Jared Cannonier and Gregory "Robocop" Rodrigues headline another UFC fight card at the performance centre in Las Vegas.
The pre-fight narrative: The two middleweight contenders will duel for position in the division standings. But I'm looking elsewhere for my picks and backing Ketlen Souza on the undercard before taking the value on Youssef Zalal to finish his fight with Calvin Kattar.
Check out my UFC Fight Night 251 predictions for the Feb. 15 card in Las Vegas.
UFC Fight Night 251 predictions
Click link to add selection to betslip. Note: Lines have changed/market no longer available if grey.
| UFC 251 predictions | Odds | Bet now ⬇️ |
| Souza to win | -112 | Add to betslip |
| Zalal to win by finish | +260 | Add to betslip |
UFC picks made at 1:50 p.m. ET on 02/14/25.
Go to full UFC betting markets.
Best Bet: Souza to win (-112)
Let's start this by analyzing Souza's opponent, Angela Hill.
Hill is 17-14-0 and a long-time veteran of the UFC strawweight division but she's now 40 years old and things haven't gone her way since late 2021.
In that time, she has gone 4-5 and struggled with the fighters ready for the next step. I believe Souza fits that description.
She lost her UFC debut in 2023 by first-round kneebar. But that was a sign of inexperience and she's shown improvements since.
The 29-year-old is coming off the biggest win of her career, defeating Yazmin Jauregui by first-round knockout.
Jauregui entered with an 11-1 record and the Mexican prospect was a -500 favourite, according to Tapology.
In the previous bout, Souza dominated Marnic Mann for three rounds, outstriking her 80-31. She's in her prime and has power in her punches. A rare trait for the women's lightest weight class.
Hill is a savvy vet but I can't see her being able to deal with the strength and pressure coming back her way.
Key stat: Souza lands 5.1 significant strikes per minute with 66% accuracy, per UFC Stats. That would rank higher than any strawweight with five-plus fights.
UFC quick pick
Zalal to win by finish (+260): This is Zalal's second stint in the UFC which is hard to believe considering the Moroccan is 28 years old.
He lost three straight bouts between 2020-21 before drawing another in 2022 leading to his release from the promotion shortly after. His next three years looked like this:
- Zalal won three regional MMA fights and then signed back to the UFC.
- After signing with UFC, he won another three fights.
- Since his UFC release, he's finished all six of his bouts.
It was quite the two and a half years for the featherweight and I believe Zalal, who has a clear grappling advantage, is primed for a push at the title.
His opponent, Kattar is a strong boxer but his takedown defence is non-existent and he's a fish out of water on the mat.
Kattar is 1-3 in his last four but his most recent bout against Aljamain Sterling was the most telling. Sterling landed 8-of-13 takedowns in his first fight up a weight class and cruised to a decision victory.
Zalal is much more of a finisher but possesses the same grappling pedigree.
Since resigning with the promotion, he's landed 4-of-6 takedowns and has three submission victories. He finished all those fights before the end of the second round.
