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Brett Okamoto
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Brett Okamoto
ESPN Staff Writer
- Brett Okamoto has reported on mixed martial arts and boxing at ESPN since 2010. He has covered all of the biggest events in combat sports during that time, including in-depth interviews and features with names such as Dana White, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Conor McGregor, Nate Diaz, Floyd Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao and Georges St-Pierre. He was also a producer on the 30 for 30 film: “Chuck and Tito,” which looked back at the careers and rivalry of Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz. He lives in Las Vegas, and is an avid, below-average golfer in his spare time.
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Ian Parker
On one of the hottest streaks in the UFC, Reinier de Ridder (21-2) is back in action for the fourth time this year at UFC Fight Night in Vancouver, British Columbia, on Saturday (7 p.m. ET on ESPN+, prelims at 4 p.m.). His opponent, Brendan Allen (25-7), is stepping in on short notice after Anthony “Fluffy” Hernandez withdrew because of injury last month.
De Ridder, ESPN’s sixth-ranked middleweight, is undefeated in his four-fight UFC tenure and Allen, No. 10 by ESPN, is also coming off a win. He won a unanimous decision over veteran Marvin Vettori in July.
ESPN MMA analysts Din Thomas and Anthony Smith provide their main event predictions, and ESPN betting expert Ian Parker adds insight on the value bets available on the fight card.
Middleweight main event
In order for Allen to win fights, he has to be able to take his opponent down. He’s typically the better grappler in every fight he wins. Here, I think De Ridder is probably the better grappler. De Ridder should be able to reverse any position Allen puts him in and end up on top. I’m saying De Ridder by decision, but it wouldn’t surprise me if De Ridder got the submission. — Din Thomas
Allen is a better striker than De Ridder, and I think he’s the better wrestler. I don’t think De Ridder will be able to take him down, so the grappling should be controlled more by Allen. If I end up being wrong on this, I think it will be because Allen sometimes fades under a high pace. When he’s pushed really hard, we’ve seen him fall behind in the later rounds, but I think he has the tools to win this matchup. — Anthony Smith
Betting analysis
Odds accurate as of Oct. 16. For the most up-to-date odds, visit ESPN BET.
Parker: De Ridder to win (-210). If Allen is able to pull off the upset, he can put himself in the middleweight title picture in 2026. However, I believe a five-round fight favors De Ridder over Allen. De Ridder went five rounds with Robert Whittaker in July and was able to dictate the pace in the final round to get the win. Unless Allen catches De Ridder in Round 1, his gas tank will likely run out as the fight goes on, giving De Ridder the opportunity to take the win.
Parker’s best bets on the rest of the card
0:50
Mike Malott gets huge finish in front of hometown crowd
Mike Malott wins a crucial bout vs. Adam Fugitt in front of his fellow Canadian fans.
Welterweight: Kevin Holland vs. Mike Malott
Over 1.5 rounds: This should be an incredibly close fight between two well-rounded fighters. Coming off a knockout loss to Daniel Rodriguez in July, I expect fan-favorite Holland to be more defense-minded and less reckless offensively to avoid getting tagged by Malott, who is on a two-fight winning streak. Malott has also been using his wrestling and ground game more recently, which will come in handy here. I think Malott will have success with takedowns and keep Holland on his back for the majority of the fight. If finish happens, I see it coming late in the fight, so take over 1.5 rounds.
Men’s bantamweight: Aiemann Zahabi vs Marlon Vera
Zahabi to win (-135): Coming off his win over José Aldo in Montreal in May, Zahabi will be looking to add another seasoned veteran and former title challenger to his résumé. Both Zahabi and Vera are extremely durable, but the difference in their fight will be Zahabi’s output and Vera’s tendency to start slow. Zahabi also has the ability to take down Vera and keep him there, if he isn’t having success on the feet. On top of all of that, Vera has taken a lot of damage in his 15-year professional career. More than likely this fight goes the distance and Zahabi wins by decision.
Women’s flyweight: Manon Fiorot vs. Jasmine Jasudavicius
Manon to win by decision: In her first fight since losing her title fight to Valentina Shevchenko in May, Fiorot will be taking on the surging Jasdavicius in Fiorot’s home country of Canada. This should be an interesting fight between two talented fighters. Fiorot is a 2-to-1 favorite, and I think it makes sense. On the feet, she is the better striker, and unless Jasdavicius can get Fiorot to the ground, I expect Fiorot to win a three-round kickboxing fight by decision.
