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UFC 244
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Nate Diaz (left) faces Jorge Masvidal in the UFC 244 main event. Photo: Instagram

UFC 244 preview: card, time, odds and predictions as Nate Diaz fights Jorge Masvidal

  • Here’s all you need to know about Saturday night’s huge Madison Square Garden show
  • The Post breaks down every fight on the stacked main card and prelims in New York
UFC 244

The UFC returns to our screens with a stacked show at New York City’s Madison Square Garden on Saturday, November 2.

Here’s everything you need to know about UFC 244, including the official fight card, current betting odds (via 5dimes), and predictions for each bout.

UFC 244 Main Card (7.00pm PDT/ 10.00pm EDT/ 2.00am GMT/ 10.00am HKT)

Jorge Masvidal (-160) vs. Nate Diaz (+140)

In the main event of UFC 244, Jorge Masvidal (34-13-0) and Nate Diaz (20-11-0) will collide at welterweight for the BMF title.

Diaz last fought in August, when he defeated Anthony Pettis by unanimous decision. His next most recent bout occurred a whopping three years earlier, when he was defeated by Conor McGregor by majority decision.

UFC: The Rock gives take on Masvidal-Diaz; teases surprise

Masvidal, meanwhile, last fought in July, when he smashed former One and Bellator champion Ben Askren with a flying knee in a record-breaking five seconds. In his next most recent appearance, he knocked out Darren Till.

As the odds suggest this is a tough fight to call. While a finish is certainly possible one way or the other, both fighters have proven to be very durable, so a decision seems more likely.

Prediction: Masvidal by decision.

Kelvin Gastelum (-210) vs. Darren Till (+175)

UFC 244 will be co-headlined by a middleweight fight between Darren Till (17-2-1) and Kelvin Gastelum (16-4-0). The bout will serve as Till’s debut in the division, and it’s going to be a tough one.

Despite losing his last two fights in at welterweight, he’s been matched up with the UFC’s No 5 middleweight Gastelum, who recently came up short in an interim title fight with reigning champ Israel Adesanya.

UFC: ‘Anxious’ Masvidal binged on pizza, fries after Diaz drugs test

While Till should not be counted out, his tendency to leave himself open, in combination with Gastelum’s ridiculous punching power, could well spell disaster for him.

Prediction: Gastelum by second-round KO.

Stephen Thompson (-130) vs. Vicente Luque (+110)

Vicente Luque (17-6-1) is on one of the best active win-streaks in the welterweight division, and he’s been rewarded with a match-up against former title challenger Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson (14-4-1). Thompson will be looking to rebound from a knockout loss to Anthony Pettis in his last outing.

Both of these fighters are known for their striking. Thompson generally favours a more measured approach, while Luque has never been afraid to get aggressive. It will be interesting to see which fighter’s strategy prevails, and what will happen if the fight hits the ground.

Prediction: Luque by late TKO.

Derrick Lewis (+105) vs. Blagoy Ivanov (-125)

It wouldn’t feel like a major UFC pay-per-view without at least one heavyweight collision on the bill.

The main card’s heavyweight quota is filled by a fight between former UFC title challenger Derrick Lewis (21-7-0) and former World Series of Fighting champion Blagoy Ivanov (18-2-0).

Heading into this fight, Ivanov would seem to have a clear grappling edge – this is a man who defeated the legendary Fedor Emelianenko in the 2008 World Sambo Championships. While he has seemed reluctant to use his grappling in his UFC career thus far, he’d be wise to do so against Lewis, who is one of the hardest punchers on the roster.

Prediction: Ivanov by decision.

Kevin Lee (+155) vs. Gregor Gillespie (-175)

Kevin Lee (17-5-0) has referred to his UFC 244 fight with Gregor Gillespie (13-0-0) as the “dumbest” match-up he could have accepted. He might be right.

Gillespie is easily one of the best wrestlers in the lightweight division, and he is more than capable of dragging Lee into a miserable, grappling hell.

Lee’s well-rounded skill set, which he’s recently been supercharging at the famed Tristar gym in Montreal, could be enough to defeat Gillespie, but he’ll need to be absolutely flawless to make it happen.

Prediction: Gillespie by unanimous decision. 

UFC 244 Preliminary Card (5.00pm PDT/ 8.00pm EDT/ 12.00am GMT/ 8.00am HKT)

Corey Anderson (+145) vs. Johnny Walker (-165) – Light Heavyweight

This light heavyweight contest seems like a two-outcome fight. Either Corey Anderson (12-4-0) gets to work in his wrestling, derailing the momentum of Johny Walker (17-3-0), or Walker delivers yet another finish straight out of a video game, ending things with a spinning elbow, a flying knee, or some other highlight reel manoeuvre.

Prediction: Walker by first-round KO.

Shane Burgos (-250) vs. Makwan Amirkhani (+210) – Featherweight [Prediction: Burgos by decision]

Brad Tavares (+100) vs. Edmen Shahbazyan (-120) – Middleweight [Prediction: Shahbazyan by TKO]

Jairzinho Rozenstruik (-155) vs. Andrei Arlovski (+135) – Heavyweight [Prediction: Arlovski by decision]

Katlyn Chookagian (-160) vs. Jennifer Maia (+140) – Flyweight [Prediction: Chookagian by decision]

Lyman Good (-130) vs. Chance Rencountre (+110) – Welterweight [Prediction: Rencountre by decision]

Hakeem Dawodu (-130) vs. Julio Arce (+110) – Featherweight [Prediction: Dawodu by decision]

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