UFC Vegas 76: Magomedov Seeks Upset of Title Hopeful Strickland in Critical Bout

    By
    Gabriel Gonzalez
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    Sean Strickland and Abus Magomedov, UFC Vegas 76
    LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JUNE 30: (L-R) Sean Strickland and Abus Magomedov of Russia face off during the UFC Fight Night weigh-in at UFC Apex on June 30, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)

    Sean Strickland could get himself into the title picture with a victory on Saturday, but he must hold off a dangerous upstart in the form of Abus Magomedov at UFC Vegas 76.

    It may not seem like it right now, but Sean Strickland is closer to the belt than you think.  The brash middleweight may have come up short in a close decision against fellow top contender Jared Cannonier last December, but he impressed in a quick turnaround by defeating Nassourdine Imavov weeks later.  In doing so, he reminded both the division and the fanbase that he remained a perennial top contender who is a handful for most of the weight class on any given night.

    The former welterweight turned middleweight standout has proven he’s willing to take on anyone at any time, and that could be a crucial factor if he holds serve against his unranked foe.  Top contenders Robert Whittaker and Dricus du Plessis will be fighting for a shot at the title next Saturday, but the UFC is targeting a 10 week turnaround for the winner in order to headline a PPV against champion Israel Adesanya in Australia.  That is a monumental request considering the probability of taking damage in the fight and it is not out of the question that the winner would simply not accept the bout so they may recover and prepare adequately.  That would leave Strickland, as a top-ranked opponent who has yet to fight Adesanya, as the most obvious backup option should he be victorious this week.

    Abus Magmomedov was definitely not the obvious choice to be the next bout for Strickland, but to not put his resume into context going into the fight would be a travesty.  The 32 year-old from Germany began his career as a professional in 2010 and built a respectable 19-3 record in Europe before he signed with the PFL in 2018.  He tore through the regular season and finished as the top seed in the tournament going into the playoffs where he defeated future welterweight champion Sadibou Sy to reach the final.  Despite being the heavy favorite to win the title, he was shocked by a first round knockout against Louis Taylor.

    Magomedov would not return to the PFL the following season, in part because their middleweight division was dissolved following 2018, and won back-to-back fights before getting to finally compete in the UFC.  It was a long journey to get his first match in the Octagon, with visa issues leading Magomedov to take one of the aforementioned bouts outside of the promotion and three matches falling apart overall.  He eventually made his promotional debut in August of last year where he stopped Dustin Stoltzfus in 26 seconds.  Unfortunately, attempts to rebook fights with Gerald Meerschaert and Makhmud Muradov fell apart again and the fight with Strickland is his first since his victory over over Stoltzfus.  While it can understandably be frustrating, they have arguably led to an even better opportunity as the chance to take out a perennial contender would catapult him up the rankings.

    While a title shot isn’t out of the question for Strickland with a victory, it is largely dependent on several other factors out of his control falling his way.  Both Strickland and Magomedov are expected to need at least another victory before getting a title shot and that leaves the winner of the upcoming bout between Paulo Costa and Ikram Aliskerov in August as the most likely option.

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