UFC Fight Night: Dolidze vs. Imavov Preview
Roman Dolidze lands a left hand on Marvin Vettori. Credit: MMA Mania.
This Saturday, we’ll see multiple fights with significant bearing on their divisions. In the co-main event, two tenured veterans look to climb up the rankings when Renato Moicano takes on Drew Dober. Following this, two quickly rising contenders in the Middleweight division look to move themselves closer to the gold when Roman Dolidze collides with Nassourdine Imavov. Prior to these bouts are a handful of established contenders and rising stars all looking for a landmark victory this weekend. Let’s take a look at the fights on the main card.
Gilbert Urbina vs. Charles Radtke
Gilbert Urbina pieces up Orion Cosce. Credit: MMA Fighting.
Welterweight Bout
Gilbert Urbina: 7-3-0, 2 KO/TKO, 2 Sub.
Charles Radtke: 8-3-0, 3 KO/TKO, 2 Sub.
Urbina has won two of his last five bouts, with his lone UFC victory coming over Orion Cosce (8-2-0). He’s a fast-paced, well-rounded fighter who comes out guns blazing. He throws everything in combination, is highly accurate, and constantly moves. Training at the BMF Ranch, Urbina has landed multiple takedowns in both his promotional outings and uses his striking to set up his grappling. He’ll often land damage in the clinch before pursuing a takedown and advance his position quickly on top. He constantly throws ground and pound, always choosing position over submission and only attempting submissions when they’re presented to him. Urbina is willing to get wild, brawling in the pocket or attempting flashy attacks on the feet.
Charles Radtke celebrates his victory over Blood Diamond. Credit: MMA Fighting.
Radtke has won all of his last five fights and scored a victory in his UFC debut over Blood Diamond (3-3-0). He’s an aggressive wrestler, always coming forward and looking to wear down his opponent. He throws everything in combination and with power, rarely throwing kicks and doing most of his damage inside the pocket. Radtke will close the distance with his striking and then break down his opponent in the clinch before attempting a takedown. Training at MMA Masters, he has excellent control both in the clinch and in top position and excellent timing on his takedowns. He’s always willing to eat a shot to land one and is constantly looking to land big, looping hooks. Radtke pushes a consistent pace throughout the fight and will gladly wrestle for all 15 minutes.
Aliaskhab Khizriev vs. Makhmud Muradov
Aliaskhab Khizriev throws a hook at Denis Tiuliulin. Credit: Sports Illustrated.
Middleweight Bout
Aliaskhab Khizriev: 14-0-0, 5 KO/TKO, 5 Sub.
Makhmud Muradov: 26-8-0, 17 KO/TKO, 3 Sub.
Khizriev is undefeated and has a UFC victory over Denis Tiuliulin (10-9-0). He’s a powerful, well-rounded finisher that is dangerous everywhere. He favors power to volume, regularly throwing single shots and naked kicks at range. Khizriev won’t push a wild pace but will systematically break down his opponent with power punches and smothering top pressure. Training at Fight Club Scorpion, he can land takedowns in open space and is constantly working from top position. He’s patient, willing to hold position and land ground and pound until finding an opportunity for a submission. Khizriev’s submission victories are all via rear naked choke, and he finds submissions very quickly if he can reach his opponent’s back.
Makhmud Muradov lands a right hand on Trevor Smith. Credit: MMA Junkie.
Muradov has won three of his last five outings and has UFC victories over Bryan Barberena (18-11-0), Andrew Sanchez (15-7-0), and Alessio Di Chirico (13-7-0). He’s an explosive, well-rounded fighter who pushes a consistent pace throughout the fight. He has excellent footwork, doesn’t telegraph anything, and throws every shot with knockout intentions. Muradov favors power to volume, throwing lots of single shots, with his best attack being his straight right. Training at Monster Gym, he averages about three takedowns landed per fifteen minutes and does a great job setting up his grappling with his striking. He has heavy top control and has the power to land multiple slam takedowns in one fight. Muradov will remain technical throughout, never brawling in the pocket, landing much of his damage from the outside.
