UFC Fight Night: Cannonier vs. Imavov Preview

Jared Cannonier cracks Sean Strickland with a left hand. Credit: MMA Mania.

The UFC hits Louisville, Kentucky with an outstanding Fight Night card. In the co-main event, two exciting power punchers collide when Dominick Reyes takes on Dustin Jacoby. In the main event, a quickly rising star, Nassourdine Imavov, faces off against a perennial title contender, Jared Cannonier. The entire card is loaded with great matchups and exciting fighters all looking to earn a highlight-reel victory. Let’s take a look at the fights on the main card.

Miguel Baeza vs. Punahele Soriano

Miguel Baeza blasts Matt Brown with an elbow. Credit: DraftKings Network.

Welterweight Bout

Miguel Baeza: 10-3-0, 7 KO/TKO, 1 Sub.

Punahele Soriano: 9-4-0, 6 KO/TKO, 2 Sub.

Baeza has won two of his last five fights and has UFC victories over Takashi Sato (16-7-0), Hector Aldana (4-4-0), and Matt Brown (26-19-0). He’s a dangerous, technical striker with a slick submission game. He stays patient on the feet, chipping away with low kicks while looking for openings to land power shots. Baeza varies his shots well, attacking the head, body, and legs constantly. Training at MMA Masters, he’s defended 100% of takedowns attempted on him in the UFC and can find submissions quickly on the mat. If he chooses to initiate a grappling exchange, he won’t waste much time on ground and pound, averaging nearly two submission attempts per fifteen minutes. He’s been awarded a bonus in all his UFC victories and always seeks another highlight victory.

Punahele Soriano catches Dusko Todorovic with a brutal left. Credit: MMA Fighting.

Soriano has won one of his last five bouts and has UFC victories over Dusko Todorovic (12-4-0), Oskar Piechota (11-3-1), and Dalcha Lungiambula (11-6-0). He has devastating power in his hands and can produce a flash knockout, with seven of his nine wins coming in the first round. He’s at his most dangerous inside the pocket, throwing massive hooks and letting his hands go. Soriano occasionally mixes in kicks when he leaves the pocket, mainly to the head or body. He’s constantly coming forward and pressuring his opponent, keeping them moving backward while he throws bombs. Training at Xtreme Couture, he loves to headhunt on the feet but has also shown some solid wrestling to complement his striking. Soriano started his career as a Heavyweight and still possesses that power at 185 pounds.

Julian Marquez vs. Zach Reese

Julian Marquez submits Maki Pitolo with an anaconda choke. Credit: MMA Fighting.

Middleweight Bout

Julian Marquez: 9-4-0, 6 KO/TKO, 3 Sub.

Zach Reese: 6-1-0, 4 KO/TKO, 2 Sub.

Marquez has won two of his last five outings and has UFC victories over Sam Alvey (34-18-1), Darren Stewart (16-10-0), and Maki Pitolo (15-11-0). He’s a well-rounded brawler who’s always looking to push the action. He’s constantly coming forward, pressuring his opponent, and crashing into the pocket to throw big, looping hooks. Marquez has not attempted a takedown in UFC but is averaging over two submission attempts per fifteen minutes, often finding submissions defensively. He never accepts position on the ground, always looking to improve and find a finish, usually a choke. Training at FactoryX Muay Thai, he tends to headhunt and throw every shot with knockout intentions.  Marquez has scored all of his UFC finishes in round two or three and can survive in deep waters.

Zach Reese lands a stiff left on Eli Aronov. Credit: MMA Junkie.

Reese has won four of his last five fights and is looking to score his first UFC victory. He’s a well-rounded prospect with impressive power and excellent submissions. He uses a very upright stance and comes out guns blazing, blasting his opponent with heavy kicks before blitzing into the pocket with punches. Reese looks to overwhelm his opponent early, using both power and volume to back his opponent up. He has excellent clinch takedowns and can quickly find submissions on top and off his back. Training at W4R Training Center, he has excellent top control, heavy ground and pound, and won’t accept position on the ground. Every fight of Reese’s brief career has ended in the first round, only reaching the second minute of the round once.

Brunno Ferreira vs. Dustin Stoltzfus

Bruno Ferreira lands a brutal knee on Phil Hawes. Credit: MMA Fighting.

Middleweight Bout

Brunno Ferreira: 11-1-0, 8 KO/TKO, 3 Sub.

