UFC 282, the promotions's final pay-per-view card of 2022, features a battle for the interim light heavyweight belt in the main event between former champion Jan Blachowicz and rising star Magomed Ankalaev on Saturday. Their five-round battle tops the main UFC 282 fight card (10 p.m. ET) from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The opportunity became available when reigning champion Jiri Prochazka had to withdraw from his rematch with Glover Teixeira because of an injury suffered in training camp. Because that fight will be delayed indefinitely, this matchup was moved to the main event and upgraded from a title eliminator. Blachowicz is aiming to become a champion for the second time, while Ankalaev will make his first title-fight appearance.
Ankalaev is a -260 favorite (risk $260 to win $100), while Blachowicz is offered at +220 in the latest UFC 282: Blachowicz vs. Ankalaev odds from Caesars Sportsbook. In the co-main event,polarizing lightweight prospect Paddy Pimblett (-245) squares off against Jared Gordon (+205). Before making any UFC 282: Blachowicz vs. Ankalaev picks, make sure you see the MMA predictions and betting advice from SportsLine combat sports expert Brandon Wise.
A CBS combat sports editor who specializes in MMA, Wise has been covering the sport for more than six years. He specializes in picking main-card fights and proposition wagers for UFC cards, which has enabled him to be profitable every year.
For example, Wise went a perfect 5-0 at UFC 239 and 4-1 at UFC 245. He also nailed Khabib Nurmagomedov's destruction of Conor McGregor in 2018, Stipe Miocic's upset of Daniel Cormier and Max Holloway's downfall in 2019. Anyone who has consistently followed Wise has seen massive returns.
Now, Wise has zeroed in on the main UFC 282 fight card and made his picks for who wins each fight, plus he's locked in several intriguing props. Parlay his money-line picks and you're looking at a strong payout of almost 7-1. You can only see who to back here.
UFC 282: Blachowicz vs. Ankalaev preview
The suddenly higher stakes raise the intrigue of what was already one of the most anticipated fights on the UFC 282 fight card. The outcome will see either one of the division's most coveted prospects breaking through to win a title, or a well-known veteran reclaiming the belt following an upset loss.
After Jon Jones vacated the light heavyweight belt, Blachowicz fought Dominick Reyes for the vacant title and scored a second-round knockout to become the champion. Following one successful defense, the 39-year-old Polish brawler was paired against veteran grappling specialist Teixeira at UFC 267 last October.
Blachowicz (29-9) was unable to keep the fight standing, and the ground-game savant stripped the title from him with a second-round submission. Now, Blachowicz faces an opponent with a similar skill set in the coveted prospect Ankalaev.
Following a loss in his UFC debut, Ankalaev (18-1) has won nine straight despite some difficulty in finding willing opponents. This is because his 6-foot-3 frame and long reach make him difficult for opponents to find and they often are on the receiving end of his strikes at range.
In his last outing, Ankalaev earned his spot in the title conversation with a second-round stoppage of former title challenger Anthony Smith, who looked outclassed from the opening bell and hesitant to engage. The 30-year-old Russian fighter now has 10 career knockouts. You can see who wins, and with what method of victory, here.
Top UFC 282 prop bets
We'll share one of Wise's UFC 282 prop picks here: He is backing the Over 2.5 rounds (-135) in the main-card kickoff fight between undefeated featherweight prospects Ilia Topuria (-140) and Bryce Mitchell (+120).
Although Topuria (12-0) has 11 finishes among his 12 victories, he went the distance in his UFC debut against Youssef Zalal who, like Mitchell, is a skilled grappler who can force fights to the ground.
Wise points out that although Mitchell (15-0) has nine submissions on his record, he has gone the distance in four of his five UFC appearances and has six career decision wins. This suggests he has difficulty finishing high-level opponents. Considering Topuria is known for his lethal striking, Mitchell will likely be bent on turning this into a ground-game war that kills the clock and leads to another decision.
"Mitchell's most likely path to success would seem to be getting this fight to the ground and keeping it there," Wise told SportsLine. See more picks at SportsLine.
How to make UFC 282 picks
Wise also has strong money-line and proposition picks for Blachowicz vs. Ankalaev and every other bout on the UFC Fight Night main card. He's found a prop involving the "next rising star for UFC" that pays more than 4-1. Those selections are only available at SportsLine.
So who wins UFC 282: Blachowicz vs. Ankalaev? And what props that returns more than 4-1 do you need to jump on? Visit SportsLine now to see which fighters you need to be all over at UFC 282, all from the accomplished MMA analyst who has been profitable for six straight years.
UFC 282 fight card, odds
See Wise's full UFC 282 picks at SportsLine
Magomed Ankalaev (-260) vs. Jan Blachowicz (+220)
Paddy Pimblett (-245) vs. Jared Gordon (+205)
Santiago Ponzinibbio (-170) vs Alex Morono (+150)
Dricus du Plessis (-180) vs. Darren Till (+160)
Ilia Topuria (-140) vs. Bryce Mitchell (+120)
Joaquin Buckley (-155) vs. Chris Curtis (+135)
Jairzinho Rozenstruik (-165) vs. Chris Daukaus (+145)
Raul Rosas (-240) vs. Jay Perrin (+200)
Edmen Shahbazyan (-310) vs. Dalcha Lungiambula (+255)
Billy Quarantillo (-170) vs. Alexander Hernandez (+150)
Erik Silva (-115) vs. TJ Brown (-105)
Vinicius Salvador (-210) vs. Daniel Da Silva (+180)
Cameron Saaiman (-310) vs. Steven Koslow (+255)
