UFC Fighters Worth Betting On in 2024
There were many electrifying fights during the 2023 UFC season. Reigning featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski lost his place at the top to Ilia Topuria, and Alexa Grasso upset Valentina Shevchenko when she snatched the women’s strawweight title away from her. With this year expected to bring as many surprises, you never know who will come out on top. That said, bookmakers always have their favorites. So, if you want to know the UFC fighter’s worth betting on in 2024, check out our predictions below.
Sean O’Malley
Sean “Sugar” O’Malley is the current UFC Bantamweight Champion, and the incredible striker intends to defend his title throughout 2024. The 29-year-old American stole the title from Aljamain Sterling with a shocking TKO win last year.
The 5-foot-11-inch, 135-pound striker has 17 victories, with only one loss, and currently holds a 5-win streak. He will fight Marlon Chito Vera in a rematch in March 2024 to avenge his only loss. O’Malley is #8 in the UFC Pound-for-Pound rankings and is certainly a fighter to look out for in 2024.
Merab Dvalishvili
The next bantamweight fighter worth betting on in 2024 is Merab “The Machine” Dvalishvili. The 5-foot-6-inch, 135-pound Georgian grappler is currently the #2 UFC bantamweight fighter and will make a serious run for the title this year. The Machine has 17 wins under his belt, with only 4 losses.
Dvalishvili made his professional debut in 2014 and became the World Ring of Combat Bantamweight Champion in 2017. He joined UFC in the same year, and despite losing his debut fight, he maintains a 10-win streak and is a favorite contender for the bantamweight title in 2024.
Alexander Volkanovski
Alexander “The Great” Volkanovski held the UFC Featherweight Champion title for 1,400 days and defended it several times over 4 years. Ilia Topuria stole it from him in 2023, but Volkanovski will make a serious effort to retake it this year.
Volkanovski is an Australian Greco-Roman wrestler standing 5 feet, 6 inches tall and weighing 144 pounds. He was the UFC Fighter of the Year in 2022, is the #7 Pound-for-Pound Best Fighter and currently ranks #8 in the UFC Greatest Fighter of All Time ratings. The Machine made his UFC debut in 2016 and has an impressive 26-win record with only 3 losses.
Ilia Topuria
Defending his featherweight title this year is Ilia “El Matador” Topuria. Born in West Germany to Georgian parents, he moved to Alicante, Spain, at the age of 16 and represents both Spain and Georgia in the UFC. He was the first Spaniard to enter the top 15 UFC fighters and ranks #4 as the Best Pound-for-Pound Fighter.
Ilia trained in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, boxing and Greco-Roman wrestling and made his professional debut in 2018 with Cage MMA Finland. He joined the UFC in 2020 and won his first fight against Yousef Zalal. He has since amassed a 15-win streak and is certainly worth betting on in 2024.
Jailton Almeida
Jailton “Malhadinho” Almeida is one of the favorite heavyweight fighters to win the title this year. The 6-foot-3-inch, 236-pound Brazilian began his career in 2012 and has an exceptional Brazilian jiu-jitsu fighting style.
He joined the UFC in 2022 with his first fight against Danilo Marques, which he won with a first-round TKO. He has since amassed 20 wins, with only 2 losses, and has a 15-win streak. Almeida was the #11 UFC Fighter of the Year in 2023, the #7 Best Heavyweight Fighter, and is a serious contender for the 2024 title.
Sergei Pavlovich
Russian heavyweight fighter Sergei Pavlovich is another strong contender for the title this year. Pavlovich is 6 feet 3 inches tall, weighs 255 pounds, and trained in Greco-Roman wrestling, army hand-to-hand combat fighting and sambo. He made his UFC debut in 2018 against Alistair Overeem, which he lost in the first round, but that is only one of two defeats against 18 wins. Pavlovich currently ranks #3 as the Best UFC Heavyweight Fighter and is a favorite for the top place this year.
Erin Blanchfield
One of the best female fighters to bet on in 2024 is flyweight fighter Erin “Coldblooded” Blanchfield. She gave an incredible performance in 2023, effortlessly beating Jessica Andrade and Taila Santos. The 5-foot-4-inch, 125-pound American fighter began competing in jiu-jitsu at 12 and made her professional debut for Cage Fury in 2018.
Erin started with UFC in 2021 and is the #4 Pound-for-Pound Best Female Fighter and the #4 Best Female Flyweight Fighter. With only one loss in 12 fights and a 9-fight win streak, she’s bound for a successful year.
Alexa Grasso
Alexa Grasso from Mexico is the current Female UFC Flyweight Champion and won the title last year by beating Valentina Shevchenko. Alexa stands 5 feet 5 inches tall, weighs 125 pounds and has been practicing shadowboxing, jiu-jitsu and MMA from a young age. She has been fighting professionally since 2012, joined the UFC in 2016 and won her first fight against Heather Jo Clark.
Alexa has 16 wins behind her, with 3 losses and a draw. She is the #3 Best Pound-for-Pound Female Fighter and the #5 Fighter of the Year in 2023. Her incredible 2023 performance makes her one of the best female fighters worth betting on this year.
Alexa certainly had the bookmakers excited last year and is bound to cause a storm again in 2024. Many sports websites support betting on MMA and UFC and offer no wagering requirements on the welcome bonus. This year is bound to be yet another exciting year in the UFC, so don’t miss out on the excitement!
