and though he did come up short in a Contender Series fight a few years ago, he’s still compiled a solid CV that includes a run as a two-division LFA champion. The 29-year-old possesses an imposing 80-inch reach, giving him a three-inch advantage over Elekana, and he uses that effectively to support his technical striking game. Fernando combines accuracy, power and variety well, and his big knees to both the body and head have become proven fight-enders. In total, eight of his victories have come by strikes, and while he isn’t an especially high-volume striker, he tends to be more active than Elekana. He’s also shown good durability in his career to date and has never been finished, but opponents have occasionally found success controlling him on the mat.

While Elekano may be a bit more well-rounded, I think this one plays out on the feet, and that will work out better for Fernando, whose more active, impactful striking and reach advantage will gradually wear down his opponent to deliver a 3rd round TKO stoppage.

Pick: Lucas Fernando wins by TKO in Rd3.

Priscila Cachoeira vs. Nina Nikolija Milošević

Priscila Cachoeira heads into Saturday’s bout desperately needing a victory after losing five of her last six fights. Standing in her way is Nina Nikolija Milosevic, who made a statement in her UFC debut in the summer with a knockout win.

Despite owning an unflattering 5-9 record in the promotion, Cachoeira has managed to cling onto her spot in the UFC thanks to setting out her stall as an all-action brawler with genuine finishing power in her fists. The 38-year-old has earned eight of her 13 professional victories via strikes, including four of her five wins inside the Octagon. The “Zombie Girl” is also renowned for her toughness and durability, although her tendency to absorb significant damage has become increasingly, and she did suffer the first knockout loss of her career last year. That being said, her biggest weakness undoubtedly remains her poor ground game, which has repeatedly been exposed in the UFC, leading to five submission defeats.

The 30-year-old Milosevic, has lost only once in her 10-fight professional career, and that was by split-decision in her pro-debut just three years ago. Milosevic had a good run as an amateur before that and has built real momentum since with a very busy schedule that included five fights in 2025 alone. A well-rounded fighter, she combines continual forward pressure on the feet with effective takedowns and a respectable grappling game. Milosevic carries genuine finishing ability too, with four of her last six victories coming by T(KO) in the opening round. She’s also demonstrated a knack for finding the occasional rear-naked choke finish throughout her amateur and professional career, making her a threat wherever the fight goes.

This looks like a good fight for Milosevic as she’s the better technician wherever the fight goes and has the kind of power that can punish Cachoeira for her careless defense, leading to a TKO finish by the 2nd round, if not sooner.

Pick: Nina Nikolija Milosevic wins by TKO in Rd2.

Prelims (Predicted winners in bold)

Gabriel Lorenço vs. Thomas Petersen
Karine Silva vs. Gabriella Fernandes
Mitch Raposo vs. Marcos Degli
Mantas Kondratavičius vs. Andre Petroski
José Mauro Delano vs. Murtazali Magomedov
Keiichiro Nakamura vs. Ollie Schmid
Jonny Parsons vs. José Henrique Souza