UFC Vegas 124 Preview: Waldo Cortes-Acosta vs Johnny Walker Full Card, Film Study, Odds & Weigh-In Video

UFC Vegas 124 Preview: Waldo Cortes-Acosta vs Johnny Walker Full Card, Film Study, Odds & Weigh-In Video

By Real Combat Media MMA Editorial Staff

Las Vegas, Nevada, (November 7th, 2026)–UFC Vegas 124 takes over the Meta Apex on Saturday with a short-notice heavyweight main event between Waldo Cortes-Acosta and Johnny Walker. The matchup came together when Sean Brady withdrew with an injury from his welterweight main event against Gabriel Bonfim. Cortes-Acosta, a No. 6 ranked heavyweight, enters on a two-fight losing streak and weighed 262 pounds on Friday, 23 more than Walker, who is coming off a 3:35 knockout of Mick Parkin in his heavyweight debut just 35 days ago. Former title challengers Tatiana Suarez and Virna Jandiroba meet in the strawweight co-main event with a shot at champion Mackenzie Dern in view. All 28 fighters made weight, and all 14 bouts are on the card. Below are the records, official weights and odds for every fight, tale-of-the-tape breakdowns and film study for the six-fight main card, plus the weigh-in video.

Main Event: Waldo Cortes-Acosta vs Johnny Walker, Heavyweight (5 Rounds)

Cortes-Acosta weighed 262 and Walker 239, inside the 265-pound limit. Both men are on quick turnarounds. Cortes-Acosta fought less than two months ago at Noche UFC, and Walker competes for the second time in 35 days.

Film Study, Waldo Cortes-Acosta: “Salsa Boy” is a Dominican Republic heavyweight and Contender Series graduate who has been a Top 10 staple. He opened 2026 with a second-round stoppage of Derrick Lewis at UFC 324, then dropped consecutive decisions to Alexander Volkov at UFC 328 and Curtis Blaydes at Noche UFC, which pushed him out of the Top 5. He has nine TKO wins and has never been finished in 21 professional fights. In November 2025 he stopped Shamil Gaziev in the first round in Qatar on three days’ notice. He is the better pure boxer in this matchup, but he can be passive at range and absorbed leg kicks in the Volkov loss.

Film Study, Johnny Walker: The 34-year-old Brazilian spent years at light heavyweight without clearing the final hurdle to contender status, dropped a split decision to Dominick Reyes at UFC 327 in April and then moved up. His heavyweight debut at UFC 332 on October 3 ended in 3:35 with a knockout of Mick Parkin. Eighteen of his 23 wins have come by knockout or TKO, and six of his 10 losses came the same way. He is a creative kickboxer with spinning attacks, knees and a two-inch height edge, and he should have fewer conditioning issues at heavyweight.

Keys to Victory, Cortes-Acosta: Use the 23-pound weight advantage in the clinch and along the fence, and set the pace with the jab so Walker cannot pick his spots. He has to check kicks and protect his lead leg, because Walker’s kicking game can compromise his power and movement, and he needs to avoid walking into a one-shot knockout early. The fight is a points race over five rounds if he survives the first.

Keys to Victory, Walker: Speed, angles and variety. Walker’s clearest path is early damage with kicks, knees and spinning shots, not a five-round points race against a bigger, sturdier man. He has to stay off the fence and avoid flat-footed exchanges where the size gap matters.

Odds: Cortes-Acosta -205 to -238, Walker +180 to +195

Co-Main Event: Tatiana Suarez vs Virna Jandiroba, Women’s Strawweight

Suarez weighed 115.5 and Jandiroba 116, both inside the 116-pound non-title limit. The winner is positioned for a shot at champion Mackenzie Dern.

Film Study, Tatiana Suarez: “TSP” is a former freestyle wrestler and Ultimate Fighter winner who challenged Zhang Weili for the title at the start of 2025 and lost a unanimous decision. She has won two straight since, a decision over Amanda Lemos and a second-round rear-naked choke of Loopy Godinez at UFC 327 in April. Seven of her wins are submissions. She averages more than four takedowns per 15 minutes, lands about 60 percent of her strikes and, outside of Zhang, no one has been able to stifle her grappling enough to beat her.

