UFC Saudi Arabia 2025 Preview And Predictions

UFC Saudi Arabia 2025 Preview And Predictions

The UFC has assembled a solid fight night event that is headlined by a middleweight bout with serious title implications. The remainder of the card is filled out with solid matchups that are important for their division. That includes a few ranked matchups. 

All of the action will go down in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Join Vendetta Sports Media as we preview and predict the UFC Saudi Arabia main card. You can find our 2025 prediction records below. 

James: 6-5

Garrett: 6-5

Anthony: 5-6

Jerry: 5-6

Fares Ziam vs. Mike Davis- Lightweight Bout 

James: The UFC Saudi Arabia main card opens with a lightweight bout between Fares Ziam and Mikes Davis. This matchup pits two of the best-unranked lightweights against one another. Ziam is a 27-year-old who has grown up in the UFC. That has led to highs and lows, but the highs have been much more frequent. He holds a 6-2 record with a four-fight win streak. Similarly, Davis is 4-1 in the UFC. The only loss in his tenure came against Gilbert Burns in his promotional debut. 

Ziam is a long striker with a lot of speed. That allows him to be a sniper from a distance. The goal is to manage distance and land with power from the outside. It should be noted that he is an impressive counterstriker as well. On the interior, he is a strong clinch striker who lands damaging knees. Previously, his biggest flaw has been his grappling defense; however, he continues to show improvements in that realm. 

Davis is an athletic fighter with the skills to match. In the pocket, Davis will sit down on hooks and uppercuts to land with power. He does not get brutal knockouts when he lands, but he manages to accumulate damage. In addition, he has a functional wrestling game. This begins with traditional wrestling attacks which put him in positions to land ground and pound strikes. 

This UFC Saudi Arabia bout previews as a close bout where both fighters could find success. Ziam should have success in striking exchanges when he sits down on counters. He will likely land leg kicks as well. That does not mean that striking is a wash, however. Davis will deal damage if he gets opportunities to rip shots in the pocket. That is paired with a lot of grappling upside. Ultimately, I will side with that grappling upside. I think Davis can land takedowns and capitalize on those moments with strikes. That should help him win a decision. I will take Davis by decision.

Garrett: Davis by TKO

Anthony: Davis by decision

Jerry: Ziam by decision

Said Nurmagomedov vs. Vinicius Oliveira- Bantamweight Bout 

James: At UFC Saudi Arabia, Said Nurmagomedov will fight Vinicius Oliveira. Nurmagomedov, of no relation to Khabib Nurmagomedov, has had a successful UFC run. The 32-year-old is 7-2 in the promotion. Oliveira earned a UFC contract on Dana White’s Contender Series and immediately made an impact in the promotion. In his two UFC victories, he has picked up a highlight reel knockout and a respectable win over Ricky Simon. 

Nurmagomedov is a solid fighter with a mix of striking and grappling skills. On the feet, he is a dynamic striker who looks to land straight punches, kicks, and spinning attacks. This has helped him find success in between grappling exchanges. That said, his grappling skills are his best attributes. He has some of the best front chokes in MMA. Plus, he can land takedowns and work from the top position. 

Oliveira is a wild striker. In striking exchanges, he pushes forward with heavy volume. This includes straight punches, big hooks, and kicks. Those kicks are targeted to all three levels. Although Oliveira does not seem to have great cardio, he manages to recover between rounds and continue pushing the pace. Oliveira’s grappling is not sensational, but he recently showed improved takedown defense, which helps to provide long-term optimism about his grappling. 

This UFC Saudi Arabia bout previews as a great fight. The matchup is an interesting clash of styles. Each fighter’s length and willingness to take risks should create a lot of fun striking exchanges. Regardless, the factors that will determine this fight’s outcome will be Nurmagomedov’s willingness to grapple and Oliveira’s defense. It is an interesting clash because Oliveira is likely capable of defending takedowns, but he may not be able to grapple with Nurmagomedov if he gets taken down. At the same time, if this gets into deep waters, Oliveira’s tenacity and ability to throw big shots present him with massive paths to victory. Ultimately, I lean toward Oliveira landing big shots in the late rounds to swing the fight in his favor. I will take Oliveira by third-round knockout. 

Garrett: Nurmagomedov by decision

Anthony: Oliveira by decision

Jerry: Nurmagomedov via decision

UFC Saudi Arabia 2025 Best Bets

No. 4 Sergei Pavlovich vs. No. 9 Jairzinho Rozenstruik- Heavyweight Bout 

James: At UFC Saudi Arabia, Sergei Pavlovich will fight Jairzinho Rozenstruik. Pavlovich and Rozenstruik are two of the hardest hitters in the heavyweight division. That has led both fighters to varying levels of success. Pavlovich is 6-3 in the UFC, while Rozenstruik holds a 9-5 record. The difference is that Pavlovich has lost consecutive bouts, while Rozenstruik has consecutive wins. This fight will determine whether Pavlovich deserves to hold his top ranking or if Rozenstruik will finally jolt to the top of the heavyweight division. 

Pavlovich is one of the biggest hitters in MMA. He significantly hurts opponents every time he lands a shot. He accomplishes this by using a heavy dose of jabs followed by big hooks and overhands. It is not a complex strategy, but when he lands, he wins. 

