Sean Strickland vs. Abus Magomedov full fight preview | UFC Vegas 76

Final Combating Championship (UFC) Middleweight strikers Sean Strickland and Abus Magomedov will go to warfare TONIGHT (Sat., July 1, 2023) at UFC Vegas 76 in UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada.

“Mr. Apex” Sean Strickland is ready for his fifth headliner in a mostly empty venue, a backhanded praise if I’ve ever seen one. That mentioned, Strickland deserves some credit score right here. He’s placing so much on the road by taking up a dangerous and experienced fighter with out a lot identify worth. He must be preventing a fellow contender, however as a substitute he places his hard-earned rating up for grabs. Magomedov, in the meantime, is trying to capitalize on that gamble. A Skilled Fighters League (PFL) veteran, Magomedov is a ferocious finisher with a ton of expertise towards good competitors. Even when he’s not recognized to informal followers, the Russian is a removed from a pushover.

Let’s take a more in-depth have a look at the keys to victory for every man:

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HIGH-STAKES MIDDLEWEIGHT MATCH! Final Combating Championship (UFC) returns house to its APEX facility in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Sat., July 1, 2023, headlined by top-seeded Middleweight contender, Sean Strickland (No. 7), locking horns with unranked Russian-born German finisher, Abus Magomedov. In UFC Vegas 76’s co-main occasion, Grant Dawson will battle former M-1 International Light-weight champion, Damir Ismagulov, in a 155-pound bout between fringe Prime 15 Light-weight contenders.

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Sean Strickland

File: 26-5
Key Wins: Jack Hermansson (UFC Vegas 47), Nassourdine Imavov (UFC Vegas 67), Uriah Corridor (UFC Vegas 33), Brendan Allen (UFC Vegas 14), Krzysztof Jotko (UFC Vegas 25), Nordine Taleb (UFC Struggle Evening 138)
Key Losses: Alex Pereira (UFC 276), Jared Cannonier (UFC Vegas 66), Kamaru Usman (UFC 210), Elizeu Zalaeski dos Santos (UFC 224)
Keys to Victory: Strickland is a quantity puncher with underrated floor abilities. He can stress or work from the again foot, and his potential to parry punches and hearth proper again is a large a part of his success.

On this bout, I’d wish to see Strickland pressuring Magomedov. The Russian athlete is the superior kicker, so placing him on the again foot is straight away a good suggestion. Moreover, Magomedov is thought to decelerate a bit and doesn’t have the five-round expertise of Strickland. Pressuring him will put further stress on his conditioning, in addition to reduce the benefit of Magomedov’s pace.

The jab is at all times an vital weapon for Strickland, however on this match up, he has to make use of that shot to construct combos and shut ahead. Doubling and tripling up on the jab is a superb concept that may assist Strickland chew up distance and line up his proper hand. Lastly, Strickland must be kicking too. His teep and low kick are good weapons, they usually’ll assist stop Magomedov from pulling forward at distance.

Abus Magomedov

File: 25-4-1
Key Wins: Dustin Stoltzfus (UFC Paris), Cezariusz Kesik (KSW 57), Danillo Villefort (PFL 2018)
Key Losses: Louis Taylor (PFL 2018)
Keys to Victory: Magomedov could also be a UFC newcomer, however he’s received loads of expertise across the globe. A nasty finisher, Magomedov excels at blitzing his opponents with artful combos, and he’s really an excellent wrestler besides!

In opposition to Strickland, Magomedov has to make this a kickboxing battle relatively than a boxing match. He can put collectively his punches nicely sufficient, however Strickland’s pocket consolation and quantity in all probability retains him forward in that model of battle.

Luckily, Magomedov’s kicking sport is nasty. Strickland’s reliance on the jab leaves him susceptible to the suitable low kick, notably if Magomedov can go away an additional step of distance and get Strickland reaching together with his punches. A bit of additional distance will assist Magomedov counter as nicely, so forcing Strickland to stroll via onerous kicks into heavy counter photographs looks like a great technique.

Backside Line

Sean Strickland is taking a critical gamble right here for the second time in a row.

Clearly defeating Imavov ought to have put Strickland again within the combine, particularly since his 25-minute choice loss to Cannonier was a coin-flip choice. As a substitute, he’s taking up a harmful opponent who informal battle followers don’t know something about. If Strickland loses, he’s going to plummet down the rankings, whereas a win doesn’t transfer him up the ladder in any respect.

Conversely, Magomedov can skyrocket himself up into the Prime 10 in simply his second UFC battle! Strickland is a troublesome process definitely, however there are worse match ups in these ranks for the Russian. If he can rating the upset, Magomedov is immediately within the combine at 185 kilos and will develop into a greater recognized identify.

At UFC Vegas 76, Sean Strickland and Abus Magomedov will go to warfare in the principle occasion. Which athlete will earn the win?

Keep in mind that MMAmania.com will ship LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow protection of the complete UFC Vegas 76 battle card proper here, beginning with the ESPN/ESPN+ “Prelims” matches, that are scheduled to start at 4 p.m. ET, then the remaining predominant card steadiness (additionally on ESPN/ESPN+) at 7 p.m. ET.

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