Dustin Stoltzfus: 15-5-0, 2 KO/TKO, 6 Sub.

Ferreira has won four of his last five bouts and has UFC victories over Gregory Rodrigues (15-5-0) and Phil Hawes (12-6-0). He is an explosive striker with one-shot knockout power. He’s constantly feinting, switching stances, looking for openings, and attacking from different angles. Ferreira has finished all eleven wins, with just two of his career outings seeing a second round. Training at Evolucao Thai, he prefers power to volume and has excellent head movement along with big-time power in both hands. A true brawler, he regularly attempts risky maneuvers like Superman punches and spinning kicks. Ferreira is willing to grapple and usually takes the fight to the mat via vicious slam takedowns before unleashing hellacious ground-and-pound. He’s very active on the ground and will never accept a position, constantly trying to advance and secure a finish.

Dustin Stoltzfus lands an impressive takedown on Dwight Grant. Credit: MMA Junkie.

Stoltzfus has won two of his last five bouts and has UFC victories over Dwight Grant (11-6-0) and Punahele Soriano (9-4-0). He’s a solid wrestler with impressive power who’s always willing to engage in the pocket. He won’t rush on the feet, favoring power to volume and tending to throw kicks at range. Stoltzfus has good distance management and is always coming forward, often using his striking to close the distance and pursue takedowns. He’s averaging over two takedowns landed per fifteen minutes and is capable of brutal slams. Training at Frankers Fight Team, he advances quickly on top and has solid top pressure, not letting his opponent out from under him. Stoltzfus has heavy ground and pound and a slick submission game, holding a victory via twister on his record.

Raul Rosas Jr. vs. Ricky Turcios

Raul Rosas Jr. rains down ground and pound onto Terrance Mitchell. Credit: MMA Fighting.

Bantamweight Bout

Raul Rosas Jr.: 8-1-0, 2 KO/TKO, 5 Sub.

Ricky Turcios: 13-3-0, 3 KO/TKO, 1 Sub.

Rosas Jr. has won four of his last five outings and has UFC victories over Jay Perrin (11-8-0) and Terrence Mitchell (14-4-0). He’s a dangerous submission artist with excellent wrestling and BJJ. He’s averaging over three takedowns landed per fifteen minutes and is very active on top, constantly pursuing submissions and advancing position. Rosas Jr. was the youngest debuting fighter in UFC history, debuting at 18 years old in 2022. Training at 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu, he pushes a heavy pace on the ground and always finds his way to his opponent’s back, where he’s most dangerous. He has solid power in his hands but typically won’t waste much time before shooting in for a takedown. Rosas Jr. has an excellent arsenal of submissions and is unpredictable on the ground.

Ricky Turcios catches Brady Hiestand with a right hand. Credit: MMA Fighting.

Turcios has won four of his last five bouts and has UFC victories over Kevin Natividad (9-4-0) and Brady Hiestand (8-2-0). The victor of The Ultimate Fighter season 29, he’s a well-rounded scrapper who is excellent at creating chaos. He comes out guns blazing, pushing the pace from the starting bell and making his opponent fight his style of fight. Training at Gracie Barra Woodlands, Turcios is extremely fluid on his back and has an incredible ability to find his way to top position. He excels in deep waters, constantly sweeping, scrambling, and transitioning between submission attempts. Averaging one takedown landed per fifteen minutes; he uses his striking to close the distance and pursue takedowns. He’s more than willing to eat a shot to land one and always makes his fights wild, wherever they end up.

#15 Dominick Reyes vs. Dustin Jacoby

Dominick Reyes fires a head kick at Jon Jones. Credit: MMA Mania.

Light Heavyweight Bout

Dominick Reyes: 12-4-0, 7 KO/TKO, 2 Sub.

Dustin Jacoby: 19-8-1, 12 KO/TKO, 1 Sub.

Reyes has won one of his last five fights and has UFC victories over #4 ranked Middleweight Jared Cannonier (17-6-0), #9 ranked Light Heavyweight Volkan Oezdemir (19-7-0), and Chris Weidman (16-7-0). He is a lengthy striker who pursues a knockout from the opening bell, with all of his finishes coming in round one. Training at Teixeira MMA, he often opens up with a barrage of heavy kicks, both high and low, and can damage at range and in the pocket. Despite Reyes’ tendency to find an early finish, he doesn’t push a crazy pace, typically fading as the fight continues. He has excellent takedown defense, having defended 80% of takedowns attempted on him in the UFC, and he won’t accept position on the mat. He has decent wrestling but tends to resort to it when he’s hurt, and he has only landed two takedowns in his UFC career. Reyes can find a finish without much volume, holding four victories in the promotion in which he landed 20 or less significant strikes.

