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Last night saw the first UFC event of February go down in Las Vegas, and while the event wasn’t outstanding, it did see some strong showings.
So what’s next for the top fighters from UFC Fight Night: Roman Dolidze vs. Nassourdine Imavov? As always, there are plenty of options for the matchmakers.
Here are five fights to make after UFC Fight Night: Roman Dolidze vs. Nassourdine Imavov.
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#5. UFC middleweight bout: Aliaskhab Khizriev vs. Makhmud Muradov 2
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The middleweight fight between prospect Aliaskhab Khizriev and explosive veteran Makhmud Muradov was one of last night’s more highly anticipated clashes.
Unfortunately, the fight ended in anticlimactic fashion when Muradov suffered an accidental eye poke after just eleven seconds. The referee was forced to stop the bout, declaring a No Contest in the process.
It wasn’t how either man would’ve wanted things to go, particularly as Khizriev hadn’t fought since his UFC debut win over Denis Tiuliulin nearly two years ago.
With any hope, Muradov won’t be too badly affected by the poke, and if that’s the case, the best thing to do would be to sign an immediate rematch on an upcoming Fight Night card.
After all, ‘Mach’ would’ve been a strong test for ‘The Black Wolf’, and it looked like an exciting fight on paper, too. Unless Muradov is sidelined for a lengthy period, there’s no reason not to simply re-book this one and act like the original bout never happened.
#4. UFC welterweight bout: Randy Brown vs. Charles Radtke
One of last night’s bigger winners was Randy Brown, who starched Muslim Salikhov with a brutal first round knockout.
The win was the sixth in seven fights for ‘Rude Boy’, who could be considered on the cusp of the top 15 at welterweight now.
However, Brown has already faced some of the UFC’s best welterweights, including Belal Muhammad, Jack Della Maddalena and Vicente Luque, and he’s lost every time. Unfortunately, despite last night’s win, there’s nothing to suggest that trend will change any time soon.
Therefore, ‘Rude Boy’ could be seen in a similar light to Neil Magny. Where Magny is viewed as a gatekeeper to the elite, Brown is a little lower, as a gatekeeper to the top 15.
With that considered, it could be fun to match him with Charles Radtke, who scored a big knockout win of his own over Gilbert Urbina last night.
‘Chuck Buffalo’ is now 2-0 in the octagon, and is riding a strong win streak of six bouts in a row. Is he ready for the elite? Who knows, but a fight with Brown would definitely tell fans either way.
With the timeline matching up nicely too after both men won last night, this is a bout that makes logical sense going forward.
#3. UFC strawweight bout: Molly McCann vs. Michelle Waterson-Gomez
Few fighters won quite as big as Molly McCann last night. The popular native of Liverpool dispatched Diana Belbita in the first round in an impressive display, starting her career as a 115-pound fighter with a bang.
‘Meatball’ should now set her sights on the top 15 in her new weight division. After all, she’s been around a long time, has plenty of name value, and judging by last night, she could be a contender.
A fun opponent for her, therefore, could be veteran Michelle Waterson-Gomez. ‘The Karate Hottie’ is one of the UFC’s most popular strawweights and has headlined numerous shows since her 2016 octagon debut.
However, she’s also fallen on hard times as of late, falling to defeat in her last four bouts. Does this mean that matching her with McCann would be seen as unfair, as it was when the promotion matched the ageing Tony Ferguson with McCann’s teammate Paddy Pimblett?
Perhaps, but the fact is that Waterson-Gomez remains ranked in the top 15 at 115 pounds, currently sitting at No.14, and she hasn’t been losing to scrubs. For a fighter as raw as McCann, she’d be an excellent test.
Overall, this fight could compliment the main card of a Fight Night event well, and could be booked for the next time the promotion visits the UK.
#2. UFC lightweight bout: Renato Moicano vs. Jalin Turner
Exactly as was advertised, Renato Moicano’s lightweight clash with Drew Dober last night was plenty of fun. Despite not ending early as most observers expected, it turned into a violent bloodbath that Moicano eventually came out on top of.
The Brazilian’s win cemented his spot in the top 15 at 155 pounds, and with four wins in his last five outings, it’s probably fair to give him a shot at someone ranked higher than him next time out.
With that considered, a good opponent for him could be Jalin Turner. ‘The Tarantula’ was last seen brutally knocking out Bobby Green, and is currently ranked at No.9, four spots above Moicano.
The Brazilian would definitely stand a good chance against Turner if he could get the fight to the ground, but given the length, precision striking and power of ‘The Tarantula’, it definitely wouldn’t be easy.
Given the lengthy tenures of both of these fighters, it’s a wonder that we haven’t seen them booked against one another before, in fact.
It’s a fight that makes plenty of sense and would be fun to watch, so hopefully the UFC could put it together soon.
#1. UFC middleweight bout: Nassourdine Imavov vs. Chris Curtis 2
Last night’s headliner was an odd fight that saw Nassourdine Imavov come close to finishing opponent Roman Dolidze off in the first round, only to tire out and allow the Georgian back in.
Following that, Imavov was deducted a point for an illegal soccer kick in the fourth round, and while he did get his hand raised, it wasn’t the kind of showing to elevate him into title contention.
‘The Sniper’ may leapfrog Dolidze into the No.8 slot, however, meaning that the UFC will probably still want to give him a good fight next time out.
However, a better option could be to capitalize on one of last night’s weirder moments by pitting him against No.13-ranked Chris Curtis.
‘Action Man’ had a shouting match with Imavov following the French fighter’s illegal kick. The two men also already have history, as they fought to a No Contest in 2023 when an accidental headbutt rendered Curtis unable to continue.
Imavov might believe he deserves a shot at an elite-level fighter following his win last night, but the truth is that his showing wasn’t quite enough to warrant that. Instead, his unfinished business with ‘Action Man’ needs a conclusion of some kind.
