UFC Fight Night 124 takes place tonight (Sunday January 14) from the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Missouri, United States.

The main card airs live on Fox Sports 1 from 10pm EST, featuring a highly anticipated women’s flyweight showdown between Paige VanZant and Jessica-Rose Clark. “12 Gauge” looks to make an immediate impact in her 125-pound debut and eventually work her way up to a title shot. Meanwhile, “Jessy Jess” looks to pick up the most high-profile victory of her career against one of the most popular stars on the roster.

The FS1 preliminary card airs at 8pm EST, featuring a women’s bantamweight bout between submission specialist Talita Bernardo and Mexican striker, Irene Aldana. The early prelims air on UFC Fight Pass from 6pm EST, showcasing a flyweight contest between Jessica Eye and Kalindra Faria, as well as a strawweight battle between Danielle Taylor and JJ Aldrich.

Ahead of tonight’s event, the WMMA Rankings have made their predictions for the fights. Take a look below:

Paige VanZant (7-3) vs. Jessica-Rose Clark (8-4), flyweight bout

Main card (FOX Sports 1 at 10 p.m. ET)

Nick: I can never go against PVZ! Jessica is no joke though— she’s dangerous everywhere. I think Rose-Clark is well-rounded and crisp, however, I think pressure, durability, and grit of PVZ will take home the W. A lot of positive changes— new boyfriend, new gym, new division, etc. are going to pay dividends toward a “stronger, faster, and more powerful” Paige that I have full faith in.

Pick: Paige VanZant

Lucy: Jessy Jess and VanZant is an interesting fight, both fighters have mostly fought at a different weight classes and are now meeting at Flyweight. Clark is coming down from 135 so you’d assume she’d have the size advantage, but PVZ was quite petite at Strawweight and looked much healthier at the weigh-ins for this fight. I think VanZant has a very aggressive style that will be helped by having more strength behind her at this new weight. I can see both fighters being happy to stand and trade strikes but VanZant doesn’t shy away from taking things to the ground with her scrappy style. I see VanZant getting Clark down and making a big statement at Flyweight with a TKO finish.

Pick: Paige VanZant

Noah: On paper, Clark will no doubt have the major size and strength advantage in this fight. The Australian has previously competed at both featherweight and bantamweight and owns a notable submission win over one of the best 145-pound fighters in the world in Arlene Blencowe. However, VanZant is a young 23-year-old who despite being called up to the UFC a little too early, has shown the ability to continue learning and adding in new surprises to her game. Her switch up in training camps, as well as a 12-month layoff to refresh, can have only worked to her benefit. VanZant’s pace, athleticism, constant growth and unpredictability will be too much for Clark to handle.

Pick: Paige VanZant

Talita Bernardo (4-2) vs. Irene Aldana (7-4), bantamweight bout

Prelims (FOX Sports 1 at 8 p.m. ET)

Nick: When this fight was first announced I thought this pairing was random, however, I really like this fight. This can boil down to a classic “striker vs grappler” match-up— Irene being the talented boxer with dynamic footwork and good head movement vs Talita being the BJJ ace with heavy top pressure and slick submissions. I think both ladies have great potential and their best moments are yet to come. With that being said, I think third time will be the charm for Aldana— I see her ‘sprawling and brawling’ her way to a decision victory.

Pick: Irene Aldana

Lucy: It’s never a bad fight with Irene Aldana in the cage, she’s taking on Talita Bernado. This is a bit of a striker vs grappler fight. Talita is known for her slick submissions, while Aldana is known for fun striking brawls. I see Aldana using her height and reach to keep Talita away just enough that she can get in and out and strike Talita at will. I see Aldana winning by a dominant decision.

Pick: Irene Aldana

Noah: A classic striker vs. grappler match-up. Bernardo is no joke on the ground, once she gets you there she’s more than likely going to submit you. However, in her last fight she failed to implement her game against Marion Reneau, eventually finding herself victim of a TKO. She’ll likely have the same problems tonight, Aldana will use her superior striking, reach and distance to pick Bernardo apart.

Pick: Irene Aldana



Kalindra Faria (18-6) vs. Jessica Eye (11-6), flyweight bout

Early Prelims (UFC Fight Pass at 6 p.m. ET)

Nick: Both fighter’s are so, so hungry here— this is definitely a sleeper fight on the card. Faria wants to bounce back from a disappointing UFC debut and Eye is fighting with her career on the line. Jessica’s been promising a huge comeback at her rightful weight class and I believe she’ll get it done. I think her time and experiences at 135 will serve her well in this division. Faria is a gritty, tough out, however, I think a refreshed Eye gets the job done.

Pick: Jessica Eye

Lucy: Jessica Eye is formerly the number one ranked Flyweight in the world and she’s looking to get that title back, starting with Kalindra Faria. Eye has had her share of losses in UFC, but they were mostly against former champs or former title contenders. Eye didn’t think she could get back to fighting at Flyweight, but has changed her mind and is looking to get back in the win column. I see Eye winning by decision or getting a surprise KO.

Pick: Jessica Eye

Noah: This fight should be a fun showcase for Eye. Faria is no joke and does have a lot of impressive wins to her record, however she has not fought the same level of competition which Eye has. Eye uses her boxing to pick her apart on the feet, with the move down to 125-pounds she’ll have more power, be less hesitant and potentially finish the fight.

Pick: Jessica Eye



Danielle Taylor (9-2) vs. JJ Aldrich (5-2)

Early Prelims (UFC Fight Pass at 6 p.m. ET)

Nick: For every fight Taylor will be at a considerable height and reach disadvantage, and this fight vs JJ is no different. DT has been able to win some narrow decisions using her explosiveness and speed, however, I don’t think that’s going to be enough to top Aldrich. I believe that Aldrich can negate Taylor’s output and control the pace of the fight en route to a decision win.

Pick: JJ Aldrich

Lucy: Taylor and Aldrich are both good, fun strikers to watch. Aldrich is probably a better grappler and I think that’s where she’ll get her edge in this fight. Taylor likes to use her footwork but I think Aldrich will catch her and use her dangerous knee strikes to drop Taylor. I think Aldrich wins via TKO.

Pick: JJ Aldrich

Noah: Aldrich will have the major size advantage in this one. However, Taylor is called “Dynamite” for a reason, and despite her size, her speed and elusiveness has been a problem for her UFC opponents, elite-level athletes such as Seo Hee Ham, Jessica Penne and Maryna Moroz. Although those fights were very close, Taylor still possessed the ability to hang in there. The former King of the Cage champion gets the job done again tonight with a unanimous decision.

Pick: Danielle Taylor

WMMA fans, how do you see tonight’s fights going? Who do you think will emerge victorious? Let us know in the comments section below.

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