*Israel Adesanya cracks Robert Whittaker with a vicious knee to the head. Credit: Wrestling Observer.*

The UFC heads to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with an outstanding Fight Night card. From start to finish, this card is stacked with top-level talent and trained killers, all looking to add to their highlight reels. In the co-main event, we’ll see a matchup of two high-level strikers when the red-hot Shara Magomedov takes on the always-dangerous Michael “Venom” Page. In the main event, the former Middleweight champion Israel Adesanya will face off against surging contender Nassourdine Imavov. Let’s take a look at the fights on the main card.

Farès Ziam vs. Mike Davis

*Farès Ziam blasts Michael Figlak with an impressive head kick. Credit: Yahoo Sports.*

Lightweight Bout

Farès Ziam: 16-4-0, 6 KO/TKO, 4 Sub.

Mike Davis: 11-2-0, 7 KO/TKO, 2 Sub.

Ziam has won four of his last five fights and has UFC victories over Jai Herbert (13-5-1), Claudio Puelles (13-4-0), and Jamie Mullarkey (17-8-0). He is a patient, technical kickboxer, constantly feinting and looking for openings to land powerful, straight shots. He’s at his best when he takes the center of the octagon and fights at range, picking his opponent apart with a mix of kicks and punches. Ziam is a capable grappler with a solid submission game, particularly chokes. Training at Kill Cliff FC, he’s very defensively sound, having defended 66% of significant strikes attempted on him in the UFC. He’s proven capable of surviving in deep waters on the ground, regularly getting taken down and fighting back to his feet. Ziam has outstruck his opponent in all of his UFC wins, always pushing a consistent pace throughout the fight.

*Mike Davis lands a brutal flying knee on Thomas Gifford. Credit: MMA Mania.*

Davis has won four of his last five bouts and has UFC victories over Viacheslav Borshchev (8-4-1), Mason Jones (14-3-0), and Natan Levy (8-2-0). He’s a well-rounded, powerful fighter who can finish the fight anywhere. He’s constantly pressuring forward, fighting behind his jab, and throwing every shot with power without telegraphing. Davis is averaging nearly three takedowns landed per fifteen minutes in the UFC and is dangerous on the mat, with excellent submissions and brutal ground and pound. Training at Fusion X-Cel, he has great takedown entries and timing and can bring his opponent to the mat in open space or the clinch. He’s very fluid on the ground, transitioning between positions effortlessly, and has outstanding top and back control. Davis has secured most of his finished after round one, pushing a consistent pace throughout and remaining dangerous at all times.

Said Nurmagomedov vs. Vinícius Oliveira

*Said Nurmagomedov fires a head kick at Douglas Silva de Andrade. Credit: MMA Fighting.*

Bantamweight Bout

Said Nurmagomedov: 18-3-0, 4 KO/TKO, 6 Sub.

Vinícius Oliveira: 21-3-0, 16 KO/TKO, 2 Sub.

Nurmagomedov has won four of his last five outings and has UFC victories over Douglas Silva de Andrade (29-6-0), Cody Stamann (21-8-1), and Muin Gafurov (20-6-0). Don’t let the last name fool you; he’s a kick-first striker who loves to throw flashy, spinning attacks. He prefers power to volume and can produce a flash knockout anytime. Although Nurmagomedov throws some unorthodox attacks, he always remains composed, keeps his guard high, and uses excellent footwork. Training at DagFighter, he’s averaging over one takedown and one submission attempted per fifteen minutes and sets up his grappling with his striking. Unsurprisingly, he has a wrestling base and is highly dangerous with both his ground and pound and submission game. Nurmagomedov does a fantastic job of evenly varying his shots, attacking both the head and body.

*Vinícius Oliveira lands a brutal flying knee on Bernardo Sopaj. Credit: MMA Fighting.*

Oliveira has won four of his last five fights and has UFC victories over Ricky Simón (20-6-0) and Bernardo Sopaj (12-3-0). He’s a vicious, elusive striker with serious power in his hands and an unpredictable arsenal of attacks. He utilizes a very unorthodox stance and movement style, keeping his hands down and relying on his head movement and footwork to avoid damage. Oliveira typically remains at range, keeping his head off the centerline before entering the pocket to unload wild, looping hooks. Oliveira never telegraphs his next move, sometimes picking his shots and staying at range and other times extending long punch combinations punctuated with heavy kicks. Training with Sombra Team MMA, he won’t typically initiate grappling exchanges but has shown outstanding takedown defense in the UFC and will not accept a position on his back. Thirteen of his sixteen knockouts have come in the first round, and he’s most dangerous early on, carrying his power throughout but often reducing his pace and footwork as the fight continues.