Film Study, Virna Jandiroba: “Carcara” is a 38-year-old Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt with 14 submission wins and has never been submitted. She dropped a decision to Mackenzie Dern for the vacant title in Abu Dhabi last October, then rebounded with a unanimous decision over Tabatha Ricci in April. Her best weapon is off her back, and no one has outgrappled her in the UFC. She lands 2.3 significant strikes per minute at 41 percent accuracy and can swing in the clinch, which keeps entries honest.

Keys to Victory, Suarez: Trust the wrestling entries, close gaps quickly and smother Jandiroba from top position, where she was controlled by Dern. She has to mind her neck and avoid being swept or caught in scrambles.

Keys to Victory, Jandiroba: Scramble back to her feet, pressure Suarez and use her craftiness in the clinch to stay out of long top control. If it hits the mat, she has to threaten from her back and make every takedown costly.

Odds: Suarez -185 to -208, Jandiroba +162 to +180

Davey Grant vs Elijah Smith, Bantamweight

Both men weighed 135.5, inside the 136-pound non-title limit. It is a cross-generational fight, with a 16-year age gap.

Film Study, Davey Grant: The Ultimate Fighter 18 finalist makes his 17th trip into the UFC cage and has built a reputation as a tough out and a fan favorite. He has won three of his last four, including a unanimous decision over Adrian Luna Martinetti in April, with his lone recent loss to Charles Jourdain. He has never been knocked out and has moved to Las Vegas to train.

Film Study, Elijah Smith: The Contender Series graduate turned 24 in September, has won eight straight and is 3-0 in the UFC. His last win was a second-round submission of SuYoung You in March, and last year he scored a powerbomb finish of Toshiomi Kazama. He is a fast, powerful, well-rounded wrestler who tends to find his shots in exchanges.

Keys to Victory, Grant: Keep the pace high, make it a pressure fight and turn it into a brawl before Smith’s athleticism takes over. His experience and durability are his best assets.

Keys to Victory, Smith: Use the speed, wrestling and power to dictate where the fight happens, and avoid a long striking exchange with a pressure fighter. If he takes Grant down, he has the submission game to finish.

Odds: Smith -303 to -333, Grant +235 to +260

Billy Elekana vs Lucas Fernando, Light Heavyweight

Elekana weighed 206 and Fernando 205, inside the 206-pound non-title limit.

Film Study, Billy Elekana: “Son of Susie” is a 31-year-old Las Vegas resident who debuted on short notice against Bogdan Guskov at UFC 311 and has since collected three straight wins, including a first-round submission of Kevin Christian and a second-round submission of Junior Tafa earlier this year. He is a southpaw with three submission wins who is a dark horse at 205 pounds, though he carries his chin high in space.

Film Study, Lucas Fernando: The Brazilian made a strong UFC debut at UFC 330 in August, battering Rafael Tobias for 10 minutes before finishing him 70 seconds into the third round. It extended his winning streak to five with three straight stoppages, and eight of his wins are by TKO. He has power, a 3.7 significant strikes per minute output at 57 percent accuracy and the ability to return quickly to his feet when taken down.

Keys to Victory, Elekana: Shoot early and often, and turn it into a grappling fight before Fernando’s power lands. He is smart enough not to trade blow-for-blow, and if he sets a trap, the submission game is his path to the upset.

Keys to Victory, Fernando: Use the three-inch reach edge, stay patient at range and look for the finish. If he is taken down, he has to get back to his feet quickly and not let Elekana settle.

Odds: Fernando -280 to -345, Elekana +235 to +270

Priscila Cachoeira vs Nina Milosevic, Women’s Bantamweight

Both women weighed 136, inside the 136-pound limit.

Film Study, Priscila Cachoeira: “Zombie Girl” makes her 15th trip into the Octagon looking to halt a three-fight skid. She has heavy hands, with previous knockout wins over Josiane Nunes and Ariane da Silva, and 62 percent of her wins come by knockout or TKO. She lands 4.35 significant strikes per minute at 44 percent but defends only 45 percent of the strikes thrown at her.

Film Study, Nina Milosevic: “Queen Beast” turned heads in her UFC debut this summer in Belgrade, Serbia, finishing Hailey Cowan with body shots in the third round to push her winning streak to nine after dropping her pro debut. She lands 5.70 significant strikes per minute at 53 percent accuracy and defends 72 percent of strikes.

Keys to Victory, Cachoeira: Use the heavy hands early, and look for the big shot before Milosevic’s volume and body work take over. She has to stay out of the fight’s late exchanges.

