Ground in the Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight division can only be gained through the requisite blood, sweat and tears—a reality those who populate the Top 15 know all too well.
Dolidze owns a 6-2 record inside the Octagon and has won four of his past five bouts. However, the Xtreme Couture rep finds himself on the rebound following a unanimous decision defeat to Marvin Vettori at UFC 286 on March 18. The form in which Dolidze returns from an almost yearlong layoff figures to reveal much about his direction moving forward. Imavov, meanwhile, holds UFC victories over Jordan Williams, Ian Heinisch, Edmen Shahbazyan and Joaquin Buckley. Yet his last two appearances have given way to questions about his ceiling, as he dropped a five-round unanimous decision to Sean Strickland at UFC Fight Night 217 before being saddled with a no contest against Chris Curtis at UFC 289.
The Dolidze-Imavov showdown and its resulting fallout for the middleweight division is but one storyline to watch at UFC Fight Night 235. Here are four more:
Bright Lights
Renato Carneiro, due almost entirely to inactivity, has become something of a forgotten piece of the UFC puzzle at 155 pounds. The American Top Team-trained Brazilian looks to resume his ascent in the lightweight division when he confronts Drew Dober in the co-main event. Carneiro sports a 4-2 record since he made the decision to fly the 145-pound coop in 2020. He has not fought since Nov. 13, 2022, when he put away Brad Riddell with a rear-naked choke—it was his 10th career victory by submission—in the first round of their UFC 281 pairing. On the other side of the equation, Dober steps back into the spotlight having won posted four wins across his past five outings. The Elevation Fight Team powerhouse last suited up at UFC Fight Night 229, where he buried former World Series of Fighting champion Ricky Glenn with punches in little more than half a round. Which middle-tier contender will climb another rung on the lightweight ladder?
More Story to Tell
Muslim Salikhov could soon be at odds with Father Time. The “King of Kung Fu,” who turns 40 on June 9, will attempt to find his way back to the winner’s circle when he matches wits and fists with onetime Ring of Combat champion Randy Brown in an intriguing three-round welterweight showcase. Known for his flashy arsenal and a willingness to throw caution to the wind, Salikhov wandered into a cloud of uncertainty by losing two of his past three bouts—a unanimous decision defeat to Nicolas Dalby at UFC on ESPN 47 in June marking his most recent setback. The 6-foot-3 Brown, meanwhile, remains one of the more toolsy competitors in the 170-pound weight class. “Rude Boy” last fought at UFC on ABC 5, where he laid claim to a three-round unanimous decision over Wellington Turman on June 24. Can Salikhov keep the twilight of his career at bay in his first assignment of 2024?
Only Room for One
Top 10-ranked women’s flyweights are booked opposite one another, with Natalia Silva scheduled to kick off the main card against fellow Brazilian Viviane Araujo. All the momentum seems to be in Silva’s corner. The 26-year-old Team Borracha product enters the cage with the wind of a 10-fight winning streak at her back. A former Jungle Fight champion, Silva made her UFC debut with a unanimous decision over Jasmine Jasudavicius in 2022 and hit the accelerator. Finishes of Tereza Bleda and Victoria Leonardo followed before she outpointed Andrea Lee to a clear-cut decision at UFC 292 on Aug. 19. Now, Araujo stands in her way. The ex-Pancrase titleholder improved to 6-4 inside the Octagon and bounced back from consecutive losses to Alexa Grasso and Amanda Ribas with three-round unanimous decision over Jennifer Maia at UFC Fight Night 230 on Oct. 14. Does Silva use her countrywoman as a steppingstone to bigger and better things?
Perfect Storm
Two undefeated fighters who are relatively new to the UFC scene are set to put their pristine records on the line in separate pairings: middleweight Aliaskhab Khizriev on the main draw, flyweight Azat Maksum on the undercard. Khizriev, 33, faces perhaps his toughest test to date when he does battle with Makhmud Muradov in a featured attraction at 185 pounds. The 5-foot-10 Russian has not strapped on the gloves since he put Denis Tiuliulin to sleep with a rear-naked choke in the third round of their UFC on ESPN 33 clash nearly two years ago. He holds five sub-minute finishes among his 12 career victories. Maksum, meanwhile, must test his skills against Charles Johnson in a preliminary scrap at 125 pounds. The 28-year-old Kazakhstan native made a successful Octagon debut at UFC on ESPN 49, where he eked out a split decision over Tyson Nam to move to 17-0 as a pro. Will either Khizriev or Maksum fall from the ranks of the unbeaten?