UFC Saudi Arabia: Are Nassourdine Imavov and Michael Page Ready for the Next Level of UFC Middleweights?

UFC Saudi Arabia: Are Nassourdine Imavov and Michael Page Ready for the Next Level of UFC Middleweights?

UFC Saudi Arabia lived up to the hype with plenty of action and huge upsets to set up future fights within the organization.

In the main event, Israel Adesanya had a nostalgic first round of dominance before slipping up in the second round. He was finished via strikes and Nassourdine Imavov officially entered the UFC middleweight title picture. He had a close decision loss to Sean Strickland over five rounds, and Strickland is currently scheduled to fight for the championship against Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 312.

In the co-main event, Shara Magomedov met his match with Michael Page putting on another striking clinic. The difference in technique and experience was glaring and, as Page said in his post-fight interview, “I’m the captain now”

Who should Imavov fight next, and is Page ready for the next level of UFC middleweights? What about the rest of the fighters who performed well in Saudi Arabia?

Here’s a look at what’s next for the winners and losers from UFC Saudi Arabia.

Winners

Nassourdine Imavov 

With Khamzat Chimaev likely in line for the next title shot, Nassourdine Imavov will have to wait for his opportunity. While there’s an argument to be made that he deserves a title shot, a number-one contender fight between him and Caio Borralho makes a lot of sense. The middleweight division could use some fresh faces at the top.

Michael Page

Michael Page just beat the number 14 middleweight. He might have had the most impressive win in Saudi Arabia. He’s already mentioned that he would be willing to fight at light heavyweight against Jiri Prochazka. With plenty of well-rounded fighters at middleweight, Page hopes to fight the best strikers in the UFC. If that doesn’t happen, Paulo Costa or Jared Cannonier would be solid options.

Sergei Pavlovich

Sergei Pavlovich showcased his all-around ability against Jairzinho Rozenstruik, utilizing his wrestling and ground control to seal the unanimous decision. Up next, Ciryl Gane would be a solid fight. Both guys like to strike and Pavlovich needs to be tested at the highest level if he hopes to challenge for the UFC heavyweight title.

Fares Ziam

The most impressive win goes to Fares Ziam. Not only was his striking on point, but his ground game is improving with every fight. Many believed that would be the toughest part of fighting Mike Davis, but he cruised to a unanimous victory. Up next, Jalin Turner would be a great dance partner. He’s holding down the 13 spot in the lightweight rankings, and Ziam has earned the right to fight for a top 15 spot.

Jasmine Jasudavicius

Canada may have a new star in the making. Jasmine Jasudavicius is the best fighter from Canada right now and she proved it against Mayra Bueno Silva. There is a UFC card in Montreal in May, and Jasudavicius deserves to be on it. Viviane Araujo and Jasudavicius were scheduled to fight last year and it makes sense to re-book it for May. 

Losers

Israel Adesanya

Everything was going well for Israel Adesanya till it wasn’t. He got caught badly and Imavov made no mistakes following up for the ground-and-pound finish. It’s hard to predict what’s next for a superstar of his level, but a rematch with some old foes like Marvin Vettori and Paulo Costa could make for some fun pre-fight moments while giving him a winnable fight.    

Shara Magomedov

The term fraud-checked is used far too much in MMA. Shara Magomedov is a striker who lost to a savvy veteran. With his stock lowering, the UFC will go back to hand-picking his opponents to give him the best chance of winning. Everyone in the top 15 are solid wrestlers which the UFC might avoid. With Chris Curtis coming off a loss, this could be a solid matchup of two good strikers.

Jairzinho Rozenstruik

Jairzinho Rozenstruik is the most hit-or-miss fighter in the heavyweight division. There are certain styles where he looks like a world beater and others where he is neutralized far too easily. Marcos Rogerio De Lima is the best option. Both guys are slow and steady with their approach, and De Lima has earned the right to fight a top 10 fighter.

Mike Davis

Mike Davis had a highly-anticipated return fight in Saudi Arabia but came up short. Ziam was a much better fighter and he didn’t look like himself. In 2022, he mentioned that he didn’t want to re-sign unless he got a pay bump. Before the fight, Davis mentioned that he enjoys playing video games, and with all the injuries, it’s tough to enjoy fighting. With all the signs, it could be time for Davis to hang it up.

Mayra Bueno Silva

Where to go from here? Mayra Bueno Silva changed divisions hoping to reset her UFC career but she came up short. It was a tough performance where she couldn’t find her range and had no success on the ground. She was dominated. Karine Silva was a highly-touted prospect who just lost to a veteran. This could be a good match for both fighters hoping to break the top 10 in the flyweight division.

UFC Saudi Arabia was a stacked event and lived up to the hype. Next up, the UFC has UFC 312 schedule in Australia. It features the rematch between Sean Strickland and Dricus Du Plessis for the UFC middleweight title. Outside of that, fans have been complaining about the lack of talent on the card. Usually, those are the cards that end up being great. 

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