Dustin Jacoby stuns Ion Cutelaba with a left hook. Credit: MMA Fighting.

Jacoby has won two of his last five outings and has UFC victories over Da Woon Jung (15-5-1), Michael Oleksiejczuk (19-8-0), and Kennedy Nzechukwu (12-5-0). He is a former professional kickboxer with a record of 18-8-0, spending time in the premier kickboxing promotion Glory. His experience is visible in his fighting style, possessing excellent footwork and movement, as well as a great variety of attacks. Jacoby is effective both at range and in the pocket but tends to stay at distance where he can use his arsenal of kicks and combinations. Training at FactoryX Muay Thai, his hands seemingly never stop moving, and he is always feinting or throwing punches. He has solid output for a Light Heavyweight but also has excellent cardio, never overexerting himself and keeping the same pace for all 15 minutes. Jacoby is willing to grapple and will occasionally shoot for a takedown but primarily prefers to keep it on the feet where he’s most dangerous.

#4 Jared Cannonier vs. #7 Nassourdine Imavov

Jared Cannonier unloads a body kick onto Kelvin Gastelum. CreditL EssentiallySports.

Middleweight Bout

Jared Cannonier: 17-6-0, 10 KO/TKO, 2 Sub.

Nassourdine Imavov: 13-4-0, 5 KO/TKO, 4 Sub.

Cannonier has found victory in four of his last five bouts and has UFC victories over #1 ranked Middleweight Sean Strickland (29-6-0), #5 ranked Middleweight Marvin Vettori (19-7-1), and #9 ranked Middleweight Jack Hermansson (24-8-0). He has fought at Heavyweight and Light Heavyweight in his promotional tenure and carries that Heavyweight power at 185 pounds. He throws everything with fight-ending intentions, constantly pressuring forward and always willing to eat a shot to land one. Cannonier has excellent footwork and regularly switches stances, typically opening up his combinations with his jab. Training at MMA LAB, Cannonier is fantastic at moving in and out of the pocket and usually won’t stay at range for long, often throwing damaging leg kicks when outside of the pocket. What he lacks in volume, he makes up for in power, and his pace increases as the fight continues. Cannonier is unlikely to take the fight to the mat but can land devastating ground and pound if he gets top position.

Nassourdine Imavov blasts Joaquin Buckley with a head kick. Credit: MMA Fighting.

Imavov has won three of his last five outings with one no-contest and has UFC victories over #11 ranked Middleweight Roman Dolidze (12-3-0), Joaquin Buckley (19-6-0), and Edmen Shahbazyan (13-4-0). 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 over 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

Julian Marquez Moneyline: This matchup is a classic case of the sprinter vs. the marathon runner. Reese pushes a heavy pace and is yet to see a second round in his career, whereas Marquez tends to weather the storm and heat up as the fight continues. Although both methods have proven effective for each fighter, Marquez is much more experienced and tenured. Although Marquez is on a two-fight skid, Reese does not possess the power or technicality of his previous two opponents. Assuming Marquez does what he does best and survives the early storm, I expect a solid bounce-back victory for him.

Brunno Ferreira by KO/TKO: Another matchup of contrasting styles, we have a brawler facing a wrestler. Ferreira loves to push the pace and throw bombs; Stoltzfus would rather pick his shots and find takedowns. Despite this, Ferreira is the more skilled, technical fighter on the feet and won’t waste much time looking for openings. I expect Ferreira to push the action from the opening bell, backing up Stoltzfus until he eventually finds the finishing blow and scores yet another knockout victory.

Nassourdine Imavov Moneyline: This is by far the closest matchup on the card. Imavov is a hot prospect with a well-rounded style, whereas Cannonier is an experienced veteran with a striking-based approach. When placed in a similar stylistic matchup against Joaquin Buckley, Imavov did an excellent job staying on the front foot and controlling the pace. This forward pressure is critical; if you can force power punchers to back up constantly, generating their typical explosiveness is much more challenging. He also has the option to grapple, something Cannonier is unlikely to initiate. I expect Imavov to use all his skills, blending his striking and grappling, to defeat Cannonier and insert himself into the title picture.