UFC's Saudi Arabia Event Kickoff Purported Odds: Adesanya Confronts Imavov, Comprehensive Fight Schedule
UFC's Saudi Arabia Event Kickoff Purported Odds: Adesanya Confronts Imavov, Comprehensive Fight Schedule
The initial battle schedule for the 2025 UFC arena outside of the USA features the UFC Saudi Arabia event on February 1 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The main event includes previous two-time UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya engaging with Nassourdine Imavov. Let's examine the initial betting odds for UFC Saudi Arabia.
The UFC Saudi Arabia lineup is finalized, but the organization hasn't shared the sequencing of the fights or divided the matchups between the main card and prelims yet. The event will take place at ANB Arena, which will broadcast the event live on ESPN+. The main card commences at midday ET, following prelims at 9 a.m. ET.
UFC Saudi Arabia Main Event: Israel Adesanya vs. Nassourdine Imavov
Adesanya (24-4) - ranked second among UFC's 185-pound division competitors - now has the first two-match skid of his MMA career. At age 35, he lost the UFC middleweight title in September 2023 after being bested in a lopsided decision by Sean Strickland, who was a heavy betting favorite in that match.
Adesanya had a chance to become a three-time UFC champion in August 2024, but came up short in that challenge, losing to Dricus Du Plessis by rear-naked choke in the fourth round of their UFC 305 event. This was his first career submission loss.
Imavov (15-4-0-1) - ranked fifth in the UFC middleweight division - challenges Adesanya in the UFC Saudi Arabia main event. Imavov is currently on a four-match winning streak. His latest victory came in September 2023 with a unanimous decision over Brendan Allen.
His most recent defeat occurred in January 2023, when Sean Strickland defeated him by unanimous decision.
Israel Adesanya Explains His Desire to Fight Khamzat Chimaev
UFC Saudi Arabia: Shara “Bullet” Magomedov vs. Michael “Venom” Page
In what appears to be the probable co-headliner of the UFC Saudi Arabia event, the unbeaten Shara “Bullet” Magomedov (15-0) clashes with veteran competitor Michael “Venom” Page (22-3) in a middleweight contest.
Magomedov recently claimed a stunning knockout victory over Armen Petrosyan at UFC 308, while Page looks to recover from a decision defeat to Ian Machado Garry at UFC 303.
Magomedov is position 14 among UFC middleweight contenders, while Page is placed number 15 among welterweight competitors.
UFC Saudi Arabia Opening Betting Odds
Israel Adesanya (-130) vs. Nassourdine Imavov (+110)
Sharabutdin Magomedov (+142) vs. Michael Page (-170)
Said Nurmagomedov (-278) vs. Vinicius Oliveira (+225)
Muhammad Naimov (-198) vs. Kaan Ofli (+164)
Terrance McKinney (-455) vs. Damir Hadžović (+350)
Jasmine Jasudavicius (+100) vs. Mayra Bueno Silva (-120)
Bogdan Grad (TBA) vs. Lucas Alexander (TBA)
Hamdy Abdelwahab (TBA) vs. Jamal Pogues (TBA)
Shamil Gaziev (-375) vs. Thomas Peterson (+295)
Jordan Leavitt (TBA) vs. Abdul-Kareem Al-Selwaddy (TBA)
Sergei Pavlovich (-192) vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik (+160)
Ikram Aliskerov (-250) vs. André Muniz (+205)
*Betting odds provided by DraftKings
As the UFC Saudi Arabia event approaches, stay tuned for more in-depth analysis of the available betting odds.
After examining the initial UFC Saudi Arabia betting odds, fans are divided on who will emerge victorious in the highly anticipated main event between Israel Adesanya and Nassourdine Imavov. Despite Adesanya's recent setbacks, his odds sit at -130, while Imavov, currently on a four-match winning streak, has odds of +110.
Interestingly, Adesanya's rival, Khamzat Chimaev, is a popular topic among fans, but there's no official match scheduled for UFC Saudi Arabia. With multiple exciting bouts lined up, including the potential co-headliner between Shara "Bullet" Magomedov and Michael "Venom" Page, UFC Saudi Arabia promises an action-packed evening of MMA combat.
As for the opening betting odds, it appears that Said Nurmagomedov, Shamil Gaziev, and Ikram Aliskerov have the most favorable odds among the other contenders. Fans and bettors alike should closely monitor these fighters' performances, as well as Adesanya and Imavov's, leading up to the UFC Saudi Arabia event on February 1, 2025.