Malcolm Wellmaker and Otari Tanzilovi kick off the UFC Fight Night 290 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: 4-1
- UFC main cards, 2026: 109-68-1
Malcolm Wellmaker vs. Otari Tanzilovi UFC Vegas 122 preview
Wellmaker (10-2 MMA, 2-2 UFC) aims to get back on track after a blazing-hot introduction into the UFC. He won his Dana White's Contender Series fight and first two UFC bouts with first-round knockouts, but has since lost two straight.
Tanzilovi (10-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC) is 1-2 over his last three appearances, including a unanimous decision loss in his debut against Shane Collins in June. His activity has been low, as this will be his second fight in the same year for the first time since 2022.
Malcolm Wellmaker vs. Otari Tanzilovi UFC Vegas 122 expert pick, prediction
Kicking off the main card in proper fashion is a potential banger at bantamweight
between Malcolm Wellmaker and Otari Tanzilovi.
Despite the stock being low on Wellmaker after two tough losses, I believe that this could be a solid bounce-back spot for the 32-year-old.
Aside from Wellmaker moving shop down to South Florida to train at American Top Team, his opponent, Tanzilovi, offers a low-powered and low-output striking style that could allow a dynamic athlete like Wellmaker to get his groove going.
For that reason, I'll side with Wellmaker to get back on track with a Round 1 knockout.
Malcolm Wellmaker vs. Otari Tanzilovi UFC Vegas 122 odds
The oddsmakers and the public favor the American fighter, listing Wellmaker -230 and Tanzilovi +184 via FanDuel.
Malcolm Wellmaker vs. Otari Tanzilovi UFC Vegas 122 start time, how to watch
Wellmaker and Tanzilovi are expected to walk to the cage at approximately 8:10 p.m. ET. The fight streams live on Paramount+ and airs on CBS.
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Malcolm Wellmaker vs. Otari Tanzilovi prediction, pick, time for UFC Vegas 122
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