#7 Viviane Araujo vs. #9 Natalia Silva
Viviane Araujo lands a right hand on Roxanne Modafferi. Credit: MMA Fighting.
Women’s Flyweight Bout
Viviane Araujo: 12-5-0, 3 KO/TKO, 4 Sub.
Natalia Silva: 16-5-1, 5 KO/TKO, 7 Sub.
Araujo has won two of her last five bouts and has UFC victories over #14 ranked Flyweight Andrea Lee (13-8-0), Jennifer Maia (21-10-1), and Alexis Davis (21-11-0). She’s a powerful scrapper who’s always coming forward, looking to land damage. She’s at her most dangerous early on, doing most of her work inside the pocket with her hands. Araujo fights behind her jab and throws every shot with power but doesn’t telegraph. Training at Cerrado MMA, she’s averaging nearly two takedowns landed per fifteen minutes and is very explosive, able to land slam takedowns in open space. She advances quickly on the ground, constantly working and pursuing a finish. Araujo is averaging about 65 significant strikes landed in her last five outings but slows down as the fight goes on.
Natalia Silva lands a brutal kick on Tereza Bleda. Credit: MMA Fighting.
Silva is on a ten-fight win streak and has UFC victories over #14 ranked Flyweight Andrea Lee (13-8-0), #15 ranked Jasmine Jasudavicius (10-3-0), and Tereza Bleda (7-1-0). She is a fantastic striker with lightning-fast kicks and excellent footwork. She’s constantly feinting with her hips and switching stances, making her very unpredictable. Silva is highly accurate and throws every shot with power and purpose, usually starting or ending combinations with kicks. Training with Team Borracha, she does an excellent job of holding the center, constantly moving in and out of the pocket without absorbing damage. She’s willing to grapple but tends to keep it on the feet, having defended 92% of takedowns attempted on her in the UFC. Silva pushes a fast pace across the entire fight but will remain technical throughout.
Randy Brown vs. Muslim Salikhov
Randy Brown lands a jab on Khaos Williams. Credit: MMA Fighting.
Welterweight Bout
Randy Brown: 17-5-0, 6 KO/TKO, 5 Sub.
Muslim Salikhov: 19-4-0, 13 KO/TKO, 2 Sub.
Brown has won four of his last five fights, with wins over Khaos Williams (14-3-0), Francisco Trinaldo (28-9-0), and Bryan Barberena (18-11-0). He’s a lengthy fighter, constantly throwing combinations at range and adding body kicks at the end of his combinations. He’ll often string together long, technical punch combinations without getting wild. Brown has solid power in both hands and particularly devastating clinch striking. Averaging just under a takedown landed per fifteen minutes, he does an excellent job mixing grappling into his striking, often using his length in the clinch to get his opponent to the mat. He has solid control and a slick submission game on the ground, especially his chokes. Training at Kings MMA, Brown is more than willing to eat a shot to land one and can be drawn into a brawl.
Muslim Salikhov lands a spinning kick on Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos. Credit: MMA Junkie.
Salikhov has won three of his last five outings and has UFC victories over Franciso Trinaldo (28-9-0), Andre Fialho (16-8-0), and Nordine Taleb (15-7-0). He holds the rank of Master of Sport in Wushu Sanda (Chinese kickboxing) and a pro kickboxing record of 185-13 with 76 wins by knockout. If it wasn’t obvious, he’s an incredibly dangerous striker, possessing solid power and excellent skill. Salikhov has an impressive arsenal of kicks, particularly his array of spinning attacks that he loves to throw. Training at Berkut FC, he’s also very defensively sound, having defended 73% of strikes attempted on him in his promotional tenure. He is willing to grapple, and averages just over one takedown landed per fifteen minutes, typically raining down devastating ground and pound when in top position. Salikhov is highly experienced and very tough to put away, always coming forward and looking to do damage throughout the fight.
#13 Renato Moicano vs. #15 Drew Dober
Renato Moicano lands a takedown on Jai Herbert. Credit: MMA News.
Lightweight Bout
Renato Moicano: 17-5-1, 0 KO/TKO, 10 Sub.
Drew Dober: 27-12-0, 15 KO/TKO, 5 Sub.
