UFC Louisville preview, top picks & main card predictions

The main card for UFC Fight Night: Cannonier vs Imavov at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Kentucky, is stacked with big names. Former light heavyweight contender Dominick Reyes looks to get his career back on track when squaring off with Dustin Jacoby, prodigy Raul Rosas Jr. faces a tough test against Ricky Turcios, and Julian Marquez will face the promising Zachary Reese. Read on to see our fight previews and betting picks for the UFC Louisville main card.

Jared Cannonier v Nassourdine Imavov

Jared Cannonier vs Nassourdine Imavov

Can Nassourdine Imavov move up the ranks in one of the toughest divisions in the UFC? See our Cannonier v Imavov fight preview here.

Dominick Reyes v Dustin Jacoby

Dominic Reyes vs Dustin Jacoby

Dominick Reyes (12-4-0) has endured a horror run of knockout defeats since narrowly losing a title shot against lightweight champion Jon Jones in 2020. Having been flattened by Jan Blachowicz, Jiri Prochazka, and Ryan Spann, the 34-year-old took a long break from the octagon to deal with health issues unrelated to his fighting career. Only time will tell whether his chin has completely deserted him.

Dustin Jacoby (19-8-1) brings similarly patchy form into this matchup, as his last four outings include defeats to Khalil Rountree, Azamat Murzakanov, and Alonzo Menifield. While this is inferior competition to that faced by Reyes, Jacoby was competitive in all three losses and went down via decision. The 36-year-old does not have the same athletic prowess as the man opposite but is still heavily favoured to get the win.

Raul Rosas Jr. v Ricky Turcios

Raul Rosas Jr. vs Ricky Turcios

Raul Rosas Jr. (8-1-0) is a brash and showy young fighter who has only suffered one career defeat when pummelled for three rounds by Christian Rodriguez in 2023. The 19-year-old bounced back immediately with a tidy knockout finish over Terrence Mitchell five months later. The American is an excellent wrestler who has taken time to improve his standup skills but still has plenty of upside, and he is listed as one of this event’s shorter-priced favourites with the top UFC bookmakers.

Ricky Turcios (13-3-0) has fought three times in the UFC, with two wins and one loss to show for his efforts. The 31-year-old is a pressure and volume striker who strings together long combinations that fare well with the judges. He can get a little reckless on the feet, however, and may struggle with the superior wrestling of this opponent if he swings too wildly and gets taken to the canvas.

Brunno Ferreira v Dustin Stoltzfus

Brunno Ferreira vs Dustin Stoltzfus

Bruno Ferreira (11-1-0) knocked out Phil Hawes in most recent appearance after emerging from Dana White’s Contender Series. The 31-year-old is a fast-moving athlete with nice footwork and aggressive striking who constantly hunts for knockouts. The Brazilian has never fought beyond the second round and will be looking for another quick finish in Kentucky to confirm his status as a strong favourite at Bovada.

Dustin Stoltzfus (15-5-0) is 2-4 at UFC level. The 32-year-old is coming off a last-start submission win and possesses solid wrestling and grappling skills. He can appear slow and plodding to move on the feet at times and struggle to effectively check leg kicks. Stoltzfus will need to survive the early flurry expected to come his way in the opening seconds, which may prove beyond him.

Julian Marquez v Zachary Reese

Julian Marquez vs Zachary Reese

Julian Marquez (9-4-0) is 3-3 in the UFC since debuting in 2017. The 34-year-old has taken a year off to regather himself from successive knockout defeats. The brawler does his best work in close with dirty boxing and hard leg kicks, but his defence can get a little sloppy at times and he tends to run out of gas after a tough round or two.

Zachary Reese (6-1-0) lost his UFC debut with a nasty first-round knockout after entering with an unbeaten record. The 30-year-old Texan is tall with long arms that can find submissions in close and land punches from long range. While none of his professional bouts have gone the distance, Reece may have more upside than this opponent.

Miguel Baeza v Punahele Soriano

Miguel Baeza vs Punahele Soriano

Miguel Baeza (10-3-0) started his UFC career with three straight wins but has since dropped three on the trot. He has consistently failed to utilise his height and reach advantages to keep shorter fighters at bay and lacks some basic defensive skills. Returning from a two-year break, question marks also linger over his ability to wear a punch and fight through adversity.

Punahele Soriano (9-4-0) has lost four of his last five bouts and needs to find a win to hold onto his contract. The Hawaiian drops 15 pounds to welterweight for this matchup with hopes of reinvigorating his career. A hard-hitting puncher with a crisp jab and solid wrestling skills, it will be telling to see if he can safely make 170 pounds without draining himself in the weight cut.

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