The first UFC PPV of 2024, the UFC 297 ended with a controversial main event. It also showcased a challenger getting the better of a champion. Both of these factors have made the UFC fanbase pretty active currently. A lot of them are wondering when Dana White and Co. will organize their next event. Well, it isn’t too far away from now. The UFC calendar for this year reveals that they have scheduled their next event for 3 February 2024.
The upcoming event is following a UFC PPV, which makes it clear that it is a Fight Night. The UFC Fight Night 235 will be hosted at the UFC’s very own UFC Apex and hence, can also be called UFC Vegas 85. The card of the night contains several enthralling encounters as well.
UFC Vegas 85 main event: Roman Dolidze vs Nassourdine Imavov
UFC Vegas 85 is set to feature a middleweight clash between the #8-ranked Roman Dolidze and the #11-ranked Nassoudine Imavov. Both of these fighters are going through a rough patch recently. But the records say that Imavov’s situation is worse than his Georgian rival. The 28-year-old French middleweight’s last two fights ended in a no contest and a defeat. It’s quite apparent he will be desperate to get back to the winning books.
Dolidze also hasn’t been pretty remarkable in his last two outings. He may have achieved a superb victory over Jack Hermansson at UFC on ESPN 42 in December 2022. But his last fight on 18 March 2023 against the famed Marvin Vettori ended with a defeat. ‘The Caucasian’ knocks the lights out of his rivals with his heavy strikes. But Imavov’s commendable ground game may become a major challenge for him. All in all, the desperation of the fighters is expected to make this fight an exciting one.
UFC Vegas 85 co-main event: Renato Moicano vs Drew Dober
The UFC authorities may be trying to bring new faces to the top of the rankings. Apart from the #12-ranked Benoit Saint-Denis getting a big fight at UFC 299, the #13 and #14-ranked lightweights, Renato Moicano and Drew Dober will be facing each other in the UFC Vegas 85 co-main event. Both fighters have picked up one win and one loss in their last two fights. Their ranks, just one after the other, are also expected to make the fight a barnburner.
Moicano and Dober primarily depend on their striking to win fights. But both are pretty well-quipped on the ground as well. However, Dober’s fight against Terrence McKinney on 12 March 2022 proved that he has an incredibly tough chin. Moicano may find this to be one of his major challenges during the fight.
The UFC Vegas 85 card consists of several other enthralling fights besides the main and co-main events as well. Here’s a look at the entire fight card of the night apart from the main and co-main events.
Main Card
- Renato Moicano vs. Drew Dober
- Randy Brown vs. Muslim Salikhov
- Aliaskhab Khizriev vs. Makhmud Muradov
- Gilbert Urbina vs. Charles Radtke
- Flyweight Viviane Araújo vs. Natália Silva
Prelims
- Luana Carolina vs. Julija Stoliarenko
- Molly McCann vs. Diana Belbiţă
- Azat Maksum vs. Charles Johnson
- Themba Gorimbo vs. Pete Rodriguez
- Lee Jeong-yeong vs. Blake Bilder
- Landon Quiñones vs. Marquel Mederos
- Thomas Petersen vs. Jamal Pogues
Fans will be able to catch all the live action on the UFC’s official broadcast partners ESPN and ESPN+. The prelims are scheduled to begin from 4 pm ET while the main card is set to go live from 7 pm ET.
