UFC Saudi Arabia Might Be One of the Most Stacked Fight Nights Ever
(via UFC.com)
The UFC posted the main card for UFC Fight Night: Saudi Arabia to their X account on March 28, and it has since sent the MMA world into a frenzy. This card features some incredible matchups that all could be featured on a pay per view card easily. Here is what to look for in each matchup on the Main Card.
Sharaputdin magomedov vs Ihor poteiria (Middleweight Bout)
Magomedov has been a prospect with lots of hype around him since his successful UFC debut against Bruno Silva. He has very slick kickboxing despite the fact that his ground game leaves a lot to be desired. He currently sits at 12-0 and Poteiria seems to be a large step in competition for Magomedov. Although his takedown defense looked good in his debut, it will be interesting to see if he will be able to find his openings against Poteiria.
Johnny Walker vs Volkan Oezdemir (Light heavyweight bout)
Walker just came off of a knockout loss to perennial title contender, Magomed Ankalaev, and the fact he is now fighting someone who is definitively out of the title picture is rather surprising for the Brazilian. Oezdemir has fought for the Light Heavyweight Title before against Daniel Cormier, where he lost via TKO in the second round. However this was all the way back in Janurary 2018 and Oezdemir has gone 2-3 in his last five fights. This is a more than winnable fight for Walker, and it could keep him relevant in the light heavyweight division.
Kelvin Gastelum vs Daniel Rodriguez (Welterweight bout)
Gastelum was unsuccessful in his welterweight return against Sean Brady in December 2023, losing via submission in the third round. This move to welterweight seemed to be a career renaissance for the former middleweight title challenger. After losing to a very tough up and coming prospect, he has another chance to show that he still has some left in the tank after a long tenure at middleweight. Rodriguez is also coming off a round one TKO loss to Ian Machado Garry which occurred in May 2023. Although both these men have fallen as of late, this will still be quite a slug fest as both men are content with standing and trading in the pocket.
Sergei Pavlovich vs Alexander Volkov (Heavyweight co-main event)
Before his last fight, Sergei Pavlovich was considered to be the scariest heavyweight title contender in the division. His hand speed is blinding for the division, and the only man who was able to beat him to the punch was Interim Heavyweight Champion, Tom Aspinall, who knocked him out in the first round. Volkov, on the other hand, has had many ups and downs in his career, and has been on the upswing as of late. He is currently on a three fight win streak, and has shown improvements in his grappling. If Volkov is smart, he would likely test Pavlovich’s ground game to see if he is a competent grappler. Despite this, he will have to walk through a fury of fast punches to get through the always dangerous Pavlovich.
Robert Whittaker vs Khamzat Chimaev (Middleweight main event)
This fight has been confirmed to be for the next title shot against UFC Middleweight Champion, Dricus Du Plessis. Former Middleweight Champion, Robert Whittaker, is one of the most well rounded mixed martial artists in the promotion, and can pose problems for anyone that stands across the cage from him. Khamzat Chimaev has been one of the most avoided prospects in the UFC ever since he made his debut in July 2020. This will without a doubt be his toughest fight, and he will get his first taste of the top echelon of the middleweight division. If Whittaker can avoid the explosive grappling of Chimaev in the first two rounds, this could get very interesting, as Chimaev has never been in a five round fight.
