Trent Reinsmith
- What: UFC 282 PPV card
- Date: Saturday, December 10, 2022
- Location: T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada
- Time: Early Prelims (5:30 p.m. ET), Prelims (8 p.m. ET), Main Card (10 p.m. ET)
- How to Watch: Early Prelims (ESPN+) Prelims (ESPN2). Main Card (ESPN + pay-per-view)
The UFC returns to Las Vegas for its December 10 pay-per-view event. The promotion’s light heavyweight title is up for grabs in the main event of that fight card, UFC 282. In the headlining bout, former UFC light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz faces Magomed Ankalaev for the vacant title. Originally, the main event for UFC 282 was a rematch between Jiri Prochazka and Glover Teixeira, but a shoulder injury forced Prochazka to drop out of the event. Facing a lengthy recovery, Prochazka vacated the title. With Teixeira wanting additional time to prepare for a new opponent, the UFC opted to book Blachowicz vs. Ankalaev for the vacant title. Here is some background on the card’s main event fighters, before we discuss, in detail, the UFC 282 betting breakdown.
Jan Blachowicz has a 29-9 record as a pro fighter. The 39-year-old won the vacant UFC light heavyweight crown in September 2020. He had one title defense before losing the belt to Teixeira in October 2021. Blachowicz has a TKO win over Aleksandar Rakic in his most recent outing.
Magomed Ankalaev is nine years younger than his UFC 282 opponent. Ankalaev has an 18-1 career record. He is riding a nine-fight winning streak and coming off a TKO win over Anthony Smith.
Before we look at the best bets for the UFC 282 bout between Jan Blachowicz and Magomed Ankalaev, check out the best UFC betting sites and where you can find the best odds on all the UFC fights.
UFC 282 Picks: Jan Blachowicz vs. Magomed Ankalaev Picks
| Fighters |  |  |  |  |  |
| Jan Blachowicz | +215 | +195 | +200 | +210 | +206 |
| Magomed Ankalaev | -255 | -250 | -260 | -260 | -277 |
Jan Blachowicz vs. Magomed Ankalaev breakdown and analysis
While the Jan Blachowicz vs. Magomed Ankalaev matchup is not the one the fans or the UFC wanted to headline this event, it is still a worthy UFC light heavyweight title fight. Blachowicz is the No. 2 fighter in the official UFC light heavyweight rankings. Meanwhile, Ankalaev checks in at No. 3.
I expect a technical striking battle between these two, which gives Ankalaev the advantage. Ankalaev is a calm and patient fighter who tends to use the early moments of his fights to gather information and put together a game plan for the later rounds. This approach allows him to operate from distance, use his jabs and his kicks to score points while avoiding his opponent’s offensive striking. Ankalaev has better offensive striking numbers, superior striking defense numbers, and strong takedown defense.
Blachowicz has the power to score a knockout at any time, but he’s going to struggle to get close enough to use that power against a fighter as defensively sound as Ankalaev.
Pick: Magomed Ankalaev to defeat Jan Blachowicz.
Who has the edge
These two are very close when it comes to strikes landed per minute. Blachowicz lands at a 3.55 rate, while Ankalaev connects at 3.64. However, Ankalaev is the more accurate striker, landing at 54 percent vs. Blachowicz’s connecting rate of 49 percent. Blachowicz also gets hit more than Ankalaev, absorbing 2.77 strikes per minute vs. his opponent’s 2.14. Those numbers make sense when one considers that Ankalaev’s striking defense of 60 percent is better than the former champ’s 54 percent.
Pick: Pick: Magomed Ankalaev to defeat Jan Blachowicz.
Best UFC 282 Bets
There are a few attractive picks for UFC 282’s main event. One of the best bets is to pick Magomed Ankalaev to win. He is the more well-rounded fighter and also the more skilled competitor. As for the outcome, the best UFC 282 bet is for Ankalaev to win via decision. With that, pick the UFC 282 main event to go over 2.5 rounds.
Best UFC 282 Picks: Magomed Ankalaev to defeat Jan Blachowicz via decision.
See below a list of reliable sportsbooks and choose the best one for you.
