UFC Fight Night: Strickland vs. Magomedov Fight Card, Predictions, & Odds

UFC action continues this Saturday, July 1, inside the APEX Center in Las Vegas, where No. 7-ranked contender Sean Strickland (26-5) risks his position in the division, as he takes on unranked, but dangerous fighter Abus Magomedov (25-4-1-) in a top-level middleweight bout that headlines the card. Strickland, the rated athlete among the two, is listed as the betting favorite at -145 in BetMGM’s online sportsbook.

No slowing down‼️@SStricklandMMA vs @OfficialAbus headlines at #UFCVegas76 this Saturday! pic.twitter.com/rQrNL08BwX

— UFC (@ufc) June 26, 2023

Besides not being in the top-15 rankings of the 185-pound division, Magomedov only had one previous bout under the UFC, which is primarily contributing to his role as the betting underdog in this upcoming fight. Both middleweights are coming off victories from their most recent fights, with Strickland beating Nassourdine Imavov and Magomedov finishing off Dustin Stoltzfus in the first round.

Sean Strickland Recent Fight Results

Sean Strickland is an 18-fight UFC veteran with a professional record of 26 wins and five losses. In those 18 fights under the Las Vegas-based promotion, “Tarzan” fought in three different weight classes – welterweight, middleweight, and light heavyweight, but most of his fights happened in the middleweight division, as he earned his place in the top-15 rankings.

Strickland bagged some of the most notable wins during his almost decade of competing inside the Octagon against Alex Garcia, Brendan Allen, Uriah Hall, Jack Hermansson, and Nassourdine Imavov. The Xtreme Couture-affiliated athlete also fought the likes of Santiago Ponzinibbio, Kamaru Usman, Alex Pereira, and Jared Cannonier; however, he lost to them.

The pressure of @SStricklandMMA is relentless when he's in that Octagon 😤#UFCVegas76 | SATURDAY | Live on @ESPN & @ESPNPlus 📺 pic.twitter.com/Uc7y6EUNuh

— UFC (@ufc) June 26, 2023

Abus Magomedov Recent Fight Results

Abus Magomedov is a UFC newcomer who made his way to the leading MMA promotion by competing in other organizations such as the PFL and KSW, where he amassed a record of 24 wins, four losses, and a draw to finally crack a spot in the UFC roster. The fighter out of Russia currently rides a three-fight winning streak dating back to May 2019.

The UFD Gym representative instantly made a lasting impression during his Octagon debut in September 2022. He stopped Dustin Stoltzfus in 19 seconds of the opening round with a front kick and multiple punches. This fantastic victory by Magomedov also sent shockwaves of his arrival across the division, and that he is ready to climb the rankings.

𝗡𝗜𝗡𝗘𝗧𝗘𝗘𝗡 𝗦𝗘𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗗𝗦 is all it took!!!! ⏱️⏱️⏱️

Watch @OfficialAbus as he headlines #UFCVegas76 this Saturday!

Main Card 7pmET on @ESPN pic.twitter.com/oci3ecuDVt

— UFC (@ufc) June 28, 2023

Sean Strickland vs. Abus Magomedov: Tale of the Tape

Sean Strickland vs. Abus Magomedov: Fight Analysis

The tale of the tape gives Magomedov the unanimous advantage against Strickland. He is an inch taller at 6-foot-2 (over Strickland, who is 6-foot-1), has two inches longer in reach at 78 inches (compared to Strickland’s 76 inches), and one-and-a-half longer leg reach at 43 inches (versus Strickland’s 41.5 inches).

Aside from the physical edge, the unranked fighter has a slightly better record than the No. 7-ranked contender, as he has one less loss to his tally and a much higher finishing rate of 80% against Strickland, who only has 53%. The only identical number between Strickland and Magomedov is their age, as both are 32 years old.

Stylistically, Magomedov is a more well-rounded fighter than Strickland because he sports a mixed martial arts technique, meaning he can fight on his feet and the ground. Meanwhile, Strickland is more of a striker-based fighter who likes to fight on his feet, although he can also engage in grappling and wrestling battles.

It is hard to get a glimpse of how these two middleweights would fare against each other regarding the significant strikes and grappling statistics because Strickland already has 18 fights inside the Octagon, while Magomedov only has one. Instead, we’ll look at how they fought the last time around.

Strickland was his usual self against Imavov – tall boxing stance, forward pressure, and occasional, but timely clinching. This style by “Tarzan” is notorious for giving him unanimous decision victories because it frustrates and tires out his opponent with his relentless approach. He also learned his lesson from the Pereira knockout by automatically putting his guard back up after exchanging strikes.

If he keeps this style in this upcoming fight, Magomedov can target the body early in the contest. Magomedov’s finish of Stoltzfus was made possible by his power strikes, particularly the front kick, and barrage of punches. The Russia-born fighter should use the same lethal front kick by landing it on Strickland’s body; this way, he can hurt him early, thus maximizing his leg reach advantage.

However, Strickland’s wealth of experience will be a massive factor in this match and should be enough to secure him another victory. Additionally, he has fought several knockout artists throughout his tenure in the UFC. Magomedov’s power and threat are familiar to Strickland, so he can employ a perfect fight plan to neutralize it.

Official Prediction: Unanimous decision victory for Sean Strickland.

See the entire UFC Fight Night: Strickland vs. Magomedov odds and wagers here.