MMASucka staff picks are locked in for the first card of the new month.
UFC Vegas 85, also titled as UFC Fight Night 235, will take place this evening, February 3rd from the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada. The preliminary card kicks off at 4:00pm ET (1:00pm PT) with the main card at 7:00pm ET (4:00pm PT). All fights are available to watch on ESPN+.
Stay tuned here at MMASucka for UFC Vegas 85: Dolidze vs. Imavov results.
Main Event
Top 15 ranked middleweights of Roman Dolidze and Nassourdine Imavov will fight for their rightful spot at 185 pounds in the featured main event.
Georgia’s Dolidze will get his first main appearance in his ninth promotional fight since July of 2020. The heavyweight-turned-middleweight grappler returns to the octagon nearly a year since his second career loss to Marvin Vettori; a defeat that snapped a four-fight win streak and a three-fight string of knockouts. Dolidze’s opponent, Imavov, returned to the division in June of last year but saw his fight with Chris Curtis end in a “No Contest” following a clash of heads. The Frenchman out of Fernand Lopez’s MMA Factory will turn 29 next month as he targets his first win since a decision over Joaquin Buckley in September of 2022.
Co-Main Event
Looking to steal the show sees Renato Moicano and Drew Dober set to meet in the co-main event at lightweight. Submission specialist Moicano returns after a near-15 month hiatus where he earned his tenth professional submission and tenth by way of rear-naked choke over Brad Riddell. Dangerous finisher Dober reached his 40th MMA fight in October where he stopped Ricky Glenn by knockout inside three minutes.
Additional Fights
Two welterweight bouts compose the main card. Former Ring of Combat Welterweight Champion Randy Brown fights Wushu Sanda striker Muslim Salikov, and the Ultimate Fighter 29 contender Gilbert Urbina takes on former Cage Fury FC Champion Charles Radtke in the main card opener.
#7-ranked Viviane Araujo and #9-ranked Natalia Silva hope for a big performance in the women’s flyweight division. Lastly, unpredictable finishers Aliaskhab Khizriev and Makhmud Muradov will clash at 185 pounds.
See our MMASucka staff picks and predictions for UFC Vegas 85: Dolidze vs. Imavov further below.
We’ve got a middleweight main event 🔥@Imavov1 & @RomanDolidzeUFC are ready for #UFCVegas85!
[ Watch live TOMORROW on @ESPNPlus ] pic.twitter.com/XL8HDRMDPd
— UFC (@ufc) February 2, 2024
Staff Picks
MMASucka staff picks are composed of four of the world’s leading mixed martial arts organizations: the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), the Professional Fighters League (PFL MMA), ONE Championship (ONE FC), and Dana White’s Contender Series (DWCS).
- UFC picks will compose main card fights ranging from four to six matchups per event.
- PFL MMA picks are to be determined as card structures will likely change following last year’s merger with Bellator MMA.
- ONE FC and DWCS picks will feature all MMA fights from the event with a minimum of three matchups.
The individual who picks the most victorious fighters by the end of 2024 will have a choice between receiving a custom-made championship belt from ProAmBelts or a detailed chain from Championship Chains. Staff picks in 2023 were won by Ben Jamieson with a record of 300-148.
See below for our main card picks from UFC Vegas 85: Dolidze vs. Imavov.
RECORDS AFTER UFC 297:
1. Frazer Krohn: 14-5
2T. Julio Monteros Jr.: 12-7
2T. Nate Freeman: 12-7
4T. Wesley Riddle: 10-9
4T. Michael DeSantis: 10-9
5T. Jeremy Brand: 9-10
7. Andrew Benjamin: 8-6
8. Casey Cooper: 4-5
9. Lukas DeWitt: 1-4
*Note – not all staff pick for every event*
Gilbert Urbina (7-3), +170
vs.
Charles Radtke (8-3), -215
WELTERWEIGHT DIVISION
– 170 LBS – 77.1 KG –
Jeremy Brand: Urbina via Unanimous Decision
Wesley Riddle: Urbina via Unanimous Decision
Michael DeSantis: Urbina via Round 2 TKO
Frazer Krohn: Urbina via Unanimous Decision
Nate Freeman: Urbina via Unanimous Decision
Lukas DeWitt: Radtke via Unanimous Decision
Staff picking Urbina: 5
Staff picking Radtke: 1
Aliaskhab Khizriev (14-0), -140
vs.
Makhmud Muradov (26-8), +115
MIDDLEWEIGHT DIVISION
– 185 LBS – 83.9 KG –
Jeremy Brand: Khizriev via Round 2 TKO
Wesley Riddle: Khizriev via Round 1 SUB
Michael DeSantis: Khizriev via Round 2 SUB
Frazer Krohn: Khizriev via Round 2 SUB
Nate Freeman: Khizriev via Round 2 SUB
Lukas DeWitt: Khizriev via Round 1 SUB
Staff picking Khizriev: 6
Staff picking Muradov: 0
Viviane Araujo (12-5), +280
vs.
Natalia Silva (16-5-1), -375
WOMEN’S FLYWEIGHT DIVISION
– 125 LBS – 56.7 KG –
Jeremy Brand: Silva via Unanimous Decision
Wesley Riddle: Silva via Split Decision
Michael DeSantis: Silva via Unanimous Decision
Frazer Krohn: Silva via Unanimous Decision
Nate Freeman: Silva via Unanimous Decision
Lukas DeWitt: Silva via Unanimous Decision
Staff picking Araujo: 0
Staff picking Silva: 6
Randy Brown (17-5), -275
vs.
Muslim Salikhov (19-4), +225
WELTERWEIGHT DIVISION
– 170 LBS – 77.1 KG –
Jeremy Brand: Salikhov via Unanimous Decision
Wesley Riddle: Brown via Round 3 TKO
Michael DeSantis: Brown via Unanimous Decision
Frazer Krohn: Brown via Unanimous Decision
Nate Freeman: Brown via Unanimous Decision
Lukas DeWitt: Brown via Unanimous Decision
Staff picking Brown: 5
Staff picking Salikhov: 1
Renato Moicano (17-5-1), -175
vs.
Drew Dober (27-12, 1 NC), +145
LIGHTWEIGHT DIVISION
– CO-MAIN EVENT –
– 155 LBS – 70.3 KG –
Jeremy Brand: Dober via Round 2 TKO
Wesley Riddle: Moicano via Round 1 SUB
Michael DeSantis: Dober via Round 1 TKO
Frazer Krohn: Moicano via Round 1 SUB
Nate Freeman: Moicano via Split Decision
Lukas DeWitt: Dober via Round 1 TKO
Staff picking Moicano: 3
Staff picking Dober: 3
Roman Dolidze (12-2), +135
vs.
Nassourdine Imavov (12-4, 1 NC), -165
MIDDLEWEIGHT DIVISION
– MAIN EVENT –
– 185 LBS – 83.9 KG –
Jeremy Brand: Dolidze via Round 3 TKO
Wesley Riddle: Dolidze via Round 4 TKO
Michael DeSantis: Dolidze via Unanimous Decision
Frazer Krohn: Dolidze via Round 4 SUB
Nate Freeman: Dolidze via Split Decision
Lukas DeWitt: Imavov via Unanimous Decision
Staff picking Dolidze: 5
Staff picking Imavov: 1
