UFC 282 Blachowicz vs Ankalaev: Blachowicz Takes on Ankalaev for the Vacant Light Heavyweight Belt

• Jiri Prochazka vacates title due to injury, Teixeira off the card

• Blachowicz takes on Ankalaev for the vacant light heavyweight belt

• Paddy Pimblett gets a co-main event opportunity

UFC 282: Blachowicz vs Ankalaev

The odds for this match are provided by the FanDuel sportsbook. Click the link to place your bets.

UFC 282: Blachowicz vs Ankalaev - Picks & Predictions

Jan Blachowicz vs. Magomed Ankalaev - Light heavyweight championship

Jan Blachowicz (+190)

Paddy Pimblett vs. Jared Gordon - Lightweight division

Paddy Pimblett (-245) 

Robbie Lawler vs. Santiago Ponzinibbio - Welterweight division

Santiago Ponzinibbio (-480) 

Darren Till vs. Dricus du Plessis - Middleweight division

Dricus du Plessis (-174)

Bryce Mitchell vs. Ilia Topuria - Featherweight division

Bryce Mitchell (+126)

Jan Blachowicz vs Magomed Ankalaev - Light Heavyweight Championship

Originally slated as a number-one-contender co-main event, former champion Jan Blachowicz and Magomed Ankalaev will now headline UFC 282 and compete for the now-vacant light heavyweight championship.

Former champion Jiri Prochazka won the title from Glover Texiera this past June and the two were set to rematch in this event’s main event. However, Prochazka suffered a severe shoulder injury which caused him not only to pull out of the fight but to vacate his title.

Undefeated since his UFC debut in 2018, Magomed Ankalaev has amassed a nine-fight winning streak under the promotion’s banner.

After losing the light heavyweight title to Texiera, Jan Blachowicz rebounded with a May 2022 TKO win over Aleksandar Rakic. 

The former champ will stand one inch shorter than Anakalaev but “Polish Power” will still enjoy a three-inch reach advantage.

However, it is Ankalaev - with his winning streak in mind - who is listed as the -250 favorite over the 39-year-old Blachowicz.

To find out how to place your bets for this light heavyweight championship main event, check out our ultimate UFC betting guide to get started.

Paddy Pimblett vs Jared Gordon - Lightweight Division

Still undefeated under the UFC banner, Paddy Pimblett has won all three of his UFC bouts by finish - having most recently submitted Jordan Leavitt in the second round of their July fight.

Pimblett has earned a performance bonus in all three of his UFC contests.

He takes on Jared Gordon who is coming off of a unanimous decision win over Leonardo Santos which occurred this past August at UFC 278.

Pimblett will stand one inch taller and will have a noticeable five-inch reach advantage. Appearing in his first pay-per-view co-main event, Pimblett is listed as a -245 favorite.

Robbie Lawler vs Santiago Ponzinibbio - Welterweight Division

Once ranked within the top five of the UFC welterweight division, Santiago Ponzinibbio now finds himself just 1-3 since returning from injury and illness.

Despite those numbers, Ponzinibbio is still listed as the largest betting favorite on the main card at -480 as he takes on Robbie Lawler: a fighter who is just 1-5 in his last six bouts.

Ponzinibbio is coming off of back-to-back split-decision losses to Michel Pereira and Geoff Neal while Lawler is coming off of a second-round TKO loss at the hands of Bryan Barbarena.

Lawler, a former UFC champion, will have a one-inch reach advantage despite being the shorter man.

Darren Till vs Dricus du Plessis - Middleweight Division

Former welterweight title challenger Darren Till has been dealing with ongoing injuries in recent years and is just 1-4 over his last four fights.

Till has dropped back-to-back fights: a unanimous decision loss to Robert Whittaker in 2020 and a submission loss in his most recent bout against Derek Brunson in 2021.

On the opposite side of the cage will be Dricus du Plessis, who has won five straight, including all three of his UFC bouts.

He most recently defeated Brad Tavares by a decision at UFC 276 in July.

Listed as a -174 favorite, du Plessis will stand one inch taller and have a reach advantage over Till of 1.5 inches.

Bryce Mitchell vs Ilia Topuria - Featherweight Division

We can’t think of a better way to kick off the final pay-per-view main card of 2022 than to have two undefeated rising stars go toe-to-toe.

Number-nine-ranked featherweight Bryce Mitchell is 15-0 as a professional and has won five straight in the UFC. He most recently defeated Edson Barboza by unanimous decision at UFC 272 in March.

Ilia Topuria is 12-0 in his career and is currently ranked as the 14th-best featherweight in the division. He has won his last three fights via knockout - most recently knocking out Jai Herbert in a lightweight appearance.

Despite Mitchell’s edge in height, reach, and experience, Topuria will be the favorite in this contest at -162.

How to Watch UFC 282: Blachowicz vs Ankalaev

• LOCATION: T-Mobile Arena, Paradise, Nevada

• WHEN: Saturday, December 10

• TIME: 10 PM EST

• HOW: UFC Fight Pass, ESPN+, PPV