UFC 327 brings a new light heavyweight champion closer to being crowned. Here is a clear look at the main card, fighter form, and predictions with the latest odds.
Main event: Jiri Prochazka vs. Carlos Ulberg
The main event will name the new UFC light heavyweight champion after Alex Pereira vacated the belt to move up to heavyweight. Jiri Prochazka wants the title back. He joined the UFC from RIZIN and is 6-2 since arriving. Prochazka beat Glover Teixeira for the title at UFC 275 but vacated it because of injury. He tried to regain the belt twice and lost both times to Alex Pereira (UFC 295 and UFC 303).
Carlos Ulberg is 13-1 as a pro and has not lost since his UFC debut defeat to Kennedy Nzechukwu at UFC 259. Ulberg has won nine straight. His run includes knockout wins over Dominick Reyes and Alonzo Menifield, a submission of Da-un Jung, and decision wins over Jan Blachowicz and Volkan Oezdemir.
Co-main: Azamat Murzakanov vs. Paulo Costa
After a planned flyweight title fight moved to another event, the co-main now features two heavy hitters. Azamat Murzakanov is 16-0 and has won six straight since joining the UFC from Dana White’s Contender Series. He most recently scored a first-round finish of Aleksandar Rakic at UFC 321.
Paulo Costa last fought at UFC 318, winning a decision over Roman Kopylov. Costa is 2-4 in his last six fights. He has moved up in weight before once at 205, but this fight is a full jump up. Expect heavy pressure and a tough test for both fighters.
Main card highlights and other matchups
Other fights on the main card include Curtis Blaydes vs. Josh Hokit, Dominick Reyes vs. Johnny Walker, and Cub Swanson vs. Nate Landwehr in Swanson’s retirement fight. The card also features Patricio “Pitbull” vs. Aaron Pico, Mateusz Gamrot vs. Estevan Ribovics, Kevin Holland vs. Randy Brown, Tatiana Suarez vs. Loopy Godinez, Chris Padilla vs. MarQuel Mederos, Kelvin Gastelum vs. Vicente Luque, and Charles Radtke vs. Francisco Prado.
Notable recent notes: Gamrot was finished by Charles Oliveira in October, Suarez suffered her first career loss to Weili Zhang and is chasing a title path, and Pitbull has at least one UFC win last year after joining the promotion.
Odds, predictions and best bets
Here are the top picks and best bets based on the latest odds (as of 11:45am ET on April 9, via DraftKings):
Main event pick: Jiri Prochazka to win (best bet: Prochazka via KO/TKO/DQ [+140]).
Co-main pick: Azamat Murzakanov to remain undefeated (best bet: Murzakanov via KO/TKO/DQ [+200]).
Other main card predictions include Curtis Blaydes over Josh Hokit (Blaydes via decision [+225]), Dominick Reyes over Johnny Walker (Reyes via KO/TKO/DQ [+110]), and Cub Swanson to win his final fight (Swanson ML [-105]).
Additional best bets: Patricio Pitbull to beat Aaron Pico (Pitbull ML [+245]), Mateusz Gamrot to beat Estevan Ribovics (Gamrot via decision [-120]), Kevin Holland over Randy Brown (fight does NOT go the distance [-115]), Tatiana Suarez over Loopy Godinez (Suarez via decision [+120]), and Charles Radtke over Francisco Prado (Radtke ML [-175]).
| Fighter | Recent Result |
|---|---|
| Jiri Prochazka | 6-2 since joining UFC; vacated title after injury; lost twice to Alex Pereira (UFC 295, UFC 303) |
| Carlos Ulberg | 13-1 pro; nine straight wins with KOs of Reyes and Menifield, submission of Da-un Jung, decisions over Blachowicz and Oezdemir |
| Azamat Murzakanov | 16-0 pro; six straight wins in UFC; finished Aleksandar Rakic at UFC 321 |
| Paulo Costa | Last fought at UFC 318 (decision win over Roman Kopylov); 2-4 in last six |
| Mateusz Gamrot | Lost to Charles Oliveira in October; otherwise a strong contender |
| Tatiana Suarez | Seeking a return to title contention after loss to Weili Zhang |
This card sets up big moments at light heavyweight and several key matchups across divisions. Expect action and a mix of finishes and close decisions on the main card.
