UFC Fight Night: Strickland vs. Imavov - Odds, Predictions & Picks

• Sean Strickland steps in as a last-minute replacement

• Kelvin Gastelum out of middleweight main event with injury

• This event kicks off the UFC’s 2023 calendar year

UFC Fight Night: Strickland vs. Imavov

The odds for this match are provided by the FanDuel sportsbook. Click the link to place your bets.

UFC Fight Night: Strickland vs. Imavov - Picks & Predictions

Sean Strickland vs. Nassourdine Imavov - Middleweight division

Nassourdine Imavov (-115)

Dan Ige vs. Damon Jackson - Featherweight division

Dan Ige (-125)

Punahele Soriano vs. Roman Kopylov - Middleweight division

Roman Kopylov (+130)

Ketlen Vieira vs. Raquel Pennington - Women’s bantamweight division

Ketlen Vieira (-120)

Umar Nurmagomedov vs. Raoni Barcelos - Bantamweight division

Umar Nurmagomedov (-750)

Sean Strickland vs. Nassourdine Imavov - Middleweight Division

Sean Strickland participated in the UFC’s last main event of 2022 where he lost via unanimous decision to Jared Cannonier.

As fate would have it, the original main event fighter Kelvin Gastelum was forced to pull out of this fight at the last moment with an injury, and now Strickland will participate in the first main event of 2023.

Strickland takes on rising contender Nassourdine Imavov - a fighter who has now won three in a row. After back-to-back TKO victories, Imavov recently dispatched Joaquin Buckley last September with a unanimous decision win.

Although Imavov will stand two inches taller, it is Strickland who will have a one-inch reach advantage in this Saturday’s main event.

To find out how to place your bets for this middleweight main event, check out our ultimate UFC betting guide to get started.

Dan Ige vs. Damon Jackson - Featherweight Division

Dan Ige is a featherweight in desperate need of a win. Ige has now lost three straight fights, most recently finding himself on the wrong end of a unanimous decision against Movsar Evloev last June.

His co-main event rival will be Damon Jackson, a man who has been enjoying the opposite life of Ige, having won his last four fights in a row. 

Jackson last fought in September, earning a performance bonus for his first-round TKO of Pat Sabatini.

Jackson has momentum on his side as well as a four-inch height and two-inch reach advantage. But his purple belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu will be put to the test against Ige’s black belt.

Punahele Soriano vs. Roman Kopylov - Middleweight Division

Undefeated at 7-0 when he joined the UFC in 2019, Roman Kopylov ended up losing his first two fights for the promotion. However, he bounced back in his latest performance, defeating Alessio Di Chirico via third-round TKO last September.

Kopylov takes on Punahele Soriano - a fighter who has also recently recovered from a two-fight losing skid. Last July, Punahele knocked out Dalcha Lungiambula in the second round, earning him a performance bonus. 

Both men share a professional record of 9-2 but Kopylov will be the taller fighter and will also enjoy a three-inch reach advantage over Soriano.

Ketlen Vieira vs. Raquel Pennington - Women’s Bantamweight Division

Although her last win came in the form of a close split decision, Ketlen Vieira has now won back-to-back fights against former bantamweight champions Miesha Tate and, most recently, Holly Holm.

This Saturday she will take on former title challenger Raquel Pennington, who has won her last four fights in a row. Pennington most recently defeated Aspen Ladd at UFC 273 last April.

Vieira will have a slight height advantage and an even slighter reach advantage (just half of an inch). But she boasts black belts in both judo and Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

Umar Nurmagomedov vs. Raoni Barcelos - Bantamweight Division

Like his now-retired cousin, former lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, Umar Nurmagomedov remains undefeated as a professional, having now won three straight in the UFC.

After back-to-back submission wins, Nurmagomedov earned a unanimous decision over Nate Maness in his most recent bout, which took place last June.

He takes on Raoni Barcelos, a fighter who recently snapped a two-fight skid when he defeated Trevin Jones via unanimous decision last October.

Nurmagomedov is one inch taller, will have a two-inch reach advantage, and is a monstrous -750 favorite to win. However, Barcelos does boast a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. 

How to Watch UFC Fight Night: Strickland vs. Imavov

• WHERE: UFC Apex, Enterprise, Nevada

• WHEN: Saturday, January 14

• TIME: 5 PM EST

• HOW: ESPN, ESPN+, TSN2