The best thing about the UFC going to Saudi Arabia is that they always try to make the best cards possible. Headlined by Israel Adesanya versus Nassourdine Imavov, the rest of the card will not disappoint.
The co-main event features Shara Magomedov against Michael Page, which should be a beautiful technical striking clinic. Sergei Pavlovich and Jairzinho Rozenstruik are powerful heavyweights and should create excitement with their big shots.
What about the rest of the card? Without plenty of superstars on the card, there are still plenty of fights to be excited about. Here’s a look at a few unsung fights that should live up to the rest of the card hype.
Fares Ziam vs. Mike Davis
Of all the fights on this card, this one has the most potential in skill. If it were not for injuries, Mike Davis would be on people’s list of fighters to watch. At 11-2 as a pro, Davis hasn’t lost in the UFC since 2019 against Gilbert Burns. The sad part is he only has four wins since and plenty of canceled fights. He finished two of those four fights, one by submission and the other by knockout. His two career losses were against Burns and Sodiq Yusuff on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2018. Not too shabby for someone we’ve only seen four times in five years.
Fares Ziam will be happy to welcome Davis back to the UFC as he’s currently on a four-fight win streak, defeating Matt Frevola with a beautiful knee last time out. He’s a solid French kickboxer with some solid grappling, but it will be tough to match Davis’ skill.
The thing you have to appreciate about both fighters is that they’ve never taken easy fights. Despite their young UFC careers, all their fights have been against solid competition and have come with solid performances, even in losses.
This fight should be technical on the feet, but it will be interesting to see if Ziam can hang with Davis on the ground. Ziam has only lost one fight via decision but three via submission. He’ll have to be at the top of his game to avoid the ground with Davis.
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Said Nurmagomedov vs. Vinicius Oliveira
Despite the namesake and being close friends with Khabib Nurmagomedov, Said Nurmagomedov does not share a blood relationship with the UFC legend. However, his success in the UFC has been plentiful. He’s 7-2 in the UFC with two losses against top-level fighters, Jonathan Martinez and Raoni Barcelos. He’s never been finished and has a mean guillotine which he’s used three times in the UFC. He did not compete in 2023, but if he did, he would certainly be on the radar of budding contenders in the bantamweight division.
Vinicius Oliveira looked incredible against Ricky Simon. He’s 2-0 in the UFC after winning his Dana White Contender Series fight via knockout and has only been finished three times on the feet. He’s still 21-3 as a pro with plenty of experience. With only two wins via submission on the regional scene in UAE and Brazil. His win against Bernardo Sopaj is also aging like fine wine.
The most impressive thing about Oliveira’s win against Simon was his takedown defense. He held the wrestler to two takedowns out of 11 and had solid striking output throughout the fight. If he can find success on the feet, Nurmagomedov will be forced to wrestle. This is a very close fight between two skilled fighters.
Terrance McKinney vs. Damir Hadzovic
Damir Hadzovic is a UFC veteran who hasn’t been in the octagon for quite some time. His last fight was in 2022 against Marc Diakiese, who is no longer with the promotion, and his previous win was against Yancy Medeiros in 2021. He’s 4-5 in the UFC since 2016 and 2-3 in his last five. He’s a good kickboxer but has struggled with durable fighters.
Terrance McKinney doesn’t scream durable, but he’s exciting and powerful. He also has good jiujitsu which should come in handy in this fight. McKinney first appeared on Dana White’s Contender Series and looked great against Sean Woodson. However, after tiring out, he was knocked out in the second round. After losing again on the regional scene, he went on a five-fight win streak all in the first round and two in the UFC. He became an overnight superstar but lost to Drew Dober in 2022. Sometimes, things can happen a little too fast in the fight game.
With McKinney’s rollercoaster UFC experience thus far, getting inside Hadzovic’s striking range and forcing the wrestling battle seems like the perfect game plan to get McKinney back in the win column. He blew up as a fan-favorite and the UFC is giving him every opportunity to make a comeback. This would be the fight to do it with Hadzovic getting cut from the roster soon after.
Even though this is not a PPV, UFC Saudi Arabia is stacked with fantastic fights from top to bottom. Whether you’re into the prelims or just the main card, this event should deliver. If you’re in North America, prepare to have your coffee or brunch ready since it’s an early card.
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