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Read our UFC Edmonton predictions for this live event on Saturday from Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta. The prelims kick off at 5:00 p.m. ET on Paramount+, with the main card at 8:00 p.m.
Our MMA experts went through this weekend's 13-fight lineup to identify their UFC best bets and favorite picks for the card.
You can find their analysis and picks, as well as Sean Zerillo's moneyline and prop projections, on those matches below. Be sure to download the Action Network app for more picks and analysis.
UFC Edmonton Moneyline Projections
UFC Edmonton Prop Projections
Louis Jourdain vs. Timothy Cuamba
Billy Ward, Staff Writer
Fighter walkouts: Approx. 8:45 p.m. ET
It's hard to remember another UFC event with so many debuting fighters being placed on the main card. That's mostly due to the UFC's usual attempt to pack the card with Canadian fighters, as the country is fairly thin on veteran talent. One of those debuting Canadian's is Louis Jourdain, younger brother of long-time UFC veteran Charles.
The younger Jourdain makes his promotional debut after picking up a third-round submission win on the 2025 Contender Series just over a year ago. Like his brother, he's a slick boxer and jiu-jitsu stylist who puts out a ton of volume on the feet, while chasing submission attempts from his back or as a means to deter takedowns. Jourdain has competed in kickboxing as an amateur and boxing as a pro, and clearly prefers the striking arts — his submission win on the Contender Series was more of a "club and sub" than evidence of superior grappling.
He gets a relatively tough test for his UFC debut proper in the form of Timothy Cuamba, who brings a 2-3 record into the fight. Two of those losses were close decisions at higher weight classes, lightweight against Bolaji Oki and featherweight against Lucas Almeida. That means he's 2-1 at bantamweight in the UFC, with that loss coming to the supremely talented Bernardo Sopaj.
Cuamba will be the much bigger man here, with two inches of reach but a much more muscular frame than Jourdain. He's also a better wrestler, having taken down all of his UFC opponents other than Sopaj, with six total takedowns across five UFC fights. That will be the key for Cuamba, as Jourdain doesn't defend takedowns so much as look to counter them with grappling. Takedowns should be there for Cuamba, as long as he's able to avoid getting submitted and/or reversed in the process. He's never been finished with strikes despite facing bigger/stronger opponents in the past.
I believe Cuamba can do enough to stay safe on the ground against Jourdain, while winning rounds due to his control and top game. I'm taking a shot on him as an underdog at +155 odds via BetMGM, but that's not my only bet.
I also like Cuamba to land a single takedown at -150 via DraftKings. If structured right, you can break even with the takedown bet even if Cuamba loses, with considerable upside if both bets hit — and they're heavily correlated.
Dan Tom, Action Contributor
Fighter walkouts: Approx. 9:45 p.m. ET
Pick: Cristian Perez Rounds 1 or 2 -160 (FanDuel)
Joaquin Buckley vs. Mike Malott
Sean Zerillo, Senior Writer
Fighter walkouts: Approx. 10:45 p.m. ET
I projected Mike Malott as a 59% favorite (-144 implied odds), and I would bet his moneyline up to -135 pre-fight. Buckley is seemingly a public underdog this week, drawing most fan support on Tapology (68%), MMA Junkie (61%), and BetMMA.tips; yet the line has remained steady. While I have never been high on Malott — and have usually bet against him in his UFC bouts — my model has shown value against fighters receiving one-sided support.
Alternatively, Malott Over 1.5 Takedowns is lined at -120 — similar to his moneyline –and he probably needs to hit that Over to win the fight. Malott is both the better wrestler and grappler, and we have seen Buckley get exposed on the mat in other matchups, while defending just over half of takedown attempts against him (57%). Malott has a substantial edge in control rate (82% to 35%), and he's one of the more dangerous submission threats that Buckley has faced, too.
I also see an edge on Malott to win by finish or inside the distance (projected +158), and I would bet his inside-the-distance prop down to +170.
However, I would look to bet Buckley live after the ten-minute mark; Malott has yet to prove he can maintain his cardio if he proactively grapples, and he remains untested in the championship rounds, whereas Buckley had his best moments in the fourth and fifth rounds against Kamaru Usman.
