UFC Fight Night 250: B/R Main Card Staff Predictions
The UFC will touch down in Saudi Arabia on Saturday with the kind of stacked card we've grown accustomed to seeing in the Kingdom of late.
The top two fights will both be contested at middleweight.
In the main event, former champion Israel Adesanya will look to bounce back from consecutive title losses to Sean Strickland and Dricus Du Plessis opposite rising contender Nassourdine Imavov.
There is a queue forming for a shot at the middleweight title, but the winner of Saturday's headliner will be firmly in the conversation.
The co-headliner doesn't have nearly as much relevance in terms of the title picture, but it looks like a thriller on paper, as Sharabutdin "Bullet" Magomedov takes on Michael "Venom" Page in a clash of two of the flashiest strikers we've seen in the cage.
Earlier on the main card, we'll be treated to some heavyweight action, as former interim title challenger Sergei Pavlovich looks to return to title contention opposite a fellow knockout puncher in Jairzinho Rozenstruik.
Before the heavyweights shake the cage, we'll get a bantamweight-style clash pitting Said Nurmagomedov against Vinicius Oliveira, and an interesting featherweight matchup between Muhammad Naimov and Kaan Ofli.
Israel Adesanya vs. Nassourdine Imavov
Haris Kruskic: It does feel like Adesanya is in the twilight of his career after three losses in his last four fights, but I still think he's looked pretty good in those losses aside from the Sean Strickland bout.
Meanwhile, Imavov has failed to jump off the page during his three-fight win streak. His most recent fight against Brendan Allen did nothing to alleviate concerns he may not be ready for title contention quite yet.
I'm going with Adesanya's skill advantage over Imavov's youth.
Prediction: Adesanya by unanimous decision
Nick Akerman: This is one of those fights that can be tougher than expected to predict.
My mind is telling me there's little chance Imavov will defeat Adesanya, even after Izzy's skid. It's also saying this could be over quickly in favour of The Last Stylebender, who possesses a myriad of options to dispatch an opponent who is facing a giant step up in quality.
But MMA doesn't always work like that. Even though I think Adesanya wins comfortably, something is nagging me.
Prediction: Adesanya via unanimous decision
Tom Taylor: I feel like there were some way more interesting matchups to be made for Adesanya at this stage of his career, but here we are.
For me, the outcome of this fight really comes down to how seriously the former champ is taking the challenge. He's still young enough at 35 that he should be able to beat Imavov handily—assuming he's feeling energized and motivated.
Despite all of his pre-fight assurances, though, I'm not sure that will be the case. Would you be excited to fight a tough but unspectacular contender like Imavov after competing in 12 straight title fights and making boatloads of money in the process? I've got to be honest with myself, I don't think I would.
All that is to say, I think Adesanya will get it done, but there are enough variables at play that I'm not confident.
Prediction: Adesanya by unanimous decision
Lyle Fitzsimmons: Some of the other guys have made an allowance that an upset could happen but wouldn't pull the trigger on it.
Well, here's my bang, bang.
Do I believe Adesanya is an all-time great? Absolutely. But I also believe the recent stretch might not be a mirage, and he may be running into a young, hungry guy in a lower-profile bout at precisely the wrong time.
Prediction: Imavov by split decision
Michael Page vs. Shara Magomedov
Haris Kruskic: I've picked against Magomedov a lot recently with no success, but I'm going to fall for it again and say Page wins. Unlike previous predictions where I thought Magomedov would succumb to the wrestling of his opponent, its MVP's superior and awkward striking that will hand "Bullet" his first loss.
Prediction: Page by unanimous decision
Nick Akerman: This should be a really fun fight. Magomedov has 12 knockout wins across his 15-fight unbeaten streak and now faces a man whose confidence and flashiness will put him to the test.
Page didn't perform too badly in his loss to Ian "Machado" Garry, and he's a fighter who learns from his tougher moments. That said, there won't be any grappling here. Page's unique style is a puzzle most other strikers struggle to solve. Magomedov deserves respect, but I think he just comes up short here.
Prediction: Page by split decision
Tom Taylor: With utmost respect, I am surprised to see my colleagues picking Page in this one. While he is undoubtedly far more accomplished than Magomedov—and possibly more accomplished then the Russian will ever be—he is also 37 years old, with a long career behind him.
And while he is definitely behind some of the flashiest knockouts in MMA history, his recent decision loss to Garry was a reminder of the other side of his fighting style, which is characterized by low output and tentative counter-striking.
It's possible Magomedov scores a vicious knockout win over Page like Douglas Lima did in 2019, but I think it's more likely he wins a decision after outstriking a hesitant Page over three rounds.
Prediction: Magomedov by unanimous decision
Lyle Fitzsimmons: I agree with Tom here. I see the Page hype and understand why it exists, but I think it's misplaced here, style-wise.
The technical skill and sharpshooting potential is there, which means a generous helping of crow ought to be set to simmer, but I'm seeing Magomedov simply outworking and outhustling a guy who's a bit too precise for his own competitive good.
