UFC Vegas 85 Odds: Roman Dolidze vs. Nassourdine Imavov prediction, pick
The UFC Main Event features two ranked monsters at Middleweight.
The time has come and the UFC Vegas 85 Main Event is finally here. We’ll bring you our betting prediction and pick for this Middleweight (185) bout between ranked contenders as No. 8 Roman Dolidze of Georgia takes on France’s No. 11 Nassourdine Imavov. This Main Event has “banger” written all over it!
Roman Dolidze (12-2) has gone 6-2 during his UFC stint since 2020. He’s taken out top talent like Phil Hawes and Jack Hermansson, but lost a very tough unanimous decision to Marvin Vettori during his last bout. After a number of cancelled fights leading up to this, Dolidze now faces an equally-promising contender in Imavov. Dolidze stands 6’2″ with a 76-inch reach.
Nassourdine Imavov (12-4) has gone 4-2 in his UFC fights since 2020. He has notable wins over Edmen Shahbazyan and Joaquin Buckley, but had a rough showing against Sean Strickland in his toughest test to-date. His last fight was abruptly stopped and ruled a ‘No Contest’ after an accidental clash of heads between him and Chris Curtis. He’ll be eager to finally get back in the cage and look for a win. Imavov stands 6’3″ with a 75-inch reach.
Here are the UFC Odds, courtesy of DraftKings.
UFC Vegas 85 Odds: Roman Dolidze-Nassourdine Imavov Odds
Roman Dolidze: +142
Nassourdine Imavov: -170
Over 2.5 rounds: -166
Under 2.5 rounds: +130
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Why Roman DolidzeWill Win
Roman Dolidze has become a matchup problem for many of the strikers in his division. While he’s not the most technical fighter, he’s a terrifying puncher and walks his opponents down with complete disregard for his own safety. His best performance came against Jack Hermansson when he was able to finish the fight from strikes in back control. Dolidze fought a very patient fight and while his striking volume wasn’t high, he landed his shots with conviction and precision as he was able to sit Hermansson down. His power is certainly his greatest strength and opponents tend to back off when approaching him in the striking exchanges.
Given the nature of his opponent’s game, Dolidze should expect most of this fight to take place on the feet. He may be giving up some speed and mobility to Imavov, but Dolidze will continue to walk forward and put pressure on his opponent. He’s very strong along the fence and will look to land short elbows and knees from there. With how active Imavov keeps his hands, Dolidze may have to open his striking up a bit and fight with more enthusiasm than he did against Marvin Vettori. Still, his right hand is the equalizer and he’ll be looking to land it from the opening bell.
Why Nassourdine ImavovWill Win
Nassourdine Imavov is the next-in-line of the great crop of MMA fighters emerging out of France. He’s a traditional kickboxer and has tremendous accuracy in his punches. Five of his career wins are by knockout and he showed an impressive game on the ground when he finished Edmen Shahbazyan from the crucifix position. Against Sean Strickland, his striking was exposed a bit but the loss aged well given Strickland’s eventual title run. His bad luck continued when he and Chris Curtis accidentally bumped heads during a fight that Imavov was convincingly winning on the scorecards. He’ll be very determined for a definitive result with his last true win coming in 2022.
While many of the fighter in the division struggle with the size of Roman Dolidze, Imavov is actually the slightly taller fighter and should have the advantage in the kicking game with his long legs. Dolidze isn’t particularly diligent about checking leg kicks coming his way, so expect the calf kicks to be a big focal point for Imavov during this fight. He also has the much faster hands and can jump in-and-out of range using his boxing combinations, so expect Imavov to be extremely active during this fight.
Final Roman Dolidze-Nassourdine ImavovPrediction & Pick
Both fighters will be eager to get back in the cage after a number of cancelled fights and this should be a solid Main Event to kick off the month of February. Roman Dolidze poses a number of matchup problems with his size and power. If he’s able to drop Imavov just once, he won’t waste any time going in for the finish. However, Imavov is the much more polished striker and if he’s able to manage the distance, he’ll be able to overwhelm Dolidze on volume alone.
For our prediction, we’re going to roll with Nassourdine Imavov to get the win. Both fighters are very good in boxing range and can find their opponents’ chin, but Imavov does a better job of using his length to control the distance. Expect him to see success in the kickboxing as he picks-and-pops his way to a decision win.
Final Roman Dolidze-Nassourdine Imavov Prediction & Pick: Nassourdine Imavov (-170); OVER 2.5 Rounds (-166)
