Israel Adesanya may very well be the primary domino to fall in a middleweight shakeup.
The 2-time UFC champion places his spot within the contender line up for grabs Saturday at UFC Saudi Arabia when he takes on Nassourdine Imavov in the principle occasion. Adesanya and Imavov are trending in reverse instructions, with “The Final Stylebender” having misplaced three of his previous 4 fights and Imavov getting into Riyadh on a three-fight win streak.
Ought to Imavov win, it might sign a sea change at 185 kilos, with division champion Dricus du Plessis defending his title subsequent weekend towards Sean Strickland, and top-ranked middleweights Anthony Hernandez, Brendan Allen, and Jared Cannonier additionally in motion this February.
Add within the stakes of the co-main occasion between undefeated Shara Magomedov and Michael Web page, and nobody needs to be stunned if the middleweight rankings are unrecognizable six months from now.
What: UFC Saudi Arabia
The place: anb Area in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
When: Saturday, Feb. 1. The six-fight early preliminary card begins at 9 a.m. ET on ESPN+, adopted by a five-fight major card at 12 p.m. ET additionally on ESPN+.
(Numbers in parentheses point out standing within the MMA Preventing World Rankings and Pound-for-Pound Rankings)
Israel Adesanya (4) vs. Nassourdine Imavov (7)
I’m most likely simply being late to the occasion as traditional, however I really feel just like the studies of Israel Adesanya’s demise have been drastically exaggerated.
Don’t get me incorrect, there are actual inquiries to be requested about his present hunch. Adesanya is in his fifteenth 12 months of preventing and turns 36 in July, so a bodily decline is inevitable. His losses to Dricus du Plessis, Sean Strickland, and Alex Pereira weren’t flukes as all three uncovered potential weaknesses in Adesanya’s as soon as impenetrable aura. And it’s potential that in spite of everything he’s completed, his drive isn’t what it was once.
However dig into the sport tape and also you’ll recall Izzy was forward on the playing cards in his first struggle towards Pereira earlier than succumbing to a late flurry and up on one decide’s card towards du Plessis earlier than being submitted. We’re additionally not far faraway from Adesanya straight-up smoking Pereira, the boogeyman of the UFC. There’s nonetheless an incredible fighter in there.
He has to indicate he can nonetheless ship in a 25-minute struggle, as a result of Nassourdine Imavov has all of the motivation on the planet heading into the most important struggle of his profession. Imavov’s hanging has been on level throughout his win streak and youth is on his facet. It will be a real assertion victory if Imavov outlasted Adesanya over 5 rounds.
I nonetheless see Adesanya being too fast and unpredictable for Imavov. Except Adesanya has really misplaced his skill to tug the set off, he’ll management the motion early earlier than discovering a end within the third or fourth spherical.
Choose: Adesanya
Shara Magomedov vs. Michael Web page
I’ve been skeptical of “Shara Bullet” being an actual contender, however similar to everybody else who noticed his double spinning backfist knockout of Armen Petrosyan, I’m beginning to flip round (heh heh heh heh).
Props to My Greatest Pal Mike Heck for having a hand on this matchup after Magomedov responded to Michael Web page calling for a struggle. An actual life On to the Subsequent One second if there ever was one. However critically, it is a good matchup for each guys, with Magomedov wanting so as to add a notable identify to his hit record and Web page making a stress-free soar as much as 185 kilos. It’s doubtless a one-shot deal, however taking Magomedov’s 0 would give Web page loads of choices again at welterweight, too.
This pairing has chess match written throughout it, as each fighters are identified for his or her slick footwork, timing, and countering. Don’t count on both to bum-rush the opposite within the opening 5 minutes, moderately we needs to be handled to an entertaining tactical battle that can open up if it will get to the second and third rounds.
This looks like a lure sport for Magomedov, doesn’t it? He’ll be the heavier fighter, however not the longer one as he’s giving up six inches of attain to “Venom.” And since that is more likely to happen totally on the toes, that distinction offers Web page the same old benefit he has in these sorts of matchups. In the identical vein as Stephen Thompson, Web page is a puzzle within the standup, and Magomedov and his crew higher have the suitable sport plan to unravel it or this may very well be a humbling defeat.
