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This weekend sees the UFC head back to the Las Vegas APEX for a Fight Night event that appears to be flying under the radar somewhat.
UFC Fight Night: Roman Dolidze vs. Nassourdine Imavov is not heavy on star power, but there are definitely plenty of reasons for fans to tune in.
With potential brawls in multiple divisions, fights with possible title implications, and some top prospects, this is a show worth watching.
Here are five reasons to watch UFC Fight Night: Roman Dolidze vs. Nassourdine Imavov.
#5. Molly McCann will be fighting for her UFC career
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Given that she’s one of the more notable UFC stars in the UK right now, it’s surprising to see that Molly McCann’s fight with Diana Belbita has been placed on this weekend’s preliminary card.
Essentially, there’s a lot more at stake here for ‘Meatball’ than simply her octagon debut at 115 pounds. Realistically, if the Liverpool native falls to Belbita, then her UFC career could well be in critical condition, if not over point blank.
After winning three fights in a row between September 2021 and July 2022, it looked like McCann had an outside chance of climbing into title contention. However, two straight losses since, both via submission, have put her on the precipice.
Still, this weekend should give the Liverpudlian a chance to bounce back. Belbita has a spotty record in the octagon and, interestingly, lost to McCann via decision back in 2019.
More importantly, ‘Meatball’ clearly believes that the drop to 115 pounds will reignite her career, and she also seems unfazed by the negativity aimed towards her by some fans.
With everything considered, then, McCann will be hoping to get back to her best this weekend, making her fight a must-see one.
#4. Randy Brown vs. Muslim Salikhov could be a fun one to watch
Some fighters on the UFC’s roster are clearly not destined to climb up into title contention, but they’re always worth watching purely because of their fighting style.
This weekend, two such fighters will face off in the welterweight division as Randy Brown faces Muslim Salikhov.
It’s fair to say that neither man has really reached their potential, given that they both arrived in the promotion as highly-rated prospects. However, they’ve always remained fun to watch and could produce something special at the APEX.
Emerging from the long-gone web series Dana White's Looking for a Fight, Brown has been in the promotion since 2016 now and is one of the more experienced fighters on the roster.
With a well-rounded style and a lanky frame that makes him difficult to get a handle on, he’s actually 5-1 in his last six bouts and should probably be classed as a little underrated.
Salikhov, meanwhile, is best known for his flashy style of striking, incorporating tons of low-percentage shots, but ‘The King of Kung Fu’ isn’t a bad grappler either. Had he not lost a close decision against Nicolas Dalby in his last bout, he’d also be on a pretty strong run.
Could the winner of this one break into the top 15? It feels doubtful, but both men usually come to finish their fights so if nothing else, it should be a wildly entertaining fight to watch, giving fans another reason to tune in.
#3. Aliaskhab Khizriev is an intriguing prospect at 185 pounds
Most of the UFC’s Fight Night events feature at least one or two hot prospects, and the one to keep an eye on this weekend is middleweight Aliaskhab Khizriev.
‘The Black Wolf’ is currently 12-0 in MMA and looked excellent in his octagon debut, dispatching Denis Tiuliulin with a rear naked choke in the second round.
Since then, unfortunately, the Russian has been out of action with various injuries, meaning this weekend will be his first fight in almost two years.
Will he be able to produce the goods? He’s not exactly drawn an easy opponent in the form of Makhmud Muradov, who was once considered a hot prospect in his own right.
However, Muradov was out-grappled in both of his octagon defeats, and that should be music to Khizriev’s ears, as ‘The Black Wolf’ tends to spam his foes with takedowns before looking to submit them or smash them with ground strikes.
Overall, if Khizriev can win this fight, then it’s likely that he’ll garner plenty of hype. Assuming he can avoid a lengthy layoff, he could be a fighter to keep a close eye on in terms of breaking into future contention.
#2. The headliner could have UFC middleweight title implications
Okay, so it’s fair to say that neither Roman Dolidze nor Nassourdine Imavov can bring the star power of Conor McGregor to a UFC show. In fact, casual fans would probably fail to pick either man out of a line-up.
However, the truth is that despite their low name value, both men are genuine title threats at middleweight right now. And with the division largely in flux and lacking a dominant champ now, that means this fight is a high-stakes one.
Both men have sailed close to the top before. Dolidze looked to break into the elite level when he faced Marvin Vettori last year, only to come up short in a controversial bout that many fans scored in his favor.
Imavov, meanwhile, went the distance with Sean Strickland in January 2023, pushing ‘Tarzan’ all the way over five rounds. Given that Strickland later went onto claim the middleweight title, ‘The Sniper’ is clearly as legit as it gets.
Will the winner of this one propel themselves into title contention? There’s no reason why not. With Dolidze currently ranked at No. 8 and Imavov at No.11, there aren’t too many people ahead of them in the queue.
More importantly, both men are consummate finishers, particularly Dolidze, who has three Performance of the Night awards to his name.
Essentially, then, despite the lack of fanfare, this is an important bout for the 185-pound division, and it should be action-packed, making it well worth watching.
#1. Drew Dober vs. Renato Moicano could be an instant classic
While there’s more on the line in the headline bout this weekend, the biggest reason to tune into this Fight Night event is the presence of two of the UFC’s most exciting fighters in the co-main event.
Put simply, while they’re not the biggest stars from a name-value perspective, both Renato Moicano and Drew Dober should be considered must-see attractions, as neither man is ever involved in a dull fight.
Given that they’ve been paired against one another this weekend, it’s highly unlikely that statistic will change come Saturday.
Once considered near the bottom of the lightweight totem pole, Dober has transformed himself entirely over the last few years. In far superior shape to how he once looked, he now looks to exchange bombs with whoever he faces, regardless of their style.
This has led him to some brutal knockout wins, as well as a number of equally entertaining losses. He’s been in the UFC for over a decade now, and of his 22 bouts in the octagon, just six have gone the distance. Essentially, he could well develop into the next Jim Miller.
Moicano has been almost as exciting to watch, too. Largely a grappler who is a willing striker at times, the Brazilian has a finishing rate almost as impressive as Dober’s. Out of his 14 UFC appearances, he’s been the distance on just four occasions.
Basically, the chances of this fight lasting all three rounds this weekend are remarkably slim, and it seems like the Fight of the Night is almost a guarantee. If anything, this could be one of February’s best fights, making this weekend’s show a must-watch.
