UFC News & FeaturesOrder UFC 280 "Oliveira vs. Makhachev" exclusively on ESPN+
Welterweights
Abubakar Nurmagomedov (16-3-1, 1-1 UFC) vs. Gadzhi Omargadzhiev (13-1, 0-1 UFC)Advertisement
It may not be pretty in practice, but this is a well-matched fight that should answer some things about each man going forward. Nurmagomedov’s last name gives him some high expectations, but he is certainly not his cousin. Nurmagomedov is a well-trained fighter but lacks the elite athleticism that made the former lightweight champion such a dominant force; and as he showed in his UFC debut against David Zawada in 2019, Nurmagomedov is also prone to some defensive lapses. Zawada was able to find a triangle choke and tap Nurmagomedov out in a shade under three minutes. Nurmagomedov had a much more complete performance in his sophomore effort, showing essentially every facet of his game in shutting down and dominating Jared Gooden in early 2021. It was not a scintillating showing but gave the hope that Nurmagomedov could rack up enough wins to safely stay on the UFC roster. He will make his long-overdue return against Omargadzhiev, who cuts down to welterweight after an unsuccessful UFC debut. Omargadzhiev brought some horsepower to the cage as a middleweight, throwing some wild strikes as a means to eventually start outwrestling his opponent. After a dynamic kneebar win to earn a contract on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2021, Omargadzhiev figured to be a prospect who could quickly rise through the middleweight ranks. Instead, his UFC debut saw him get shut down by fellow newcomer Caio Borralho, who overpowered Omargadzhiev in wrestling exchanges, controlled most of the fight and left the Russian as a one-dimensional striker. There is a chance the same could happen here, as this fight hinges on how well Omargadzhiev can outwrestle and control Nurmagomedov himself. That, in turn, will likely have a lot to do with how well this inaugural cut down to 170 pounds goes for Omargadzhiev. This is essentially a coinflip in what figures to be an ugly fight no matter the result, but the bet is that Omargadzhiev can retain enough of his power to separate himself on the scorecards. The pick is Omargadzhiev via decision.
Jump To »
Brady vs. Muhammad
Borralho vs. Muradov
Krylov vs. Oezdemir
Tukhugov vs. Almeida
Nurmagomedov vs. Omargadzhiev
Petrosyan vs. Dobson
Mokaev vs. Gordon
Rosa vs. Lansberg
More
