Early UFC Fight Night: Sandhagen vs Nurmagomedov Predictions
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Vladislav Tchakarov
One can hardly hope for a better Fight Night card after a massive PPV. Former champions, multiple title contenders, and some of the hottest prospects all in one card. Here are our early UFC Abu Dhabi predictions.
UFC Abu Dhabi Predictions: Top 3 Main Card Picks
Sandhagen vs Nurmagomedov Prediction
Cory Sandhagen has been high in the UFC ranks for years, having fought for the interim Bantamweight championship once in 2020. The 32-year-old American has a 17-6 pro record and is entering this contest with a 3-fight win streak. He defeated Song Yadong, Marlon Vera, and Rob Font. What sets Sandhagen apart from other athletes is his high fighting IQ, creative striking, and polished grappling.
Khabib's cousin Umar Nurmagomedov has had only five fights in the promotion and he won all five. The overall record of the 28-year-old fighter is 17-0. His last fight was in March of this year when he defeated a debutant called Bekzat Almakhan.
Cory Sandhagen has more experience in the Octagon and has been fighting the best in the world for years. However, we have to pick Umar for our UFC Abu Dhabi predictions. Bookmakers also single him out as a clear favorite and it is due to his elite wrestling skills. However, we expect to see a long and difficult contest with possible five rounds. So, betting on over 4.5 rounds is also a great option.
Magomedov vs Oleksiejczuk Prediction
Strangely, Shara Magomedov will fight in the co-main event, even though there are far more famous fighters on this card. The 30-year-old Russian has had two victories in the UFC, after beating Bruno Silva and Antonio Trocoli.
However, Shara has only been given convenient opponents so far. The UFC values his spectacular performances and sees him as a potential star, so it gives him the opportunity to prove himself.
His opponent this time is the experienced Polish ‘Hussar' – Michal Oleksiejczuk. The fighter has been in the UFC since 2017 and has faced some of the best in the division. He already fought twice in 2024, losing to Michel Pereira and Kevin Holland by submissions.
As expected, ‘Shara Bullet' is a huge betting favorite and we have to agree for our UFC Abu Dhabi predictions. Although he has less experience, Magomedov is more versatile and universal in terms of striking. He has never won a fight via submission, so we will not see any takedowns and wrestling in this one. We expect him to win via decision.
Ferguson vs Chiesa Prediction
The battle of the veterans. Many people wonder why Tony Ferguson won't retire after the last four years but he is still here and with potentially the best chance to get a win in a long time. The UFC legend is on a streak of 7 defeats and last won a bout in 2019.
Michael Chiesa is in a fairly similar position. At 36 years old, he is far beyond his best years and is going to fight after several defeats in a row. He lost the last three and the most recent fight was over a year ago. Such a long inactive period at this age must be a bad idea.
Either way, we see no possibility of an early finish in this one. We have to pick the over 2.5 rounds for our UFC Abu Dhabi predictions. We will probably see Chiesa try to wrestle as much as possible but not attempt any submissions. And Tony Ferguson struggles when taken down, so if that happens, he will probably spend the rest of the round on his back.
UFC Abu Dhabi Prelims Predictions
Menifield vs Murzakanov Prediction
Alonzo Menifield will try to bounce back after suffering one of the fastest knockouts in UFC history. In May 2024, he was knocked out in 12 seconds by Carlos Ulberg. And this came after a series of incredible performances and five bouts without losses.
Azamat Murzakanov is still a new face in the UFC, having fought only three times. But he is undefeated (13-0-0) and his performances since signing the contract have been incredible. His flying knee knockout in his debut is an absolute highlight.
This is a tough matchup but we will trust the Russian for our UFC Abu Dhabi predictions. He has not fought in over a year and this could be a problem but he is more capable than Menifield. Alonzo is powerful and athletic but lacks technical skills. Murzakanov is more diverse and quite capable of outworking him even in striking.
Dudakova vs Hughes Prediction
Victoria Dudakova is a new face in the promotion but is already leaving a good impression. She fought twice since earning a contract through the Contender Series and defeated Istela Nunes and Jinh Yu Frey.
The UFC gave her a new comfortable opponent in Sam Hughes. The American has been fighting in the promotion since 2020 but with mixed success. She has 3 wins and 5 defeats in the promotion. This is why we have to side with Dudakova for our Sandhagen vs Nurmagomedov predictions because she is superior in all aspects of MMA. An early finish is unlikely, so our suggestion is to stick to the moneyline.
And with this, we complete our early UFC Abu Dhabi predictions. Expect more fight previews throughout the week as well as key information about this massive event.
Vlad is a former amateur MMA fighter. After a series of injuries, he found a different way to connect with the sport and its fanbase - through writing. He's been covering everything-UFC for over 5 years on various platforms and has been part of the team at NYFights since early 2022.