UFC Fight Night: Sean Strickland vs. Abus Magomedov Preview, Odds, Predictions, Picks

This weekend’s main event at the UFC event in Las Vegas features Sean Strickland and Abus Magomedov. Strickland is a well-known face in the middleweight category, for many, one of the best in the division, while Magomedov is the up-and-comer who wants to make his name. He’s new to the UFC, but his future seems bright, and this battle could be his entrance to the big stage. 

Preview

Losses to Alex Pereira and Jared Cannonier prevented Sean Strickland (-180) from getting the shot at the title. Before all this, Tarzan, as the fans call him, was on a rampage, beating solid names and making a bid for the title. Pereira knocked him down in the first round, removing his name from the title mix, while Cannonier went to distance with him and won following a suspicious split decision.

Stickland is again on the good path, as he defeated Nassourdine Imavov in the most recent bout, his first following the two losses we’ve mentioned. It was a decision victory, but he looked pretty well against the Russian from Dagestan.

Tarzan’s primary weapon is his boxing, and he really does that well. The output Strickland produces is at a high level, and the precision is very good as well. He had been putting extra effort into improving the wrestling part of his skill set, and we are yet to see how that went. Strickland’s past is solid, with him beating the likes of Jack Hermansson, Uriah Hall, Brendan Allen, and Krzysztof Jotko.

Abus Magomedov (+180) is originally from Dagestan but is now based in Germany. He had an impressive UFC debut, crashing Dustin Stoltzfus in the first round, allowing only 20 seconds to pass. After being out for almost two years, that was his first battle, and he looked confident.

The battle against Stoltzfus was his debut in the UFC. Previously, he had experience in PFL, where he fought for the title, but lost in 2018 to Louis Taylor. It was a devastating first-round KO, which prevented Magomedov from winning the title. 

Unlike other fighters from Dagestan, this guy likes to take care of the business in stand-up. He has had 29 fights in his career so far, winning 25 of them, 14 via knockout. Magomedov holds six submission victories and five following a decision. Unlike Strickland, this guy doesn’t have some notable wins in his career, apart from Sadibou Sy. 

Predictions

These boys like to smash, and we might see an entertaining battle in Las Vegas this Saturday night. Magomedov is new, he isn’t as famous as Strickland, but his record suggests he knows how to fight. Though, in this particular situation, we aren’t sure that he has enough experience to defeat Strickland. His physical attributes aren’t questionable at all, but him meeting one of the top-ten fighters in the division after just one test in the UFC seems a bit too early. We will go with Strickland here, and for those who want to increase solid profits (-150), we suggest picking Strickland via decision. Tarzan knows how to collect points while utilizing his cardio.

Pick: Strickland -150