#4 Sergei Pavlovich vs. #9 Jairzinho Rozenstruik

*Sergei Pavlovich unloads brutal ground and pound onto Curtis Blaydes. Credit: MMA Fighting.*

Heavyweight Bout

Sergei Pavlovich: 18-3-0, 15 KO/TKO, 0 Sub.

Jairzinho Rozenstruik: 15-5-0, 13 KO/TKO, 0 Sub.

Pavlovich has won three of his last five bouts and has UFC victories over #5 ranked Heavyweight Curtis Blaydes (18-5-0), #11 ranked Heavyweight Tai Tuivasa (15-8-0), and #10 ranked Heavyweight Derrick Lewis (28-12-0). One of the most destructive punchers in the sport, he comes out guns blazing, on the hunt for a knockout the second the fight begins. He tends to fight behind his jab and throw in combination, constantly pressuring forward. Pavlovich never throws kicks, always looking to close the distance and let his hands go inside the pocket. Training at American Top Team, he doesn’t need much space to do significant damage and throws everything with bad intentions. He has one-shot knockout power, with all fifteen of his knockouts coming in round one. Pavlovich has left the first round once in his last ten fights and always pushes a heavy pace from the opening bell.

*Jairzinho Rozenstruik tags Augusto Sakai with a powerful left hook. Credit: Zuffa LLC.*

Rozenstruik has won three of his last five outings and has UFC victories over #11 ranked Heavyweight Tai Tuivasa (15-8-0), #14 ranked Heavyweight Shamil Gaziev (13-1-0), and Alistair Overeem (47-19-0). He is a former professional kickboxer with a record of 76-8, with 64 wins by knockout. Nine of his thirteen career knockouts have come in the first round, and he’s at his most dangerous early on. Training at American Top Team, Rozenstruik is an excellent counter-striker who looks to draw his opponent into the pocket so he can land big shots with his right hand. He has one-shot KO power but can string together long combinations if he lets his hands go. He has solid takedown defense and has defended 75% of takedowns attempted on him in the UFC, always preferring to keep it standing. Rozenstruik has excellent hand speed for a Heavyweight, throws everything with power, and regularly mixes kicks into the end of combinations.

#14 Shara Magomedov vs. #15 (WW) Michael Page

*Shara Magomedov lands a stinging right hand on Michal Oleksiejczuk. Credit: MMA Fighting.*

Middleweight Bout

Shara Magomedov: 15-0-0, 12 KO/TKO, 0 Sub.

Michael Page: 22-3-0, 13 KO/TKO, 3 Sub.

Magomedov is undefeated and has UFC victories over Bruno Silva (23-12-0), Antonio Trocoli (12-5-0), and Michal Oleksiejczuk (19-9-0). He’s a devastating, diverse striker with a fantastic arsenal of kicks. He’s constantly moving and switching stances, never remaining in one spot for long and moving in and out of the pocket efficiently. Magomedov is excellent at range, peppering his opponent with lead leg attacks before blitzing in to throw bombs. Training at GOR MMA, he rarely initiates grappling exchanges, often accepting position on his back and throwing strikes. He regularly looks to land spinning attacks, particularly elbows and backfists. Magomedov has scored three finishes in less than a minute and always comes out guns blazing.

*Michael Page lands a devastating reverse elbow on Kevin Holland. Credit: MMA Fighting.*

Page has won three of his last five fights and has a UFC victory over Kevin Holland (26-13-0). Arguably the biggest star in Bellator history, he held a record of 17-2 in the promotion in his decade-long tenure. One of the most dangerous kickboxers in the sport, he has a fantastic arsenal of flashy kicks and flashier celebrations. Training at London Shootfighters, Page is in perpetual motion, keeping his hands down and his stance wide, looking for openings to land devastating kicks or combinations. He never telegraphs his attacks, constantly changes his target, and has fantastic distance management. He won’t typically pursue grappling exchanges but has solid takedown defense and submissions. With 13 finishes in the first round, Page is most dangerous early on.