Keys to Victory, Milosevic: Keep her volume up, go to the body and use the reach to set up a finish. The younger, busier fighter has the edge over a veteran on a skid.

Odds: Milosevic -500 to -520, Cachoeira +375 to +394

Mitch Raposo vs Marcos Degli, Flyweight

Raposo weighed 125.5 and Degli 126, inside the 126-pound limit. Degli makes his promotional debut.

Film Study, Mitch Raposo: A former LFA fighter who lost split decisions in his first two UFC fights, Raposo has responded with consecutive wins on the scorecards, outworking Azat Maksum in October in Abu Dhabi. He is a solid boxer with nice footwork who sticks and moves and mixes in wrestling.

Film Study, Marcos Degli: The former LFA titleholder earned his contract with a second-round submission of Paris Moran on Season 10 of the Contender Series in late September and brings a 13-fight winning streak. He showed crisp striking that explodes into takedowns and was one of the standouts of the season.

Keys to Victory, Raposo: Move, box and use wrestling to slow the pace and take Degli out of his rhythm. The reach gap means he has to stay on the outside and avoid getting pressured against the fence.

Keys to Victory, Degli: Use the three-inch reach edge, pressure behind the jab and mix strikes into takedowns. If he lands cleanly early, he has the finishing instincts to end it.

Odds: Degli -225 to -250, Raposo +190 to +200

Full Card Records, Weights and Odds

Records listed first, official Friday weigh-in weights in parentheses (pounds), then odds ranges.

Main Card (Paramount+, 8 p.m. ET)
Waldo Cortes-Acosta, 17-4 (262) vs. Johnny Walker, 23-10 (239): Cortes-Acosta -205 to -238, Walker +180 to +195
Tatiana Suarez, 13-1 (115.5) vs. Virna Jandiroba, 23-4 (116): Suarez -185 to -208, Jandiroba +162 to +180
Davey Grant, 18-8 (135.5) vs. Elijah Smith, 10-1 (135.5): Smith -303 to -333, Grant +235 to +260
Billy Elekana, 10-2 (206) vs. Lucas Fernando, 14-3 (205): Fernando -280 to -345, Elekana +235 to +270
Priscila Cachoeira, 13-9 (136) vs. Nina Milosevic, 9-1 (136): Milosevic -500 to -520, Cachoeira +375 to +394
Mitch Raposo, 11-3 (125.5) vs. Marcos Degli, 15-3 (126): Degli -225 to -250, Raposo +190 to +200

Preliminary Card (Paramount+, 5 p.m. ET)
Keiichiro Nakamura, 8-1 (145) vs. Ollie Schmid, 4-3 (145.5): Nakamura -350 to -375, Schmid +275 to +295
Gabriel Lorenco, 8-1 (234) vs. Thomas Petersen, 11-5 (253.5): Petersen -162 to -175, Lorenco +140 to +145
Karine Silva, 19-7 (125) vs. Gabriella Fernandes, 11-4 (126): Silva -218 to -250, Fernandes +180 to +200
Jose Delano, 17-3 (145.5) vs. Murtazali Magomedov, 11-0 (146): Delano -120 to -105, Magomedov -115 to +100
Austin Bashi, 14-2 (145.5) vs. Carlos Calderon, 11-4 (145.5): Odds N/A
Mantas Kondratavicius, 9-1 (186) vs. Andre Petroski, 13-7 (185.5): Kondratavicius -286 to -312, Petroski +230 to +240
Seokhyeon Ko, 13-3 (170) vs. Wellington Turman, 18-8 (171): Ko -714 to -833, Turman +475 to +550
Jonny Parsons, 9-3 (169.5) vs. Jose Souza, 9-1 (171): Souza -218 to -250, Parsons +200

Prelim notes: Gabriel Lorenco and Marcos Degli both make their promotional debuts, and Lorenco enters with four consecutive first-round finishes. Murtazali Magomedov is 11-0 with a perfect finishing rate and won his UFC debut with a Scottish twister. Calderon steps in on short notice for the injured Lucas Brennan against Bashi. Wellington Turman returns after nearly three years away since December 2023, and Jonny Parsons ends a layoff of more than three years.

Watch

UFC Vegas 124 Weigh-In Video: Cortes Acosta vs Walker Weigh-Ins

Odds are approximate ranges compiled from multiple sportsbooks and are subject to change. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER.

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