UFC 330 is less than 24 hours away …
It all goes down this weekend (Sat., Aug. 15, 2026), inside Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In the main event, Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Welterweight champion and No. 1-ranked pound-for-pound fighter, Islam Makhachev, defends his 170-pound title for the first time against Ireland’s Ian Garry-Machado.
We have a weekly series at MMAmania.com called “Weekend Lock,” where we share one bet that we predict will slap in Philly when the chaotic
dust settles. We also want to hear what our readers think (that’s you!), so please tell us your most confident UFC 330 betting lock in the comments section below (see full UFC 330 odds here).
Last week’s recap: We’re back in the win column as Juliana Miller indeed won her fight, and the fight started (and ended) in round two (watch highlights).
Let’s keep rolling below:
On UFC 330’s main card, Middleweight prospect, Mansur Abdul-Malik, looks to rebound from the first loss of his professional career when he collides with Dustin Stoltzfus.
This week, I’m locking in Abdul-Malik vs. Stoltzfus to, “Not Go the Distance (-200).”
Here’s why?
This fight has violence written all over it.
Neither Abdul-Malik nor Stoltzfus is afraid to exchange, and both have consistently shown they’re willing to put themselves in danger to create offense. That’s exactly what we want when betting a fight to end before the judges get involved.
Abdul-Malik, in particular, is a madman.
The 28-year-old owns a 100 percent finish rate, with seven knockouts and two submissions. He’s explosive, physically imposing and constantly looking to hurt his opponent rather than simply bank minutes. Whether it’s on the feet or the mat, Abdul-Malik fights like he’s got somewhere else to be … soon.
Abdul-Malik is coming off the first professional loss of his career, suffering a third-round technical knockout against Yousri Belgaroui (watch highlights). Afterward, he admitted he was trying to be “perfect” instead of fighting naturally. Coming off that setback, expect him to return to the aggressive style that made him one of the more intriguing Middleweight prospects on UFC’s roster.
Dana White & Co. clearly still see something in Abdul-Malik, placing him on UFC 330’s main card in Philadelphia. This feels like an opportunity for him to get back on track with a statement performance.
And Stoltzfus should happily oblige.
The Pennsylvania-born fighter no longer trains in the state, but returning home should provide some extra motivation. More important for this bet, he’s riding a two-fight losing streak and desperately needs a victory.
He’s also been finished three times during his UFC career.
Stoltzfus isn’t someone who simply accepts losing rounds, either. He’s willing to exchange and attack submissions, which creates opportunities for both men. If Abdul-Malik hurts him, Stoltzfus will fire back. If the fight hits the mat, both are capable of finding a finish.
Ultimately, though, I expect Abdul-Malik to take over and eventually run through him.
What could go wrong?
Abdul-Malik’s first professional loss could force him to fight much more cautiously. If he’s determined to prove he can remain composed for 15 minutes, we could get a completely different version of him. Stoltzfus also has enough experience to recognize that turning this into a firefight is probably a bad idea.
Still, these two aren’t exactly known for playing it safe.
Give me Abdul-Malik vs. Stoltzfus to “Not Go the Distance (-200)” as this week’s “Weekend Lock.”
- Mansur Abdul-Malik via TKO/KO/DQ: -105
- Mansur Abdul-Malik via submission: +600
- Mansur Abdul-Malik via decision: +200
- Dustin Stoltzfus via TKO/KO/DQ: +2000
- Dustin Stoltzfus via submission: +1200
- Dustin Stoltzfus via decision: +1000