Magomedov continues to be rising as a fighter and I like what I’ve seen of his improvement throughout his UFC run, even when the outcomes haven’t all the time been compelling. I’m selecting him to proceed on his upward trajectory with a call win over Web page.
Choose: Magomedov
Sergei Pavlovich (7) vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik (12)
Sergei Pavlovich didn’t look proper in his most up-to-date struggle towards Alexander Volkov. Perhaps the muddled feud between the previous coaching companions threw him off, or possibly it was Volkov’s lengthy and lanky body, or possibly Pavlovich simply obtained caught up within the Volkov renaissance. Whatever the cause, Pavlovich wants a win right here to remind us why he was as soon as tapped to struggle Tom Aspinall for an interim title.
Jairzinho Rozenstruik has the technical abilities to frustrate the hulking Pavlovich, however we’ll see how lengthy he can wait to start out letting his arms go along with Pavlovich pressuring him. When Rozenstruik outpointed Tai Tuivasa at UFC 305 (a transparent resolution win in everybody’s eyes aside from mystified decide Howie Sales space), his footwork and technical mastery had been on full show. Let’s not overlook he has critical punching energy, too, having ended a number of of his UFC wins in seconds.
I’m simply getting a bizarre vibe right here and I really feel like Rozenstruik is overdue for a definitive knockout. He catches Pavlovich coming in early and scores the first-round end.
Choose: Rozenstruik
Mentioned Nurmagomedov vs. Vinicius Oliveira
You hate to scale back any fashionable UFC matchup to wrestler vs. striker, however it is a wrestler vs. striker matchup if there ever was one. Certain, Mentioned Nurmagomedov has stable hanging fundamentals and might compete with Vinicius Oliveira in that division, however relating to sheer dynamism, it’s “Lok Canine” who has that in spades.
Nurmagomedov will seek for openings to take Oliveira down from the second the bell rings, however he’ll discover the athletic Brazilian tough to catch. Each time Nurmagomedov closes the gap to grapple or geese in for a shot, he’ll probably be exposing himself to a spectacular counter strike from Oliveira. Ultimately, he’ll dip his head into the incorrect angle on the incorrect time, and that’s when Oliveira will make magic occur.
Give me Oliveira by knockout in Spherical 2 after a aggressive opening body.
Choose: Oliveira
Fares Ziam vs. Mike Davis
We open the principle card with a dip into the light-weight shark tank. Fares Ziam and Mike Davis are each absolute killers who’re nonetheless no less than two or three wins away from a rating within the loaded 155-pound division. Whoever wins Saturday might set themselves up for a large 2025 marketing campaign.
For Davis, that prediction comes with an asterisk, as the principle factor hindering him from having a quantity subsequent to his identify is inactivity. Varied maladies have stored Davis out of the octagon as UFC Saudi Arabia marks simply his third struggle since 2019. Everybody is aware of Davis has the products, however can he keep wholesome? And may he hold tempo with a division always churning out elite fighters?
Ziam might be barely extra inclined to strike, whereas Davis will purpose to combine the martial arts to interrupt the Frenchman’s rhythm. If Davis continues to strategically rating takedowns, it is going to forestall Ziam from getting his thrilling hanging sport going. In shut, Davis can pepper Ziam with brief pictures and put on him down. At vary, Ziam is awfully harmful, and one good learn away from taking Davis’ head off.
This can be a pretty matchup and it’s a disgrace one man has to see a four-fight win streak snapped, however I like Davis by resolution right here.
Choose: Davis
Preliminaries
Muhammad Naimov def. Kaan Ofli
Shamil Gaziev def. Thomas Petersen
Terrance McKinney def. Damir Hadzovic
Mayra Bueno Silva (7, WBW) def. Jasmine Jasudavicius
Bogdan Grad def. Lucas Alexander
Hamdy Abdelwahab def. Jamal Pogues