Moicano has similarly won three of his last five fights and has UFC victories over #8 ranked Featherweight Calvin Kattar (23-7-0), Alexander Hernandez (14-7-0), and Cub Swanson (29-13-0). He’s a grappling ace with an excellent submission game but is more than willing to throw down on the feet. With only four of his fourteen bouts in the promotion going the distance, he fights with a “kill or be killed” mentality. Moicano won’t often waste too much time before shooting in for a takedown, usually securing them quickly and immediately advancing position on the ground. He is dangerous on top, especially if he takes his opponent’s back, with all his career submissions coming via rear-naked choke. He’s aggressive on the ground, always trying to move to a better position, but he is also intelligent and rarely puts himself in danger. On the feet, Moicano has solid speed and power in his hands and loves to throw uppercuts and elbows when in close. Training at American Top Team, he will often pick his shots, waiting for openings to land combinations or attempt a takedown.
Drew Dober lands a stiff left on Rafael Alves. Credit: MMA Fighting.
Dober has won three of his last five fights and has UFC victories over #14 ranked Lightweight Bobby Green (31-15-1), Terrance McKinney (15-6-0), and Nasrat Haqparast (16-5-0). He is an excellent striker with a Muay Thai background and a black belt in Taekwondo. He always stays technical and throws all his punches tight and straight, rarely throwing looping shots. Dober throws everything with knockout intentions and carries his power across all three rounds. Training with Elevation Fight Team, he has excellent head movement and varies his shots, attacking the head and body evenly. He’s willing to brawl in the pocket but doesn’t get sloppy, has solid footwork, and is always coming forward. Dober does a great job of moving in and out of the pocket, throwing kicks at range, and landing damaging combinations in close.
#8 Roman Dolidze vs. #11 Nassourdine Imavov
Roman Dolidze lands a straight left on Phil Hawes. Credit: MMA Fighting.
Middleweight Bout
Roman Dolidze: 12-2-0, 7 KO/TKO, 3 Sub.
Nassourdine Imavov: 12-4-0, 5 KO/TKO, 4 Sub.
Dolidze has won four of his last five outings and has wins over #10 ranked Middleweight Jack Hermansson (23-8-0), Phil Hawes (12-6-0), and Kyle Daukaus (13-4-0). He has a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Sambo background and is an accomplished grappler outside of MMA. Averaging about two takedowns landed per fifteen minutes, he is most at home on the mat and averages nearly two submission attempts per fifteen minutes. Dolidze is excellent in the clinch and very hard to shake off, possessing devastating striking in close, particularly knees. Training at Xtreme Couture, he won’t put out too much ground and pound, choosing to focus on advancing position. He has good power in his hands and prefers to counter-strike when on the feet, not moving his feet a ton but always moving his head. Dolidze gets his best work done in the clinch and while exiting the clinch, often throwing power shots inside the pocket.
Nassourdine Imavov lands a head kick on Joaquin Buckley. Credit: MMA Fighting.
Imavov has won three of his last five outings with one no-contest and has UFC victories over Joaquin Buckley (17-6-0), Edmen Shahbazyan (12-4-0), and Ian Heinisch (14-5-0). 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
Khizriev vs. Muradov to Not Go the Distance: This is one of the more exciting matchups on the card; both guys are more than willing to throw down in the pocket, and it could be a potentially star-making performance for either fighter. I’d be pretty surprised if this one went all three rounds.
Natalia Silva Moneyline: Silva is the biggest favorite on the main card, and it’s for good reason. Stylistically, she’s a brutal matchup for Araujo, who does nearly all her damage with her hands in the pocket. Silva is fantastic on the outside and very tough to reach, so if Araujo can’t get inside, she’ll likely get picked apart.
Nassourdine Imavov Moneyline: This is probably the toughest matchup to predict on the card; Dolidze likely has the grappling advantage, whereas Imavov has the striking advantage. Dolidze is much more limited on the feet than Imavov is on the ground, not to mention Imavov has excellent takedown defense. I expect this fight to stay standing and Dolidze to get lit up by Imavov’s vastly more technical striking.
