Final Preventing Championship (UFC) Middleweight strikers Shara Magomedov and Michael Web page will sq. off this weekend (Sat., Feb. 1, 2025) at UFC Saudi Arabia from anb Area in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
2024 was a breakout 12 months for Shara “Bullet.” The Russian striker technically made his UFC debut a 12 months prior, however that uneventful resolution nod didn’t impress anybody. Conversely, it’s a lot more durable to disclaim a 3-0 run that features two knockouts and three post-fight bonuses. He could be a contender, however he’s assured leisure.
Web page, a profession Welterweight, enters in an identical place. His aggressive loss to Ian Garry considerably sealed the 37-year-old veteran’s destiny with reference to combating for UFC gold, however he’s one of many flashiest strikers in MMA historical past. He supplied to leap to Middleweight particularly for this match up, and UFC couldn’t discover a purpose to look a present horse within the mouth.
Let’s take a more in-depth have a look at the betting odds and strategic keys for every athlete:
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Magomedov vs. Web page Betting Odds
Shara Magomedov victory: -192
Shara Magomedov through TKO/KO/DQ: +275
Shara Magomedov through submission: +2500
Shara Magomedov through resolution: +130
Michael Web page victory: +160
Michael Web page through TKO/KO/DQ: +600
Michael Web page through submission: +2000
Michael Web page through resolution: +275
Odds through DraftKings Sportsbook
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How Magomedov Wins
Shara Magomedov is without doubt one of the extra distinctive Middleweights on the roster. A get up striker, “Bullet” expends large quantities of vitality by throwing a high-volume of energy kicks and wild punches. By some means, he emerges because the brisker fighter late, capable of injury opponents sooner than he fatigues from his absurd output.
It’s not prone to be really easy to land on Web page. Not solely can “Venom” match his top and attain — the Welterweight really has a six inch attain benefit! — however he’s fairly evasive and expert at distance kicking himself. In contrast to most of his current bouts, Magomedov gained’t have an opponent making an attempt to trace him down.
Magomedov should take the initiative rigorously. He’ll need a regular output of spherical kicks to the legs, physique, and even arms, which can serve the aim of slowing “MVP.” I’d like to see him make use of the traditional anti-movement striker of pumping punches to get his foe transferring into low kicks. Magomedov has additionally proven himself expert within the clinch, so an efficient manner to make use of his dimension may contain crashing into the clinch then breaking with elbows and knees.
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How Web page Wins
Web page is a sniper. He manages vary exceptionally effectively, constantly creating exchanges the place his opponents really feel uncomfortable reaching him. In the meantime, he’s capable of leap ahead and immediately shut distance, permitting him to provoke exchanges and counter to nice impact due to that further distance coated in his strikes.
Sniper vs. quantity fights are enjoyable as a result of each males know what the opposite intends and find out how to cease it, even when it’s all simpler stated than finished. Within the case of Web page, he has to make sure that his connections are highly effective sufficient to stop the Magomedov snowball from rolling. It’s an enormous query up at 185-pounds: can Web page crack Magomedov onerous sufficient to earn his respect?
His greatest likelihood to take action is by countering kicks. No person’s chin is kind of as robust when tagged on one foot, and Web page excels at sliding up the center of kicks with a cracking straight. Stealing away a little bit of Magomedov’s confidence and momentum is essential, and it’ll assist persuade the Russian to hold again and play the space point-fighting sport that Web page wishes.
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Magomedov vs. Web page Prediction
Michael Web page is an distinctive striker with a laundry record of Karate and kickboxing accomplishments. Usually, I gained’t be selecting towards him in hanging battles that happen within the Octagon. He’s distinctive at what he does, even when different areas of his MMA sport are underdeveloped.
The way in which to beat Web page is to wrestle, which isn’t in any respect Magomedov’s sport. Alternatively, there’s an opportunity that Magomedov actually wears on Web page together with his dimension and kicks, however once more, Web page is kind of good on the point-fighting sport. He is aware of find out how to make kicks miss, and he is aware of find out how to bait opponents into making an attempt to kick him solely to reply with heavy punches.
Perhaps Magomedov is ready to run over Web page on sheer physicality and dimension, however in any other case, I anticipate Web page to cleanly management exchanges and land the very best pictures over three rounds.
Prediction: Web page through resolution (+275)