Rozenstruik is a patient power striker. In striking exchanges, he will calmly poke at his opponents with jabs and kicks. That is until his opponent pressures him. In the pocket, he will look to land hard counterstrikes. 

This UFC Saudi Arabia fight preview could favor either fighter. Pavlovich may get back on track with a quick knockout. At the same time, it is not hard to imagine Rozenstruik landing from the outside en route to a victory. Ultimately, I favor Rozenstruik’s path. In previous performances, he has shown an understanding of how to navigate against power punchers. I expect him to use his movement and cardio to run from Pavlovich’s early exchanges. Once Pavlovich slows down, Rozenstruik can begin landing his jabs and body shots. Plus, he is live to use his power to land a knockout. Overall, Rozenstruik has a few different paths to victory. That is always a positive. I will take Rozenstruik by decision. 

Garrett: Pavlovich by TKO

Anthony: Pavlovich by KO/TKO

Jerry: Pavlovich by KO/TKO

No. 14 Shara Magomedov vs. No. 15 (WW) Michael Page- Middleweight Bout 

James: The UFC Saudi Arabia co-main event features a middleweight bout between Shara Magomedov and Michael “Venom” Page.  This bout pits two fan-friendly strikers against one another. The UFC pulled Page from the welterweight division to help ensure this bout came together. Magomedov is an undefeated prospect with a 15-0 MMA record with four UFC wins. That run garnered him a lot of hype. This fight against Page is an opportunity to take his hype train to another level. Page is a veteran with a 22-3 record. This includes a 1-1 UFC run. The more important aspect is that he has proven to be one of MMA’s best strikers and showman.

Magomedov is a flashy striker. The focal point of his game is his lightning-quick-kicking game. He throws a ton of kicks to the legs and body. This is accomplished with a variety of kicks, including traditional roundhouses, teeps, and obliques. When the distance closes he lands impactful elbows and knees. It should also be noted that he is an expert in landing damaging spinning attacks. The biggest flaw in his skill set is his boxing. If he increased his boxing volume and efficiency his striking would reach another level. 

Page is a unique fighter. This begins with his stance, which is angled sideways and utilizes a lot of bounce. This is done to help him quickly close distance and land his straight. Additionally, he is great at moving backward to land counters. Despite his age, he has absurdly quick footwork and hands. Plus, his range management is elite. 

This UFC Saudi Arabia bout is a tough fight to preview. It is hard to be confident in an outcome considering the circumstances around this fight. In theory, Page should be the better striker and more well-rounded fighter; however, he is coming up a weight class, and the fight is taking place in Saudi Arabia. I doubt this booking lives up to the pre-fight expectations. This could turn into a low-volume striking matchup. The most likely outcome is that Magomedov wins a tepid decision off the back of his leg kicks. I will take Magomedov via decision. 

Garrett: Magomedov TKO

Anthony: Magomedov by decision

Jerry: Nurmagomedov via decision

UFC 311: Five Things We Learned

No. 2 Israel Adesanya vs. No. 5 Nassourdine Imavov- Middleweight Bout 

James: The UFC Saudi Arabia main event features a middleweight clash between Israel Adesanya and Nassourdine Imavov. This fight is Adesanya’s first non-title fight since 2019. That puts him in an interesting position. The former middleweight champion needs a win to prove he is not on the downswing of his career. This situation also presents Imavov with a massive opportunity. If he can defeat Adesanya, he will prove that he should be fighting elite middleweights and may be rewarded with a title fight. 

Adesanya, 35, is still a great striker despite being in the latter portion of his career. In his prime, he was a sensational distance striker who outclassed opponents with kicks, straight shots, distance management, and movement. At times, he would compete in the pocket as well. Although, Adesanya showed a much different version of himself in his most recent fight against Dricus Du Plessis. The fight showed a shift from kickboxing to boxing. Adesanya did not abandon his kicks; however, he threw a lot of boxing combinations. This did help him find success. He did a great job landing his hands and mixing in his kicks. This was done while attacking the head and body. 

Imavov is a distance striker who looks to use his combination of length and speed to land impactful shots on the outside. The speed of his hands allows him to sit down on straights that land hard. In addition, he can quickly land damaging counters. This is present alongside footwork that ensures he can avoid taking strikes. In grappling exchanges, Imavov has shown consistent growth. This has led to him getting into solid positions on the ground. 

The UFC Saudi Arabia main event is an interesting fight to preview. It is difficult to know exactly how Adesanya will perform at this stage of his career. It should also be noted that Imavov’s cardio has been extremely inconsistent throughout his career. At its peak, he looked great in the championship rounds against Jared Cannonier. In other bouts, he looked gassed in the late stages of three-round fights. It has the reached point where Imavov’s gas tank concerns pop up at random times. 

The aforementioned concerns make it difficult to confidently side with either fighter, but I favor Adesanya. This is one of the few matchups where Imavov will be at a length disadvantage. The former champion is an inch taller with a five-inch reach advantage. That will make it harder for Imavov to get his traditional striking approach flowing. Meanwhile, Adesnaya has shown the ability and willingness to spend more time boxing. I expect Adesanya to land impactful combinations, attack the body, and be the fresher fighter in the championship rounds. I will take Adesanya by decision. 

Garrett: Adesanya by TKO

Anthony: Adesanya by decision

Jerry: Adesanya via decision

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