The UFC's stretch of Fight Night events continues Saturday as Sean Strickland takes on Abus Magomedov in a five-round middleweight fight.
UFC Fight Night: Strickland vs Magomedov takes place at the Apex in Las Vegas. Damir Ismagulov fights Grant Dawson in the co-main, while prospect Michael Morales takes on Max Griffin before that. Prelims begin at 4 p.m. ET with the main card slated for 7 p.m.
The American Strickland is a -138 favorite.
UFC Fight Night: Strickland vs Magomedov Betting Odds
| Fighter | Odds |
|---|---|
| Sean Strickland | -138 |
| Abus Magomedov | +110 |
Odds as of June 30
Per our odds calculator, a $100 bet on Strickland at -138 odds (57.98% implied chance) pays out $172.46. The same $100 on Magomedov at +110 (47.62% implied chance) pays out $210.
How To Watch UFC Fight Night: Strickland vs Magomedov
Don't worry fight fans, this is our last Fight Night before an excellent pay-per-view at UFC 290.
- Date/Time: July 1, 4 p.m. ET
- Location: Las Vegas, Nevada
- Arena: UFC Apex
- Where to Watch: ESPN, Cable Provider
UFC Fight Night: Strickland vs Magomedov Full Card & Betting Odds
Here's Saturday's lineup in Vegas.
- Main Card
- Middleweight Main Event – Sean Strickland (-138) vs Abus Magomedov (+110)
- Lightweight – Damir Ismagulov (-125) vs Grant Dawson (+100)
- Welterweight – Max Griffin (+200) vs Michael Morales (-250)
- Women's Flyweight – Ariane Lipski (+180) vs Melissa Gatto (-220)
- Lightweight – Benoit Saint-Denis (+250) vs Ismael Bonfim (-334)
- Middleweight – Bruno Ferreira (-175) vs Nursulton Ruziboev (+150)
- Prelims
- Welterweight – Kevin Lee (+170) vs Rinat Fakhretdinev (-200)
- Women's Featherweight – Yana Santos (+140) vs Karol Rosa (-170)
- Women's Flyweight – Ivana Petrovic (-220) vs Luana Carolina (+180)
- Featherweight – Joanderson Brito (-1200) vs Westin Wilson (+700)
- Heavyweight – Alexandr Romanov (-138) vs Blagoy Ivanov (+110)
- Lightweight – Guram Kutateladze (-600) vs Elves Brener (+450)
Odds as of June 28
Sean Strickland vs Abus Magomedov Tale Of The Tape
| Fighter | Sean Strickland | Abus Magomedov |
| Age | 32 | 32 |
| Record | 26-5 (13-5 UFC) | 25-4-1 (1-0 UFC) |
| Avg. Fight Time | 14:26 | 0:19* |
| Reach | 76" | 78" |
| Sig. Strikes Per Minute | 5.76 | 22.11* |
| Sig. Strikes Absorbed Per Minute | 4.25 | 0.00* |
| Takedowns Per 15 Minutes | 1.04 | 0.00 |
| Takedown Accuracy | 64% | 0% |
| Takedown Defense | 85% | 0% |
*Magomedov has just one UFC fight, so his numbers are skewed.
Strickland vs Magomedov Preview: Who Will Win?
Is Magomedov a live underdog? Let's see.
How Magomedov Wins
I won't lie to you, kids. This guy was not on my radar before he was booked to fight Strickland. And that's because he has just one UFC fight — a 19-second knockout — under his belt. Fighting a contender like Strickland is a big step up, but Magomedov will be ready.
19 seconds is all he needed ⏱
— UFC (@ufc) December 24, 2022
Abus Magomedov is your final #UFCHonors Fan Choice Debut of the Year nominee!
[🏆 Presented By @ToyoTires ] pic.twitter.com/QxXn8ODcHI
The Dagestani fighter is long, lean, and powerful, not unlike former 185-pound champ Alex Pereira, who took Strickland's soul at UFC 276. But Magomedov possesses vicious kicking power, and I'll bet he racks up damage by pounding Strickland's body and maintaining distance with his punches.
This bout could be a chess match, where each fighter snaps off one move at a time and waits for his opponent to counter. Strickland's fights are rarely bum-rushes with flying fists; they're methodical, and I like Magomedov in that situation.
How Strickland Wins
Strickland shells up pretty well on defense, and his slow, steady advances can be deceiving. The 32-year-old crosses up his arms before striking, but can still charge in and rip off surprisingly powerful hooks. But, in reality, Strickland hasn't finished anyone since 2020, so I don't think he'll KO Magomedov on Saturday.
All talk 🗣 Sean Strickland doesn't like to keep quiet in the Octagon. #UFCVegas25 pic.twitter.com/ZUgVDij6Lt
— UFC (@ufc) April 28, 2021
Instead, watch for Strickland to use the same gameplan he did vs Nassourdine Imavov earlier this year. Sean mixed in a takedown, but the bulk of his success came via handfighting, simple boxing combos and excellent clinchwork.
Sean Strickland vs Abus Magomedov Pick
I'm going to take Magomedov. I like his value as an underdog, and I think the Russian has far more upside in this matchup. He's long and robust but will need to attack Strickland before his cardio wanes.
I'll take Magomedov to win, and then ride some OVERs on the rounds.
