Key points

• UFC Vegas 124 takes place on Saturday, 7 November, at the Meta APEX in Las Vegas, with the main card starting at 8 p.m. ET on Paramount+.
• Waldo Cortes-Acosta faces Johnny Walker in a five-round heavyweight main event put together at short notice.
• The original headliner, Sean Brady vs Gabriel Bonfim, was scrapped after Brady withdrew with a knee staph infection.
• Tatiana Suarez meets Virna Jandiroba in the co-main event at women's strawweight.
• Cortes-Acosta is the betting favourite at around -205, with Walker available at around +170.

UFC Fight Night returns to the Meta APEX in Las Vegas this Saturday with a reshuffled card and a heavyweight main event that nobody saw coming a month ago. Waldo Cortes-Acosta faces Johnny Walker over five rounds at UFC Vegas 124, a fight put together at short notice after the original headliner fell apart.

It is not the card the UFC planned, but it may yet be the card that delivers. Both heavyweights accepted the fight on short notice, both carry genuine knockout power, and both have something to prove.

How the card changed

The event was originally set to be headlined by a welterweight bout between Sean Brady and Gabriel Bonfim. That fight was scrapped last week when Brady withdrew due to a knee staph infection, and Bonfim was removed from the card.

The UFC scrambled to find a replacement, and the answer was a heavyweight bout between two ranked fighters who were both available at short notice. Cortes-Acosta, ranked No. 6 in the division, and Walker, the former light heavyweight, both stepped in, and the fight was made official with less than two weeks to go.

As one preview noted, neither man was preparing for a fight when the call came, which makes this a relatively level playing field. At heavyweight, where there is less concern about making weight, the short notice is less of a problem than it would be in a lighter division.

Main event breakdown

Cortes-Acosta, the 33-year-old from the Dominican Republic, is a pressuring boxer with a 17-4 professional record. He has nine wins by TKO and has never been finished in 21 professional fights. His most recent outing ended in a decision defeat to Curtis Blaydes, and he will be looking to get back to winning ways.

Walker, the 34-year-old Brazilian, is a very different proposition. At 6-foot-6 with an 82-inch reach, he is a rangy, unorthodox striker who spent years at light heavyweight before moving up to heavyweight. His debut in the division, at UFC 332 on 3 October, lasted just three minutes and 35 seconds, ending with a devastating first-round flying knee knockout of Mick Parkin.

Eighteen of Walker's 23 wins have come by knockout or TKO, and six of his ten defeats have come the same way. That split is the whole fight: Walker can end it with one shot, and he can be ended. Cortes-Acosta's clearest path is to impose his pressure and boxing over five rounds, while Walker's is early damage.

The betting market has made Cortes-Acosta a clear favourite at around -205, with Walker at around +170, although money has moved towards the Brazilian during fight week.

Co-main event and the rest of the card

The co-main event features a women's strawweight bout between Tatiana Suarez and Virna Jandiroba, two recent title challengers. Suarez is 9-1 in the UFC, while Jandiroba is 9-4, and the winner will put herself firmly in the title picture.

The rest of the main card includes Davey Grant vs Elijah Smith, Seokhyeon Ko vs Wellington Turman, Billy Elekana vs Lucas Fernando, and Mantas Kondratavicius vs Andre Petroski. The featured prelim is Thomas Petersen vs Gabriel Lorenco.

How to watch

UFC Vegas 124 takes place on Saturday, 7 November, at the Meta APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada. The prelims start at 5 p.m. ET, and the main card follows at 8 p.m. ET, streaming on Paramount+ in the United States, with the main card also on CBS. For the rules of the sport, see our MMA weight classes explained guide, and for last weekend's action read our report on Rosas Jr's 43-second submission.

FAQ

When is UFC Vegas 124 and what time does it start?

UFC Vegas 124 is on Saturday, 7 November, at the Meta APEX in Las Vegas. The prelims start at 5 p.m. ET and the main card starts at 8 p.m. ET.

Who is fighting in the UFC Vegas 124 main event?

Waldo Cortes-Acosta faces Johnny Walker in a five-round heavyweight bout. It replaced the original headliner, Sean Brady vs Gabriel Bonfim, after Brady withdrew with a knee staph infection.

Who is the favourite between Cortes-Acosta and Walker?

Cortes-Acosta is the betting favourite at around -205, with Walker available at around +170. Walker has more than four inches of reach on Cortes-Acosta.

What is the co-main event at UFC Vegas 124?

Tatiana Suarez meets Virna Jandiroba in a women's strawweight bout. Both are recent title challengers, and the winner will move closer to another title shot.