Prediction: Magomedov by unanimous decision
Sergei Pavlovich vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik
Haris Kruskic: It's been a long time since I believed in Rozenstruik and that trend won't stop against Pavlovich.
Despite the Russian's two-fight skid, he lost to Tom Aspinall because of a power discrepancy and to Alexander Volkov because of a technical skill gap.
Rozenstruik won't have the advantage in either of those areas, making for a bad combination for him heading into a heavyweight fight.
Prediction: Pavlovich by KO, Rd. 1
Nick Akerman: This is quite an important fight for both men. Pavlovich's losses to Aspinall and Volkov are acceptable, but he can't add a third defeat in a row to that list without a serious drop-off in future prospects.
Rozenstruik is coming at this one from the opposite angle with two successive wins as he bids to make a run into the rankings. I don't see him being successful.
Pavlovich is the better fighter in just about every regard that matters and will have an urgency about him as he looks to make a statement.
Prediction: Pavlovich by KO, Rd. 2
Tom Taylor: I can't argue with anything my colleagues have said above. Pavlovich hits harder than Rozenstruik, is probably a bit faster and is certainly more aggressive.
He's also younger than his Surinamese opponent, who has been too inconsistent in the Octagon thus far to work his way to a title shot. I'm not trying to discredit Rozenstruik too much. He is definitely a top-10 heavyweight. I just think Pavlovich is better in most of the ways that will matter in this matchup.
The Russian returns to form in style.
Prediction: Pavlovich by KO, Rd. 1
Lyle Fitzsimmons: Pavlovich may never be the best heavyweight in the world but he's still pretty good. And for all the indications Rozenstruik occasionally offers that he's that guy, too, they're not as convincing to these eyes.
Prediction: Pavlovich by TKO, Rd. 1
Said Nurmagomedov vs. Vinicius Oliveira
Haris Kruskic: This is a classic clash of styles. For Said Nurmagomedov to win this fight, he needs to get it to the ground. For Vinicius Oliveira, he needs to keep it standing.
I'm going with Nurmagomedov's UFC experience to get him there. Although Oliveira made a splash in his promotion debut with a flying knee KO, I'm unsure if he's been presented with the level of wrestling his opponent offers.
Prediction: Nurmagomedov by unanimous decision
Nick Akerman: As Haris mentioned, we know what we're getting here. I quite like the prospect of Oliveira surprising people, though. He is a capable fighter and willing to try unpredictable things to come out on top.
Nurmagomedov is a gruelling opponent, so the night could be spent watching the Brazilian get flung around like a rag doll. If he can fight spicy and with a little invention, Oliveira might see his hand raised. He needs to get it done early if it's going to happen.
Prediction: Oliveira by TKO, Rd. 1
Tom Taylor: This one clearly comes down to who can dictate where the fight takes place.
While it would not be surprising to see Oliveira pull off something flashy on the feet—maybe an uppercut or another knee—I lean more toward Haris' assessment of things.
Nurmagomedov should be smart and experienced enough to stay out of danger and get this fight to the mat. Once he does, things are probably going to get very uncomfortable for Oliveira.
Prediction: Nurmagomedov by unanimous decision
Lyle Fitzsimmons: It's not a foolproof strategy, as the recent bantamweight title fight illustrated, but you can make a lot of money betting on guys with the Nurmagomedov surname in UFC bouts.
I think he gets it to the mat and does what those guys do.
Prediction: Nurmagomedov by unanimous decision
Muhammad Naimov vs. Kaan Ofli
Haris Kruskic: This is slightly puzzling matchmaking as Muhammad Naimov has established himself as a promising featherweight prospect over his four UFC fights, while Kaan Ofli lost his promotion debut to another top prospect in Mairon Santos.
I'll go with Naimov to continue his quest for a number next to his name.
Prediction: Naimov by unanimous decision
Nick Akerman: Slightly odd matchmaking aside, this feels like it's perfectly set up for Naimov to bounce back from his loss to Felipe Lima in June.
Both men head into this one on the back of a defeat and will be itching to make sure it doesn't turn into back-to-back failures.
Ofli has been thrown to the wolves a little after losing his UFC opener and will be feeling the pressure to perform. Naimov will take advantage.
Prediction: Naimov by unanimous decision
Tom Taylor: I don't think there's much doubt Naimov gets back on track here.
His loss to Lima definitely took some of the wind out of his sails, but the fact that he beat Nathaniel Wood and Jamie Mullarkey in his first two UFC bouts tells me all I need to know about his chances against Ofli, who doesn't seem to have the experience or finishing ability to be a serious threat on Saturday.
Prediction: Naimov by TKO, Rd. 2
Lyle Fitzsimmons: As Floyd Mayweather Jr. told us for years in the ring, there are levels to this. And Naimov's level, regardless of a recent blemish, seems far higher than Ofli's.
Sometimes it's just that simple.
Prediction: Naimov by TKO, Round 1