With a big day ahead, let’s get to our Roman Dolidze-Nassourdine Imavov pick, odds and preview. Be sure to check out the rest of our UFC articles, including our full-card breakdown, and or our betting model’s top picks
Roman Dolidze-Nassourdine Imavov Pick, Odds and Preview
Roman Dolidze-Nassourdine Imavov Odds
Odds via DraftKings
Weight Class: Middleweight
Dolidze: +140 | Imavov: -185
Dolidze+5.5: -115 | Imavov -5.5: -115
Over 2.5: -166 | Under 2.5: +130
Roman Dolidze-Nassourdine Imavov Pick & Preview
In the main event, Roman Dolidze (12-2) will face off with Nassourdine Imavov (12-4) with a spot in the top 10 of the middleweight rankings on the line.
With Dolidze coming off a loss and Imavov facing a loss and a no-decision in his previous two bouts, both fighters are looking to get themselves back on track.
The oddsmakers seem to have given Imavov a boost for his admirable performance against former middleweight champion Sean Strickland. For that reason, you can find some value by riding with Dolidze as the slight underdog.
Both fighters are well-rounded: they can take their opponents to the ground or stop them on the feet in the blink of an eye. The fight should be a live wire from the first second to the last.
Dolidze’s previous two wins, knockouts over Jack Hermansson and Phil Hawes, show how scary he can be on the ground and on the feet. While not a high-output striker, only landing 3.02 significant strikes per minute, Dolidze saw an opening in Hawes’ defense and starched him with a clean combination.
Dolidze also showed his wizardry on the ground against Hermansson. He turned a takedown into an arm bar before using the threat of a calf slicer to flatten Hermansson on his stomach, ending the fight with a brutal ground-and-pound sequence.
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Because of how dangerous Dolidze is on the ground, Imavov will have fewer opportunities to exploit than against a normal opponent. It would be in Imavov’s interest to keep the fight standing for the majority of the time, but this exposes him to Dolidze’s power.
Further, Imavov has yet to win a decision in which ground control time wasn’t a factor in at least one round, so there are questions as to whether he can win a five-round fight predominantly on the feet. While he has a higher output than Dolidze, landing 4.55 significant strikes per minute, Dolidze defends himself solidly at a rate of 55% strikes defended.
With the danger that Dolidze poses on the ground, whether in a dominant position or not, he will likely have a more flexible game plan that could give him the edge in such a tight matchup.
Roman Dolidze-Nassourdine Imavov Pick: Dolidze ML +140 at DraftKings
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