UFC middleweights Roman Dolidze and Nassourdine Imavov are set to headline the upcoming UFC Vegas 85. The Fight Night event will take place this weekend at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Dolidze will look to return to winning ways following a unanimous decision loss to Marvin Vettori at UFC 286 in March 2023. Before this loss, 'The Caucasian' had won four consecutive fights, earning three Performance of the Night bonuses in a row.
On the other hand, Imavov's last fight ended in a no-contest against Chris Curtis at UFC 289 last June due to an accidental clash of heads. Prior to this fight, 'The Spiner' had won three consecutive matches. However, his winning streak was interrupted when he faced Sean Strickland and suffered a unanimous decision defeat.
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In the co-main event of UFC Vegas 85, Renato Moicano and Drew Dober are set to clash in a lightweight showdown. Moicano enters the bout following a first-round submission win over Brad Riddell at UFC 281 in November 2022, while Dober aims to continue his momentum after securing a Performance of the Night knockout against Ricky Glenn.
Dolidze will be making his main event debut on Saturday night, marking the most lucrative payday of his MMA career. Meanwhile, Imavov is also expected to earn a substantial sum as he participates in his second headline bout.
As reported by The Sports Daily, Dolidze and Imavov are anticipated to be the top earners on the fight card, with both fighters poised to receive an alleged payout of $256,000 each.
Check out the potential payouts for other fighters on the UFC Vegas 85 lineup:
Drew Dober: $106,000
Renato Moicano: $96,000
Randy Brown: $82,000
Makhmud Muradov: $76,000
Molly McCann: $71,000
Viviane Araujo: $56,000
The mentioned payouts do not include any winnings or performance bonuses. However, the UFC salary estimates were calculated based on their previously disclosed earnings.
UFC Vegas 85: Dolidze vs. Imamov - Start time and broadcast details
The early prelims for UFC Vegas 85 are set to commence at 4 PM ET/1 PM PT on Saturday, Feb. 3, in the United States, with a corresponding 9 PM GMT start in the United Kingdom.
Conversely, the event's main card is anticipated to kick off at around 7 PM ET/4 PM PT in the U.S., translating to a 12 AM GMT start on Sunday, Feb. 4 in the U.K.
MMA enthusiasts in the U.S. can stream the Fight Night event live on ESPN+. Meanwhile, in the U.K., it will be broadcast live on TNT Sports.