Featherweights
Muhammadjon Naimov (11-2, 3-0 UFC) vs. Felipe Lima (12-1, 0-0 UFC)Naimov was a sneakily successful signing for the UFC in 2023, helping contribute to a banner year for Tajikistan’s mixed martial arts scene. Naimov initially got his UFC shot in 2020 on the Contender Series, but he put together a lackluster performance that looks like an outlier in retrospect. “Hillman” rebounded nicely and has gone undefeated since getting the late-notice call from the UFC in June 2023. Naimov’s approach is a bit limited, relying on opponents to close range where he can either land big counters or swamp them with a grimy wrestling game, but he has managed to draw some advantageous matchups even while facing a solid level of competition. Jamie Mullarkey didn’t have the durability to stand up to Naimov in close quarters, while Nathaniel Wood was simply outsized. After an opponent change during fight week, Naimov draws a UFC newcomer in Lima.
Lima has proven himself ready for a major promotion after a strong regional campaign, and he looks like a solid talent on film. Fighting behind pressure, the Brazilian can land some dynamic striking techniques before looking to embrace the grind as a fallback. That would make for an interesting fight given some size parity, but Lima is a natural bantamweight—he has even competed at flyweight—making the move up on late notice, so he’ll likely just get swamped here. The pick is Naimov via decision.
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Whittaker vs. Aliskerov
Pavlovich vs. Volkov
Gastelum vs. Rodriguez
Naimov vs. Lima
Walker vs. Oezdemir
The Prelims