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FIGHT ODDS

The Pulse: UFC Fight Night 235

Brian KnappFeb 02, 2024

The Ultimate Fighting Championship will have the mixed martial arts stage all to itself when it trots out middleweights Roman Dolidze and Nassourdine Imavov for the UFC Fight Night 235 headliner on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Though neither of them move the needle in terms of widespread public interest, they make for compelling dance partners at 185 pounds.

An anticipatory buzz surrounding the event permeates social media. A sampling of some of the discussions:

Dolidze rose to prominence with consecutive knockouts of Kyle Daukaus, Phil Hawes and Jack Hermansson in 2022 but finds himself on the rebound following a decision defeat to Marvin Vettori at UFC 286 on March 18. An affinity for playing chess and getting lost in the woods marks his human side away from the cage.



Still trying to crack the Top 10 at 185 pounds, Imavov enters the cage on the heels of back-to-back unfulfilling appearances: a unanimous decision loss to Sean Strickland at UFC Fight Night 217 and a no contest (accidental clash of heads) with Chris Curtis at UFC 289. Stakes are undeniably high for the Frenchman.



Renato Carneiro seeks his fourth win in five assignments when he collides with Drew Dober in the lightweight co-main event. “Moicano” left no doubt regarding his motivations after he submitted Brad Riddell with a first-round rear-naked choke in his most recent outing at UFC 281 in November 2022.



The muscular Dober owns an 8-4 record since he downshifted from welterweight to lightweight in 2018 and has never missed weight for a match in the UFC. Nevertheless, the Elevation Fight Team export’s drawn-out appearance sparked some debate regarding the toll the weight cut takes on his body.



Ahead of his middleweight showcase opposite the unbeaten Aliaskhab Khizriev, Makhmud Muradov’s resume speaks to the bodily harm he can inflict once the cage door closes behind him. He boasts 17 knockouts among his 26 career victories and carries a reputation for sending the occasional mouthpiece flying.



The UFC appears to have struck gold in former Jungle Fight champion Natalia Silva, who rides a 10-fight winning streak and perfect 4-0 record inside the Octagon into her women’s flyweight showdown with Viviane Araujo. Will her star continue to rise?



Onetime Cage Warriors Fighting Championship titleholder Molly McCann looks to bring her violent tendencies and flair for the dramatic to a new weight class when she downshifts to 115 pounds to take on Diana Belbita in the featured prelim. McCann has twice banked “Performance of the Night” bonuses with spectacular spinning back elbow stoppages.



MMA looks like a walk in the park when compared to the real-life experiences of welterweight Themba Gorimbo, who faces Pete Rodriguez as part of the undercard.