Billy Elekana and Lucas Fernando meet on the UFC Fight Night 293 main card at the Meta APEX in Las Vegas. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup from MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom.
- Last event's results: 3-2
- UFC main cards, 2026: 122-76-1
Billy Elekana vs. Lucas Fernando UFC Fight Night 293 preview
Elekana (10-2 MMA, 3-1 UFC) has won three straight and finished his last two opponents, Kevin Christian and Junior Tafa.
Fernando (14-3 MMA, 1-0 UFC) enters his sophomore UFC appearance after his August debut, in which he stopped Rafael Tobias with strikes in the third round.
Billy Elekana vs. Lucas Fernando UFC Fight Night 293 expert pick, prediction
Filling out the main card is a light heavyweight booking between Billy Elekana and Lucas Fernando.
Elekana and Fernando have jumped between middleweight and light heavyweight throughout their careers, but 205 pounds seems to be a healthy home for both men.
I'll be curious to see if Elekana's southpaw
stance changes the lead hand and leg kick dynamics negatively for Fernando, but I ultimately suspect that the Pedro Rizzo-trained striker will have a solid game plan for his American counterpart.
Fernando is also a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt who trains under Andre Pederneiras, so I expect the UFC sophomore will be more than prepared for a ground fight as well.
Even though I can see Elekana offering some solid looks early, I expect Fernando to eventually zero in on his targets and force a stoppage via strikes in Round 3.
Watch UFC Fight Night 293 with Paramount+
Billy Elekana vs. Lucas Fernando UFC Fight Night 293 odds
The oddsmakers and the public favor the Brazilian fighter, listing Fernando -325 and Elekana +250 via FanDuel.
Billy Elekana vs. Lucas Fernando UFC Fight Night 293 start time, how to watch
Elekana and Fernando are expected to walk to the cage at approximately 9:15 p.m. ET. The fight streams live on Paramount+.
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Billy Elekana vs. Lucas Fernando prediction, pick, start time, odds for UFC Fight Night 293
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