UFC Middleweight contenders collide this Saturday as #7 Sean Strickland will face #12 Nassourdine Imavov. Stickland will be filling in on five days’ notice for the injured Kelvin Gastelum. This is the second straight UFC event that Strickland has headlined. Making him the first fighter to Main Event back-to-back cards since Tito Ortiz in 2004-2005.

#7 Sean Strickland (25-5) vs #12 Nassourdine Imavov (12-3)

After Kelvin Gastelum had to pull out with an injury that occurred during sparring over the weekend. It looked like the first main event of the new year for the UFC may not happen. Nassourdine Imavov has had trouble finding opponents in the past so it seemed unlikely that with less than a week before fight night, someone would be willing to step up and face the talented 185-pound prospect. However, perennial contender Sean Strickland is always ready for a fight. Strickland is looking to get back in the win column after a split-decision loss to #3 ranked Jared Cannonier in December. Imavov is coming off back-to-back wins against dangerous strikers Edman Shahbazyan and Joaquin Buckley. Imavov is very well-rounded, and his ground game may cause problems for some of the elite fighters in the Middleweight division.

Currently, this fight is trending at even odds with both fighters having a (-110) betting line (Fanduel.Draftkings.). Strickland will attempt to keep this fight standing and utilize his boxing skills while Imavov will more than likely attempt to take this fight to the ground at some point. Strickland has faced the top competition the UFC has to offer having competed against current Middleweight champion Alex Pereira and former title challenger Jared Cannonier in his last two fights. Imavov is 4-1 inside the octagon with his only loss coming against former collegiate wrestler Phil Hawes. It is worth noting that while this fight is between ranked middleweight contenders, it will be contested in the 205-pound Light Heavyweight division. This is due to the short-notice nature of the fight, with Strickland only having five days to make 185 pounds.

Prediction

If I had to make a prediction for this fight, I would take Strickland by Decision. Strickland is not known for being a knockout artist. Although, his ability to avoid shots and land his own makes him a formidable opponent on the feet for anyone. Imavov will look to take Strickland down if he runs into problems while striking. What I’m interested in is if Imavov will be physically strong enough to keep Strickland on the ground and control him. Strickland is known for having tremendous takedown defense and using his defensive Jiu-Jitsu to scramble back to his feet.

When Strickland faced grapple heavy opponents in the past like Court Mcgee and Jack Hermanson. He showcased his ability to defend the takedown while outpointing both in the striking exchanges. When you compare the two fighter’s resumes Strickland has faced tougher competition but has struggled recently. Imavov (6’3) will have a two-inch height advantage in this matchup. This is an extremely close fight, but I lean towards Strickland who has won by decision in 8 of his 12 UFC victories.

Dan Ige (15-6) vs Damon Jackson (22-4-1)

The Co-Main Event of this weekend’s fight night card will feature a Featherweight matchup between UFC veterans Dan Ige and Damon Jackson. Ige has fallen on hard times recently losing 4 of his last 5 fights. At one time Ige was a rising prospect with tremendous power in his hands for the 145-pound division. Since stepping up in competition Ige has struggled with some of the division’s best in Calvin Kattar, Josh Emmet, and Chan Sung Jung. Jackson is riding a four-fight winning streak into this contest and has not lost since his fight with Ilia Topuria two years ago.

Ige will be the physically stronger fighter in this contest but may look to keep the fight standing. This is due to his opponent’s ability to find submissions. Jackson has finished 15 of his 22 professional wins by submission and is extremely dangerous on the ground. This should be a fan-friendly contest as each fighter rarely puts on an unentertaining performance.

UFC Fight Night Prelims and upcoming UFC schedule:

The fight that I am most excited to see this weekend is between highly touted Bantamweight prospects Umar Nurmagomedov (15-0) and Raoni Barcelos (17-3). Umar is the cousin of Khabib Nurmagomedov (UFC Hall of Famer, 28-0) and Usman Nurmagomedov (Bellator Lightweight champion, 16-0) and represents the most dominant fighting family in the world today. Some think that Umar is destined for UFC gold but first he will have to go through the dangerous Brazilian Raoni Barcelos (8 Ko, 2 Sub). Also, on the UFC fight night prelims a matchup of undefeated Bantamweights Javid Basharat (13-0) and Mateus Mendonca (10-0) is worth tuning in for. Both fighters are recent signings for the UFC and will be looking to make a name for themselves. This Fight Night Card will take place from the Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The first PPV event for the UFC this year will be on January 21st and features two world title fights. Former UFC champion Glover Texeira will be facing Jamahal Hill for the vacant Light Heavyweight title. In the Co-Main event, Flyweight champions Deiveson Figueiredo and Brandon Moreno will fight for fourth time.

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