Junior Tafa vs. Valter Walker: UFC 305 Preliminary Card Picks (2024)
We have an absolutely loaded UFC 305 card this weekend, featuring a championship fight and three ranked bouts on the main card. However, this event is littered with compelling fights, including the seven preliminary fights. Below I'll dive into three of the prelims from a betting perspective and let you know where I'm laying my money on the canvas Saturday.
The early prelims get started at 6:30 p.m. ET, and UFC 305 will take place at the RAC Arena in Perth, Australia. Here are my top UFC 305 preliminary card picks. Below we dive into my top UFC 305 picks and predictions for Junior Tafa vs. Valter Walker.
UFC 305 Preliminary Card Picks: Junior Tafa vs. Valter Walker
(Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)
Junior Tafa vs. Valter Walker
The prelims conclude with a Heavyweight headliner between Junior Tafa and Valter Walker. Walker's coming off of his first professional loss, a 15-minute decision defeat at the hands of Lukasz Brzeski. As for Tafa, he was also defeated in his most recent fight, losing to Marcos Rogerio de Lima in a second-round knockout (Kick).
I'm going to play the underdog, Valter Walker, in this contest. I'm not sold on either of these guys as top contenders in the division, but Walker seems to be the more well-rounded brawler. He landed four takedowns in the losing effort against Brzeski, which signals to me that he's more than a one-trick pony looking for knockouts.
Tafa boasts a respectable 81% takedown defense rate, but we've seen him get taken down three times in his last three fights. Walker has six knockout wins and a submission to his resume, and I can see him notching another finish on Saturday. Tafa's landing only 1.81 significant strikes per minute, and his grappling game is non-existent. I think Walker gets back in the win column.
Bet: Valter Walker Moneyline (+110)