Photo by Pat Scaasi/MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images
This Saturday (Nov. 9, 2019), Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) travels to Moscow, Russia, for UFC Fight Night 163. UFC’s latest trip to Moscow is not unlike other recent Russian events, featuring a ton of local talent with incredible wrestling and difficult-to-spell names. There were some decent names in the main- and co-main events, but that trend of excellent, somewhat unknown talent continues on the main card, so let’s analyze some main card fights!
Remember: Later in the week, Jesse Holland will be back to preview and predict the biggest fights of the night.
Welterweight: Zelim Imadaev vs. Danny Roberts
Best Win for Imadaev? Ivan Gluhak For Roberts? David Sawada
Current Streak: Imadaev lost his UFC debut back in April, whereas Roberts has lost two straight
X-Factor: Can Roberts avoid getting caught?
How these two match up: This is a definite action fight.
Imadaev’s defensive wrestling proved a liability in his debut opposite Max Griffin, but the Russian did show plenty of grit and kickboxing skill. The 24-year-old striker made larger headlines with his actions out of the cage, however, nearly starting a fight with Griffin on several occasions outside of the Octagon.
England’s Roberts is one of those fun fighters who has plenty of offense skill and is definitely dangerous, yet he can also get caught at any point and finished suddenly. As a result, he’s struggled to find consistent success in the Octagon, but his fights have all been quite entertaining.
This is a difficult fight to predict, as both young fighters are dangerous on offense yet have proven to have defensive issues. As such, a single big shot could shift momentum in an instant, and such a blow is more likely to land in this match up than most.
Based on Imadaev’s debut, he definitely has potential. Griffin greatly prefers to brawl, but Imadaev’s threatening kickboxing turned Griffin into a devoted wrestler. Roberts has yet to show that option in his back pocket, so it seems likely that Imadaev gets the slugfest he desires and is better able to stand up to the exchanges.
Prediction: Imadaev via knockout
Welterweight: Ramazan Emeev vs. Anthony Rocco Martin
Best Win for Emeev? Sam Alvey For Martin? Sergio Moraes
Current Streak: Emeev has won three straight, whereas Martin came up short in his last bout
X-Factor: Can Emeev score takedowns?
How these two match up: Unfortunately, both of these men are fairly low-volume strikers, which means this could end up a pretty slow fight. Luckily, they are also both quite skilled, so perhaps they will draw the best from each other?
Emeev has proven himself remarkably efficient inside the Octagon. “Gorets” does an excellent job of bursting forward with good combinations and hiding a takedown attempt behind those shots, which has lead to three straight decision victories. In those victories, Emeev has absorbed very few shots.
Since moving up to 170 pounds, Martin has proven himself a valuable addition to the Welterweight roster. On the strength of his Southpaw counter punching and slick jiu-jitsu, Martin strung together a four-fight win streak, but the elite Brazilian jiu-jitsu of Demian Maia proved too much for the would-be contender.
On first look, it seems immediately likely that Emeev will win another close-but-clear decision via a touch more volume and the occasional successful takedown. However, all four of the men whom Martin recently defeated attempted a similar strategy, and for the most part, Martin was able to handily land the better strikes and defend the takedown.
This is a major step up in competition for Emeev, and I expect it to be a touch too much.
Prediction: Martin via decision
Middleweight: Klidson Abreu vs. Shamil Gamzatov
Best Win for Abreu? Sam Alvey For Gamzatov? Eddie Gordon
Current Streak: Abreu recently won his UFC debut, while Gamzatov won 13 straight outside of the Octagon to earn this opportunity
X-Factor: Which man wins the wrestling battle?
How these two match up: Two decorated grapplers may just wind up in a brawl.
Abreu has won most of his matches via submission, but the takedown defense of Sam Alvey proved frustrating in his debut. “Russian Terror” didn’t miss a bit, adapting a strategy of pressure and heavy kicks to outwork his opponent for the majority of three rounds. Gamzatov, meanwhile, is an undefeated veteran of the Professional Fighters League (PFL). He’s a definite ground specialist, finishing a majority of his victories from top position.
Any time a pair of submission-focused fighters match up, the fight becomes more about the other aspects of their game — it’s tough to submit good grapplers! As a result, another trait — be it kickboxing, wrestling, or cardio — is quite likely to prove the deciding factor, and the key here to predict which one?
Based on his success in PFL, my guess is that Gamzatov is the better wrestler. Once in top position, Gamzatov should be able to keep up with his foe in scrambles and stay ahead on the cards.
Prediction: Gamzatov via decision
Remember that MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC Fight Night 163 fight card this weekend RIGHT HERE, starting with the ESPN+“Prelims” that are scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. ET, then the main card portion that will also stream on ESPN+ at 2 p.m. ET.
To check out the latest and greatest UFC Fight Night 163: “Zabit vs. Kattar” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here.
‘X-Factor’ Picks for 2019: 50-24-1 (2)