Are you prepared for MAWR APEX?!?
Final Combating Championship (UFC) is simply sooner or later away from the upcoming UFC Vegas 85 blended martial arts (MMA) occasion, which is ready to go down tomorrow night time (Sat., Feb. 3, 2024) on ESPN+ from contained in the promotion’s APEX facility in Las Vegas, Nevada, that includes a middleweight primary occasion between Top 15 title contenders Roman Dolidze and Nassourdine Imavov, a five-round headliner with main title implications for early 2024 and past.
Earlier than we dive into the primary and co-main occasion, which incorporates the 155-pound scrap between light-weight veterans Renato Carneiro and Drew Dober, take a look at Patrick Stumberg’s breakdowns for the UFC Vegas 85 preliminary card by clicking here and here. Get all the most recent “Dolidze vs. Imavov” odds and betting props courtesy of DraftKings proper here. For the remainder of tomorrow night time’s UFC Vegas 85 primary card predictions click on here.
185 lbs.: Roman Dolidze vs. Nassourdine Imavov
Roman “The Caucasian” Dolidze
Document: 12-2 | Age: 35 | Betting line: +140
Wins: 7 KO/TKO, 3 SUB, 2 DEC | Losses: 0 KO/TKO, 0 SUB, 2 DEC
Peak: 6’2“ | Attain: 76” | Stance: Orthodox
Vital Strikes Landed Per Minute: 3.02 | Hanging accuracy: 44%
Strikes Absorbed Per Minute: 3.01 | Hanging Protection: 55%
Takedown Common: 1.72 (50% accuracy) | Takedown Protection: 33%
Present Rating: No. 8 | Final battle: Unanimous resolution loss to Marvin Vettori
Nassourdine Imavov
Document: 12-4, 1 NC | Age: 28 | Betting line: -165
Wins: 5 KO/TKO, 4 SUB, 3 DEC | Losses: 0 KO/TKO, 1 SUB, 3 DEC
Peak: 6’3“ | Attain: 75” | Stance: Orthodox
Vital Strikes Landed Per Minute: 4.55 | Hanging accuracy: 53%
Strikes Absorbed Per Minute: 3.76 | Hanging Protection: 58%
Takedown Common: 1.09 (31% accuracy) | Takedown Protection: 72%
Present Rating: No. 11 | Final battle: No Contest towards Chris Curtis
Roman Dolidze seemed to be the following large factor at 185 kilos, racking up a 6-1 document contained in the Octagon and placing collectively a four-fight win streak with three consecutive knockouts over well-traveled veterans. That features his destruction of Jack Hermansson at UFC Orlando again in late 2002, adequate to propel “The Caucasian” (terrible nickname) into middleweight title rivalry. However attending to the promised land (usually) requires eligible 185-pounders to get via one of many three large gatekeepers in Robert Whittaker, Jared Cannonier, and Marvin Vettori. Dolidze drew the latter for UFC 286 final March and noticed his momentum go up in smoke, due largely to the insane sturdiness of “The Italian Dream.” The loss was positively a setback however not a catastrophic one, because the Georgian stays ranked within the division High 10. That mentioned, falling to Imavov this weekend in “Sin Metropolis” — particularly contemplating Dolidze turns 36 in July — would just about get rid of him from the middleweight title chase.
Simply don’t anticipate Dolidze to be campaigning on his personal behalf.
“What would you like me to say? Huge phrases and to say, ‘Sure, it’s No. 1 contender battle?’ No, I’m not that man,” Dolidze mentioned on the UFC Vegas 85 media day (watch it here). “I’m positive there will likely be any individual who will begin speaking like that, but it surely’s a very good, fascinating battle. And I feel after this battle we are able to get a top-five opponent. Positively, we deserve [that]. And [then] let’s see what is going to occur. Nobody is aware of.”
Like Dolidze, the 28 year-old Nassourdine Imavov loved a red-hot begin to his UFC profession, leaping out to a 4-1 mark with a pair of technical knockout finishes. The hard-hitting Parisian additionally ended the Edmen Shahbazyan experiment earlier than it ever obtained began and adopted that up by shutting down the always-dangerous Joaquin Buckley. Additionally like Dolidze, Imavov was unable to cross the gatekeeper take a look at, getting outworked by Sean Strickland at UFC Vegas 67, lengthy earlier than we knew “Tarzan” was championship materials. His rebound battle towards Chris Curtis would have possible instructed us what the long run holds for Imavov, however a conflict of heads despatched that bout to a No Contest at UFC 289 final June. The previous Thunderstrike Combat League welterweight champion is seven years youthful than “The Caucasian” at 28, which stands out as the greatest benefit for Imavov coming into this five-round affair.
“It’s true that 2023 was a fairly difficult 12 months,” Dolidze mentioned on the UFC Vegas 85 media day (watch it here). “However I gained a number of expertise and I would like it to serve me effectively on Saturday and present how significantly better I’ve obtained throughout this 12 months. It’s my second primary occasion. Final time it was the primary time I did 5, five-minute rounds. It was like UFC and life gave me a second likelihood to shine, so I wish to take this opportunity and shine on Saturday. The rating is essential for me. When you get into the High 10 or the High 5, at any level you possibly can battle for the belt. And the belt is my objective, my primary focus. So I wish to be there and have the ability to battle for the belt.”
This can be a robust battle to choose as a result of each fighters are so effectively matched. I’m sticking with Imavov as a result of he’s youthful and nonetheless bettering, the place Dolidze appears to have reached his ceiling. That mentioned, the wrestling (and who opts to make use of it) stays the x-factor for this battle. “The Caucasian” might be going to be too robust to complete, however as we’ve seen in earlier fights, he may be too lean (by way of quantity) when it comes time to attain rounds.
