Preview: UFC Saudi Arabia ‘Adesanya vs. Imavov’

Middleweights

#14 MW | Sharabutdin Magomedov (15-0, 4-0 UFC) vs. #15 WW | Michael Page (22-3, 1-1 UFC)

ODDS: Magomedov (-185), Page (+154)

It’s still unclear what should be the appropriate level of hype for Magomedov, but things are certainly getting interesting. Magomedov is a fighter who can capture the imagination. With a shock of red hair and what appears to be one functioning eye, “Shara Bullet” is a sight to see with his flashy and kick-heavy style. However, it was unclear exactly how ready he would be for the UFC thanks to spotty regional footage that mostly saw him run through overmatched opposition. Early returns were a mixed bag. His UFC debut against Bruno Silva was a bit messy, as the Brazilian turned into an ineffective wrestler while Magomedov outworked him. Magomedov frankly looked terrible in his sophomore effort against Antonio Trocoli, only scoring a knockout once his counterpart tired out. With that said, Magomedov has rounded into form in his last two performances, looking closer to what people would expect out of such a hyped talent. His takedown defense is slowly becoming passable given his other tools, and he has proven more effective under pressure, even scoring a wild double spinning backfist knockout of Armen Petrosyan in his last fight. For his next effort, Magomedov draws a matchup that was off the radar but should be fascinating in practice, as wrestling will not be a factor against a fellow flashy striker in Page, who makes a one-off move up from welterweight.

Page made his name during a decade-plus run with Bellator MMA that was full of highlights but also garnered a lot of criticism. The promotion was mostly content to use Page as an attraction more than a potential contender, offering what was perceived to be an underwhelming level of opposition in the hopes that he could score a flashy knockout. That mostly succeeded, and Page did acquit himself decently enough when actually tested, even if his takedown defense has remained a clear weakness. With the move to the UFC early last year, Page has settled in as a viable welterweight even if any championship hopes appear to have been cut short. He flummoxed Kevin Holland in an ugly debut, and while Ian Garry was able to wrestle his way to a victory in the British karateka’s last fight, Page’s unorthodox style forced the unbeaten Irishman into just about his least effective path possible. It’s hard to know exactly what to make of this one, as it will probably feature a lot of both men posturing from range while kicking at each other’s legs. It’s also unclear who will be able to land the harder offense or if either man is quick enough to land something fight-ending on the other. Page has the edge in experience, as well as the better combination of size and speed, so the Englishman gets the nod here, but this is essentially a coinflip. The pick is Page via decision.

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Adesanya vs. Imavov
Magomedov vs. Page
Pavlovich vs. Rozenstruik
Nurmagomedov vs. Oliveira
Davis vs. Ziam
Naimov vs. Ofli
The Prelims