#2 Israel Adesanya vs. #5 Nassourdine Imavov

*Israel Adesanya stuns Marvin Vettori with a cracking uppercut. Credit: Zuffa LLC.*

Middleweight Bout

Israel Adesanya: 24-4-0, 16 KO/TKO, 0 Sub.

Nassourdine Imavov: 15-4-0, 6 KO/TKO, 4 Sub.

Adesanya has won two of his last five bouts and has UFC victories over UFC Light Heavyweight champion Alex Pereira (12-2-0), #4 ranked Middleweight Robert Whittaker (27-8-0), and #7 ranked Middleweight Marvin Vettori (19-7-1). He is one of the best technical strikers in MMA and a former professional kickboxer with a record of 75-5 with 29 wins by knockout. Throwing with both power and volume, he’s landed, on average, about 87 significant strikes in his last five fights. Adesanya is highly elusive, rarely taking substantial damage, and is constantly moving and keeping his head off the centerline. Training at City Kickboxing, he has excellent footwork and is comfortable at range and inside the pocket, able to land damage from anywhere. He has a tremendous variety of kicks and does a great job of varying his attacks, always making his strikes highly unpredictable. Adesanya’s last twelve fights were for gold, making him not only prepared for five rounds but highly comfortable in the spotlight.

*Nassourdine Imavov sends Jared Cannonier reeling with a left hook. Credit: MMA Mania.*

Imavov has won three of his last five outings with one no-contest and has UFC victories over #8 ranked Middleweight Jared Cannonier (17-8-0), #9 ranked Middleweight Brendan Allen (24-6-0), and #10 ranked Middleweight Roman Dolidze (14-3-0). He utilizes a fluid kickboxing style on the feet, fighting behind his jab and throwing every shot with power. He constantly comes forward and has excellent distance management, and although he favors power to volume, he won’t telegraph shots or get wild. Imavov has excellent takedown defense and averages just under one takedown landed per fifteen minutes. He advances position exceptionally quickly on the mat, constantly raining down ground and pound and wearing down his opponent. He won’t force submissions, typically focusing on landing damage, but will pursue chokes if the opportunity is presented. Imavov has excellent technical skills but can get emotional in the cage and be drawn into a brawl.

Best Bets

Sergei Pavlovich by KO/TKO: An excellent matchup of two top-ten Heavyweight strikers, there’s sure to be fireworks in this fight. In a combined 41 fights, the two have produced 28 knockout victories, with 24 coming in the first round. Both fighters have little interest in grappling, and I expect this fight to play out entirely on the feet. While Rozenstruik is the more experienced and technical striker of the two, Pavlovich has unbelievable punching power. Although Pavlovich hasn’t looked outstanding in his last two appearances, he largely seemed to struggle when his opponent stayed in his face and pushed a high pace. This is the antithesis to Rozenstruik’s fighting style, who spends plenty of time and range and will not constantly force the action. I believe that when given a chance to control the pace and find his range, Pavlovich will return to his winning ways and score another brutal knockout victory.

Vinícius Oliveira Moneyline: This is a matchup of two fascinating, unorthodox fighters. Oliveira has a wild striking style, constantly keeping his hands down and unloading wild, looping hooks inside the pocket. Nurmagomedov breaks the typical Dagestani mold, often preferring to stand and utilize his kickboxing instead of takedowns and control time. Although Nurmagomedov has the ability to grapple, it’s by no means his first option, and Oliveira has shown excellent takedown defense in his brief promotional tenure. Oliveira has the advantage if the fight stays on the feet, and if he can deny takedowns, it will wear on Nurmagomedov’s gas tank. Assuming he can keep the fight standing and on the front foot, I anticipate and impressive victory for Oliveira on Saturday.

Israel Adesanya Moneyline: A top-five matchup of Middleweights, this is an outstanding fight to close out this card. Admittedly, I’m a bit surprised at how close the odds are. Although Imavov is an excellent, well-rounded fighter, Adesanya has fought for nothing but titles since 2019, with this being his first appearance on a Fight Night since his third-ever fight in the UFC. Despite recent losses, Adesanya is still among the best in the world at 185 pounds and has faced nothing but the absolute best competition since realizing a title. Imavov is on a solid win streak but has never faced a striker anywhere near this caliber, and despite having five-round experience, has never fought at a championship-level pace. Ultimately, I think Adesanya will prove too much for Imavov, and he’ll finally put himself back into the win column.

UFC Fight Night: Adesanya vs. Imavov Preview