Prediction: Imavov def. Dolidze by resolution
155 lbs.: Renato Carneiro vs. Drew Dober
Renato “Moicano” Carneiro
Document: 17-5-1 | Age: 34 | Betting line: -180
Wins: 0 KO/TKO, 10 SUB, 7 DEC | Losses: 3 KO/TKO, 1 SUB, 1 DEC
Peak: 5’11“ | Attain: 72” | Stance: Orthodox
Vital Strikes Landed Per Minute: 4.75 | Hanging accuracy: 47%
Strikes Absorbed Per Minute: 4.07 | Hanging Protection: 60%
Takedown Common: 1.66 (46% accuracy) | Takedown Protection: 74%
Present Rating: No. 13 | Final battle: Submission win over Brad Riddell
Drew Dober
Document: 27-12, 1 NC | Age: 35 | Betting line: +150
Wins: 14 KO/TKO, 6 SUB, 7 DEC | Losses: 2 KO/TKO, 4 SUB, 6 DEC
Peak: 5’8“ | Attain: 70” | Stance: Southpaw
Vital Strikes Landed Per Minute: 4.58 | Hanging accuracy: 40%
Strikes Absorbed Per Minute: 4.46 | Hanging Protection: 51%
Takedown Common: 0.68 (17% accuracy) | Takedown Protection: 56%
Present Rating: No. 15 | Final battle: Technical knockout win over Ricky Glenn
Renato Carneiro will attain his 10-year anniversary with UFC later this 12 months and after a decade of violence contained in the Octagon, the Brazilian stays ranked outdoors the division High 10. That ought to offer you an concept of the place he’s headed at age 34, competing now within the shark infested waters of light-weight after beginning issues out at 145 kilos. The hardest opponent for “Moicano” (Portuguese for “Mohawk”) over the past a number of years has been consistency, although you can also make a case towards his placing, as effectively. That’s to not recommend he’s not efficient at vary, as a result of we’ve seen Carneiro maintain his personal towards some fairly savvy strikers, however to go 23 fights with out scoring a single knockout is telling. Making up for his lack of knockout energy is the Brazilian’s prime shelf jiu jitsu, adequate for double-digit submissions, just like the one he scored towards Brad Riddell at UFC 281 in New York.
“I’m not taking it straightforward on him, I don’t assume he’s a straightforward battle,” Moicano mentioned on the UFC Vegas 85 media day (watch it here). “However I feel I’m higher than him. I feel I’m extra well-rounded. I feel I can strike with him on the toes. In all probability he has extra energy than me within the fingers, proper? Knockout artist. However on the finish of the day, I feel I’m even higher than him within the placing. No disrespect to him, however I’ll beat him on Saturday.”
Drew Dober has additionally been across the block a couple of occasions, making his Octagon debut as a part of The Final Fighter (TUF) 18 Finale all the best way again in late 2018. The primary half of his UFC profession was unremarkable, at greatest, and it seems someplace alongside the best way Dober determined to desert this complete MMA factor and simply begin swinging for the fences. The technique seems to have paid off, giving Dober 14 wins by knockout, together with his first-round end over Ricky Glenn at UFC Vegas 80. The Nebraskan offers up three inches in peak and two inches in attain and is one 12 months older than Carneiro at 35. Dober is simply barely hanging on to the light-weight rankings at No. 15, which makes tomorrow night time’s battle a vital battle for the way forward for his UFC profession.
“The chance to battle a man like Moicano, who’s equally as vicious, violent, and he’s a gamer,” Dober mentioned on the UFC Vegas 85 media day (watch it here). “He’s fought guys like Jose Aldo, The Korean Zombie, he took [Rafael dos Anjos] on like 5 days’ discover. The man is a monster. These are the fights that excite me as a result of I do know he’s going to convey that out in me, as effectively, and it’s going to be bloody. It’s going to be violent and enjoyable. A smile on each our faces. These are the fights and moments that I wish to be remembered.”
Carneiro has been knocked out thrice in 5 losses and can enter this battle absolutely conscious that Dober will likely be trying to ship the Brazilian’s head into the APEX parking zone. Whether or not or not “Moicano” desires to roll the cube and make an announcement on the toes is more likely to dictate the end result of this battle. Contemplating his final look was in late 2022, he might not have the cardio to be aggressive within the second half of the battle. It’s additionally price mentioning that Dober has been taken down 25 occasions in his UFC profession and 4 of his 12 losses have come by the use of submission.
So far as I’m involved, that is Carneiro’s battle to lose.
Prediction: Carneiro def. Dober by submission
Don’t neglect to take a look at the remainder of the UFC Vegas 85 primary card predictions RIGHT HERE.
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LIVE! Stream UFC Vegas 85 On ESPN+
TOP-RANKED LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT REMATCH! Final Combating Championship (UFC) kicks off its 2024 blended martial arts (MMA) marketing campaign on Sat., Jan. 20, 2024, in Las Vegas, Nevada, with No. 3-ranked Gentle Heavyweight contender, Magomed Ankalaev, working it again towards No. 7-seeded Johnny Walker after their initial wild encounter went up in smoke. In UFC Vegas 84’s co-main occasion, Light-weight legend, Jim Miller, locks horns with upstart knockout artist, Gabriel Benitez, in an intriguing 155-pound showdown.
MMAmania.com will ship LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow protection of the whole UFC Vegas 85 battle card RIGHT HERE, beginning with the ESPN+ preliminary card bouts at 4 p.m. ET, adopted by the ESPN+ primary card begin time at 7 p.m. ET.
To take a look at the most recent and best UFC Vegas 85 information and notes make sure to hit up our complete occasion archive here. For the up to date and finalized “Dolidze vs. Imavov” battle card and ESPN+ line up click here.
