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Fight By Fight Preview | UFC Fight Night: Dolidze vs Imavov
Delivering All The Details Ahead Of What Should Be A Busy And Entertaining Night At The UFC APEX On Saturday
By E. Spencer Kyte, on X (Twitter) @spencerkyte
Buckle up, folks, because this weekend kicks off an incredible stretch of 11 consecutive Saturdays featuring action inside the UFC Octagon.
Beginning with this Saturday’s event at the UFC APEX and culminating with UFC 300 in April, this run is bound to deliver changes and clarity to multiple divisions, elevating some athletes to new heights while others will be forced to deal with the bitter taste of defeat.
Let’s get into the finer details of the event that kicks off this run.
Main Event: Roman Dolidze vs Nassourdine Imavov
This weekend’s main event features a pair of ranked middleweights aiming to get things moving in the right direction to begin 2024.
After posting three wins in the final seven months of 2023 and running his overall winning streak to four, Dolidze made just one appearance last year, dropping a unanimous decision to perennial contender Marvin Vettori. He’s 6-2 inside the Octagon across two divisions, sports a 12-2 mark overall, and feels like a competitor that has more to show going forward.
The 28-year-old Imavov was hoping to have a more active and productive year in 2023 after competing just once the year before. While he doubled up his number of appearances, the results just weren’t there, as he dropped a main event assignment to late replacement Sean Strickland at the start of 2024, then had his fight with Chris Curtis in Vancouver halted early and ruled a no contest following an accidental clash of heads.
Both men are stationed in the Top 15 — Dolidze is No. 8, Imavov is No. 11 — and with changes at the top of the divisional hierarchy, there is no time like the present to orchestrate a strong performance and start moving forward again.
Other Main Card Fights
Renato Moicano vs Drew Dober
Some matchups bring an involuntary smile to my face when I think about them, and this is one of those matchups.
A rankings fixture at featherweight to begin his UFC tenure, Moicano has become the same at lightweight, posting a 4-2 record while adopting the “Money Moicano” moniker and chasing down exciting opportunities. He hasn’t competed since the close of 2022 when he dominated and finished Brad Riddell, but that absence should only mean greater focus and drive when he returns this weekend.
From bouncing to the Octagon with “This Is How We Do It” bumping to constantly being in entertaining battles, Dober is someone all fights fans love to see making the walk. The Nebraska native bounced back from his May loss to Matt Frevola with a first-round stoppage win over Ricky Glenn in November and has posted four wins (all finishes) in his last five outings.
Sit back, relax, and enjoy the fireworks.
Randy Brown vs Muslim Salikhov
Originally scheduled to compete at UFC 296, Randy Brown and Muslim Salikhhov now clash this weekend at the UFC APEX.
Brown, who was forced out of the initial date due to illness, steps in having won five of his last six and seven of his last nine, with his two losses during that span coming to Jack Della Maddalena and Vicente Luque. That illustrates not only where “Rudeboy” stands in the division, but how far he’s come since first impressing the Lookin’ for a Fight crew all the way back in 2015.
After posting five straight victories earlier in his UFC tenure to vault into the rankings, the 39-year-old Salikhov might be starting to show signs of slowing down. Last time out, he dropped a unanimous decision to cardio machine Nicolas Dalby and, at 39 years of age, the spinning attacks don’t come as swiftly as they once did any longer.
This is an interesting measuring stick matchup for each man, as it should illustrate where each stands, not only in the division, but in their respective careers as we head into first extended run of events in 2024.
Viviane Araujo vs Natalia Silva
It’s a clash of Brazilian flyweight standouts here as Viviane Araujo faces off with Natalia Silva.
Araujo has lived on the cusp of contention since touching down in the UFC in the spring of 2019, posting a 6-4 record with wins over Roxanne Modafferi, Andrea Lee, and Jennifer Maia, and her setbacks all coming against ranked opponents, including current champ Alexa Grasso. Well-rounded and always in great shape, the Cerrado MMA representative has become the litmus test for hopefuls looking to climb the ranks and veterans aiming to show they’ve still got plenty to offer.
Silva firmly resides in the former of those two groups of fighters, having posted four straight wins to begin her UFC run, including a victory over Jasmine Jasudavicius that continues to age nicely. She turns 27 on fight night, has won 10 straight overall, and has flashed the kind of athleticism and striking acumen that makes her another intriguing, young talent climbing the ranks in the 125-pound weight class at the moment.
Will the veteran Araujo turn back her ambitious compatriot or can Silva take a big step forward in her quest to reach the top of the flyweight division?
Aliaskhab Khizriev vs Makhmud Muradov
Saturday’s other middleweight main card pairing is an intriguing clash between undefeated Dana White’s Contender Series (DWCS) graduate Aliaskhab Khizriev and divisional mainstay Mahkmud Muradov.
A member of the DWCS Class of 2020, Khirziev has made just one appearance inside the Octagon thus far, submitting Denis Tiuliulin in March 2022. “The Black Wolf” is unbeaten in 14 professional appearances with some familiar names on his resume but remains a mystery man in the division after having spent the better part of the last three years on the sidelines.
The 33-year-old Muradov makes his seventh UFC appearance this weekend, aiming to build on his decision win over Bryan Barberena last summer in London. A 34-fight veteran, the well-travelled middleweight has designs on working his way into the rankings in 2024, and starting the year by bouncing Khizriev from the ranks of the unbeaten would certainly help in those efforts.
Fights like this are fascinating to me because we know the level Muradov brings to the Octagon, what it takes to beat him, and what that says about those competitors. It’ll be interesting to see if Khizriev can become one of those select few on Saturday night.
Gilbert Urbina vs Charles Radtke
The main card kicks off in the welterweight division, as former TUF finalist Gilbert Urbina and East Coast regional veteran Charles Radtke share the Octagon.
