Israel Adesanya had us a little scared for about an hour before the weigh-ins with a post questioning if he would miss weight. As it turns out, the former UFC middleweight champion was one of the first fighters on the February 1 card to step on the scales in Saudi Arabia.
Adesanya wasn’t just on weight—he would have been good even if Saturday’s main event was a title fight. Adesanya tipped the scales at 185, as did his opponent, Nassourdine Imavov. Thankfully, the main event is set.
If someone made us nervous, it was rising middleweight star and co-main event fighter Shara Magomedov. He was one of the last fighters to weigh in.
Magomedov’s opponent, Michael “Venom” Page, who normally fights at welterweight, made the 185-pound limit without a problem.
Here is a look at all of the results from the weigh-ins in Saudi Arabia.
MAIN CARD
- Main Event – Middleweight Bout: (No. 2) Israel Adesanya (185) vs. (No. 5) Nassourdine Imavov (185)
- Co-Main Event – Middleweight Bout: (No. 14) Shara Magomedov (**) vs. (No. 15 at WW) Michael “Venom” Page (185.5)
- Heavyweight Bout: (No. 4) Sergei Pavlovich (249) vs. (No. 9) Jairzinho Rozenstruik (252)
- Bantamweight Bout: Said Nurmagomedov (135.5) vs. Vinicius Oliveira (135)
- Lightweight Bout: Fares Ziam (156) vs. Mike Davis (155.5)
PRELIMS
- Featherweight Bout: Muhammad Naimov (145.5) vs. Kaan Ofli (145)
- Heavyweight Bout: (No. 14) Shamil Gaziev (260) vs. Thomas Petersen (263)
- Lightweight Bout: Terrance McKinney (156) vs. Damir Hadžović (155.5)
- Women’s Flyweight Bout: (No. 12) Jasmine Jasudavicius (125) vs. (No. 7 at WBW) Mayra Bueno Silva (**)
- Featherweight Bout: Bogdan Grad (145.5) vs. Lucas Alexander (**)
- Heavyweight Bout: Hamdy Abdelwahab (260) vs. Jamal Pogues (264)
This card is rare.
It’s a Fight Night event with nine ranked fighters in action. While there probably isn’t anyone on the card who is a win away from a title shot, there are a few who are close. In the past, the Saudis have pushed for cards that fall somewhere between a pay-per-view and a Fight Night outside of the Apex in Las Vegas.
If Imavov can knock off Adesanya in the main event, you’d have to think he’s next for a shot after Khamzat Chimaev fights the winner of Dricus du Plessis vs. Sean Strickland, which happens in March at UFC 312 in Sydney, Australia.
That situation makes Saturday huge for Imavov, as it may be difficult for him to re-climb the ladder if he fails.
Rozenstruik would probably leap to No. 7 from No. 9 if he beats Pavlovich. While Pavlovich is No. 4, Rozenstruik probably wouldn’t land in the Top 5 with a win because he’d leapfrog Curtis Blaydes and Jailton Almeida.
Rozenstruik already lost to Almeida via first-round submission in May 2023 and to Blaydes by unanimous decision in September 2021.
Something tells me the card is going to be memorable beyond the fighters who are involved. Be on the lookout for fight day coverage, including results, highlights, and reactions.
