- Johnny Walker is the -170 favorite against Paul Craig (+145).
- The two light heavyweight contenders will meet at UFC 283 in Brazil later this month.
- UFC 283 will be headlined by Glover Teixeira vs Jamal Hill with Deiveson Figueiredo’s 4th bout versus Brandon Moreno as the co-headliner.
Sportsbooks are favoring Johnny Walker to beat Paul Craig in their upcoming light heavyweight showdown.
According to the online sportsbook BetOnline, Walker is the -170 odds-on favorite to win the fight with Craig coming back at +145 odds. The 30-year-old Walker opened as the -150 betting favorite to win the fight while Craig hit the betting boards at +130 odds.
Walker and Craig are set to scrap at UFC 283 on January 21, 2023, at the Jeunesse Arena in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil:
Paul Craig and Johnny Walker are set to scrap 💥 #UFC283
📰 https://t.co/hR05AMzfkY pic.twitter.com/iM2VaTd4dy
— MMAFighting.com (@MMAFighting) October 9, 2022
Johnny Walker Gets Back on Track
Walker got back on track in his last fight, submitting Ion Cutelaba via rear-naked choke in the Performance of the Night winner at UFC 279 last September 10, 2022, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. That win ended a two-fight losing skid for Walker who dropped a decision to Thiago Santos and was knocked out by Jamahal Hill in two previous UFC Fight Night main events.
The 30-year-old from Rio de Janeiro is currently the no. 12 ranked light heavyweight contender in the UFC. A former European Beatdown light heavyweight champion, Walker joined the UFC via the Contender Series Brazil series where he defeated Henrique da Silva in 2018. Walker won his first three UFC assignments via first-round knockout. However, he has struggled since then with just two victories in his last six Octagon appearances.
Walker has a professional record of 19-7 with 15 knockouts and three submission victories. He had opened and closed as the betting underdog in his previous three bouts and entered the Octagon at +175 odds during his most recent appearance against Cutelaba.
Craig Suffers First Loss Since 2019
Meanwhile, Craig is coming off his first loss since 2019 after he lost a unanimous decision to Volkan Oezdemir at UFC Fight Night 208 at the O2 Arena in England. The 35-year-old from Scotland in the U.K. went unbeaten during a six-fight stretch from September 2019 to March 2022. Craig won five out of those six bouts all via stoppage, including a first-round KO of Jamahal Hill who will be fighting for the 205-pound belt in the same event.
The 9th-ranked light heavyweight contender in the UFC is a former Fightstar light heavyweight champion and former BAMMA light heavyweight champion. Craig joined the UFC in 2016 but he struggled to start his UFC career with only three wins in his first seven bouts. He has since recovered and is 5-1-1 in his last seven UFC bouts.
Craig is 16-5 with 3 knockouts and 13 submission victories in his professional MMA career. This marks the second consecutive bout where he has opened as the betting underdog after hitting the betting boards at +170 odds when he fought Oezdemir. The Scottish mixed martial artist is however no stranger to winning with the plus money sign written next to his name. Craig was the heavy +225 bottom dog when he defeated Hill at UFC 263.
Championship Double-Headers at UFC 283
UFC 283 is the UFC’s first big event of 2023 and will be held in Brazil where two fighters in its championship double-header hail from. The event will be headlined by the UFC light-heavyweight title bout between Minas Gerais’ Glover Teixeira and Jamaal Hill. Hill is currently the -124 favorite to win the belt with Teixeria coming back at +104 odds.
In the co-headliner, Para’s Deiveson Figueiredo will defend the UFC flyweight title against Brandon Moreno in their fourth and likely deciding showdown. The two fought to a majority draw at UFC 256 before Moreno wrested the belt at UFC 263. Figueiredo reclaimed the belt at UFC 270, setting up this fourth bout. Both fighters are currently listed at -110 odds at the BetOnline App.
Also fighting at UFC 283 is former welterweight title challenger Gilbert Burns who is listed as the -354 favorite against Neil Magny (+289). Another Brazilian Former champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua is the +180 underdog against Ihor Potieira (-210) while Jessica Andrade is priced at -450 odds versus Lauren Murphy (+350).