Urbina stepped in to face Bryan Battle in the middleweight finals on Season 29 of The Ultimate Fighter, suffering a second-round submission loss in the summer of 2021. He resurfaced last year at welterweight, looking sharp while posting a dominant stoppage win over Orion Cosce to register his first UFC victory.
A champion under the CFFC banner before getting the call to the Octagon, Radtke debuted at UFC 293 in Sydney, getting the better of things in a hard-fought battle with Blood Diamond. Currently riding a five-fight winning streak, “Chuck Buffalo” now gets the opportunity to compete in the “Fight Capital of the World” for the first time.
Which of these two will follow up their initial UFC triumph with a second consecutive victory and who will start the year catching a loss?
Preliminary Card Fights
Molly McCann vs Diana Belbita
Strawweights wrap the prelims as Molly McCann and Diana Belbita make their 2024 debuts opposite one another.
McCann enters having dropped back-to-back contests, most recently getting submitted at home, quickly, in July, while the 27-year-old Belbita dropped a competitive decision to Karolina Kowalkiewicz in October after posting a victory in Vancouver in the summer.
Which divisional staple will right the ship to start the year?
Azat Maksum vs Charles Johnson
It’s an intriguing flyweight clash as unbeaten prospect Azat Maksum takes on veteran Charles Johnson on Saturday in Las Vegas.
Perfect through 17 pro fights, Maksum edged out Tyson Nam in his promotional debut in July. Johnson steps in for Nate Maness, eager to right the ship after dropping three straight.
This is a good test for the 28-year-old from Kazahkstan, who looks to move to 18-0 just like his countryman, Shavkat Rakhmonov.
Themba Gorimbo vs Pete Rodriguez
Themba Gorimbo and Pete Rodriguez meet in this welterweight matchup between competitors coming off wins in their sophomore appearances.
Gorimbo out-hustled Takashi Sato in May before becoming BFFs with "The Rock,” while Rodriguez moves back up to welterweight, filling in for Kiefer Crosbie and looking to build on his first-round stoppage win over Mike Jackson from November 2022.
Gorimbo has shown a more complete game, while Rodriguez looks to brandish more power and ferocity, so it’ll be curious to see whose approach prevails here.
JeongYeong Lee vs Blake Bilder
Road to UFC featherweight winner JeongYeong Lee faces off with Blake Bilder in this intriguing featherweight pairing.
Road to UFC featherweight winner JeongYeong Lee faces off with Blake Bilder in this intriguing featherweight pairing.
The 28-year-old Lee has won seven straight after edging out Yi Zha in February to win the featherweight competition. After winning his promotional debut in Australia that same month, Bilder dropped a decision to Kyle Nelson in his sophomore showing in June.
Can Lee maintain his moment or will Bilder shine in his first domestic UFC appearance?
Luana Carolina vs Julija Stoliarenko
Luana Carolina and Julija Stoliarenko meet in a clash of flyweight veterans on Saturday’s prelims.
Carolina moved to 4-3 inside the Octagon with a hard-fought decision win over Ivana Petrovic last fall in Paris, while Stoliarenko tapped out McCann in just under two minutes in her divisional debut in London in July.
Only one will build on their recent success and take another step forward, and finding out who that is should be all kinds of fun.
Landon Quiñones vs MarQuel Mederos
TUF alum Landon Quinones makes his second UFC start, welcoming recent DWCS grad MarQuel Mederos to the Octagon for the first time.
Quinones impressed in a short-notice, losing effort opposite Nasrat Haqparast at UFC 293 in Sydney, while Mederos posted a first-round knockout win over Issa Isakov in October to earn his place on the roster.
Expect an all-action affair when these two hungry lightweights step in on Saturday.
Thomas Petersen vs Jamal Pogues
DWCS alums Thomas Petersen and Jamal Pogues cross paths back at the APEX in this heavyweight fixture.
Petersen tapped out TUF alum Chandler Cole with a keylock to punch his ticket to the biggest stage in the sport, moving to 8-1 with the win. Pogues, who graduated a year earlier, won his debut in February, but dropped his sophomore outing against Mick Parkin in July.
Which heavyweight hopeful will start the year with a victory?
Rei Tsuruya vs Jiniushiyue
Rei Tsuruya and Jiniushiyue meet in the Road to UFC flyweight finale.
Just 21, Tsuraya is already 8-0 after beating Ronal Siahaan and Mark Climaco to advance to the finals. Not to be outdone, the 23-year-old Jiniushiyue bested former finalist SeungGuk Choi to earn his place here.
Both have shown a ton of promise, and regardless of the outcome, have bright futures in this sport.
Kaiwan vs Yi Zha
The featherweight finale of Road to UFC features Kaiwan and Yi Zha.
Sporting a 12-5 record overall, the 28-year-old Kaiwan stopped Lu Kai in the quarterfinals before out-hustling Koya Kanda on the scorecards in the semis. A finalist last season, Yi Zha dominated his opening matchup before claiming a unanimous decision victory in his semifinal pairing.
The two most experienced fighters in the bracket, this should be a competitive, entertaining claim to determine the featherweight tournament winner.
Rongzhu vs Shin Haraguchi
Rongzhu faces off with Shin Haraguchi in the Road to UFC lightweight tournament finals.
Still just 23, Rongzhu has gone 3-0 since exiting the UFC, including a pair of strong outings in his two previous tournament appearances. Unbeaten in eight pro bouts, Haraguchi looks to keep his “0” intact as he steps into the biggest fight of his career.
Will Rongzhu earn a second chance to compete inside the Octagon or will it be Haraguchi that claims victory and the UFC contract?
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UFC 297 - Strickland vs. du Plessis
