There will be plenty of MMA action with the UFC and the PFL hosting fight cards this week.
On Saturday, the UFC travels to Baku, Azerbaijan, for UFC Fight Night. Light heavyweights Jamahal Hill and Khalil Rountree Jr. will clash in the main event (3 p.m. on ABC/ESPN+; prelims at noon on ESPN/ESPN+).
Hill, a former champion and ESPN's No. 5-ranked light heavyweight, enters the fight having lost via knockout in his last two Octagon appearances. Rountree, ranked just behind Hill, lost to Alex Pereira in a challenge for the championship this past October.
On Friday, the PFL World Tournament semifinals continue, as lightweights, bantamweights and women's flyweights look to claim their spots in the championship round.
MMA veteran and former UFC fighter Kevin Lee will make his PFL debut against Gadzhi Rabadanov in the main event, and former Bellator champion Liz Carmouche takes on Elora Dana in the co-main event.
Brett Okamoto spoke to former UFC fighters Din Thomas and Anthony Smith to get their UFC main event predictions. ESPN betting expert Ian Parker adds insight and analysis on the fight night in Baku and intriguing bets from the PFL semifinals.
Light heavyweight: Jamahal Hill vs. Khalil Rountree
Jamahal Hill lives and breathes on X factors. I've spent a lot of time with Hill, and he is really unique. If I had to choose between who I'd rather spar -- Hill or Rountree -- it would be Rountree because he's familiar. Everything Khalil does looks like it's supposed to. It's technically perfect. But in a way, that's easier to deal with because when it looks so perfect, at least it's predictable. Jamahal has really good eyes and, even though he's not the more technically sound striker, I think he's more difficult to deal with. -- Anthony Smith
Hill has had such bad luck the last couple of years with injuries and layoffs. He needs a fight like this to turn his luck around, and I think Rountree outperformed himself in his last fight. He gave the absolute best possible version of himself against Pereira, and I think his performance this time will be a touch less convincing, and Hill will catch Rountree. -- Din Thomas
Betting analysis
Odds accurate as of June 19. Visit ESPN BET for the most up-to-date UFC Fight Night odds and PFL semifinals odds.
Parker: Rountree to win (-110). Despite losing in his first shot at a UFC championship, Rountree made a statement. He looked great through two rounds, giving the champ all he could handle until Rountree got tired in Round 3 then knocked out in Round 4. His ability to hang with Pereira so long proved Rountree belongs near the top of the division. Hill has lost back-to-back fights by knockout, and I wouldn't be surprised if it happens for a third time here. Hill is a skilled striker, but Rountree a better one and he is faster and carries more power. Unless Hill can threaten Rountree with grappling, expect another KO/TKO loss here.
Parker's best bets on the rest of the card
Lightweight: Rafael Fiziev vs. Ignacio Bahamondes
Bahamondes to win (-130). Bahamondes enters this matchup with Fiziev having won each of his last three bouts by first-round finish. Fiziev is a great striker, but I believe Bahamondes can match him on the feet. Look for Bahamondes to use lateral movement and distance striking to get the win here. He also has a submission game if the opportunity were to present itself.
Heavyweight: Curtis Blaydes vs. Rizvan Kuniev
Blaydes to win (-250). Kuniev, who's won twice on "Dana White's Contender Series," is getting a massive step up in competition for his UFC Debut. Although Kuniev is good on the mat, Blaydes has fought the best in the UFC for nearly seven years. Unless Kuniev catches Blaydes early in the fight, expect Blaydes to withstand an early onslaught and use his dominant wrestling to get the win.
Lightweight: Tofiq Musayev vs. Myktybek Orolbai
Over 1.5 rounds. This matchup has fight of the night potential. Orolbai showed his durability in his last fight, overcoming early adversity and nearly getting a win against Mateusz Rębecki. Considering each of his three UFC bouts has gone over 1.5 rounds, I expect the same here. Look for Orolbai to use his wrestling to take away Musayev's striking prowess and run the clock en route to a decision or late submission win.
Best bets on the 2025 PFL semifinals card
Lightweight: Gadzhi Rabadanov vs. Kevin Lee
Rabadanov to win by KO/TKO. Rabadanov is the biggest favorite on the card, and rightfully so. He has been on a tear and now takes on a seasoned veteran in Lee, who is well-rounded and can compete wherever the fight goes but is likely past his prime, and Rabadanov has yet to reach his potential, which is scary. To get any value here, take Rabandanov to get another knockout victory to move on to the finals.
Women's flyweight: Liz Carmouche vs. Elora Dana
Carmouche to win inside the distance. Coming off an impressive showing, Carmouche looks for another finish against Dana, an up-and-coming prospect. With Carmouche being so heavily favored, either as her moneyline in a parlay or take her to win inside the distance. Dana is a solid prospect, but Carmouche has the tools to finish the fight anywhere.
Lightweight: Mansour Barnaoui vs. Archie Colgan
Colgan to win. Colgan enters the fight looking to keep his perfect record intact. He is a dominant wrestler with plenty of knockout power. Barnaoui, who is primarily a submission specialist, is in a difficult spot. With such a strong wrestling game, Colgan can shut down Barnaoui's grappling game. I think Colgan should be a -500 favorite here, and we are getting him around -250. Normally, I don't like to go bet on lines that are over -200, but I don't see a world where Colgan loses this matchup.
Women's flyweight: Ekaterina Shakalova vs. Jena Bishop
Shakalova to win (+105). If you like Shakalova, you'd better place that bet soon, before the odds slip away. Although she opened as an underdog, I expect Shakalova to be the betting favorite when the fight starts. Bishop is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner, and a successful one. However, Shakalova can match her on the ground, and she'll have the advantage if the fight stays on the feet.