After headlining the UFC’s last event of 2021, Sean Strickland is back to headline the first event of 2022 against rising star Nassourdine Imavov of France. Following a late withdrawal, Strickland was drafted to replace Kelvin Gastelum, who dropped out due to a mouth injury. Strickland will be making a quick turnaround from his split decision loss on December 17 to Jared Cannonier at UFC Fight Night 216. The bout will be contested at 205 pounds, instead of the 185 pounds both men typically tilt at, and is for five rounds. From a potential walk in the park against Gastelum, young Imavov is now up against the biggest test in his career.
MMA: UFC Light Heavyweight
Location: UFC Apex, Las Vegas
Where to watch: ESPN+
Date: 15.1. 2023, 7:00
Sean Strickland
At 31 years old, American Sean Strickland has twenty-five victories from thirty fights in his professional career. Now number seven in the UFC Middleweight rankings, the former three-times KOTC Middleweight champion comes into this battle on a two-match losing skid. Fortunately for him, it was against high-quality opponents in current Middleweight champ Alex Pariera and number three-ranked Jared Cannonier. His last win was in February 2022 when he secured a split decision over Jack Hermansson, with the judge who scored the fight 48-47 for Hermansson receiving widespread criticism for his scorecard. Strickland who turned pro at sixteen, has been fighting for most of his life and is very highly experienced.
Tale of the Tape
- Age: 31
- Height: 6’ 1”
- Reach: 76”
- Record: 25-5-0
Nassourdine Imavov
Styled ‘Russian Sniper’, Imavov has lost once in UFC and comes into this bout on a three-match winning streak. His last fight was on home turf in Paris as the Dagestan-born Frenchman fought a spirited contest against Joaquin Buckley and came out with a unanimous decision. Born in Dagestan in Russia, the 26-year-old has fought five times since making his 2020 debut under the UFC banner. He fought in several European regional promotions before joining the UFC and becoming the TFL Welterweight champion in 2019. Currently, he is number twelve in the UFC Middleweight rankings.
Tale of the Tape
- Age: 26
- Height: 6’ 3”
- Reach: 75”
- Record: 12-3-0
Betting odds
Bet 365 can’t split the fighters pricing them each at 1.90 odds. 1xbet, on the other hand, prices a Strickland win at 2.05 odds and Imavov at 1.76 odds. More options are available in rounds betting, with over 4.5 odds available for 1.75 odds on Betway.