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UFC Vegas 85 might not be everyone’s cup of tea but it’s got several ranked fighters and an important main event, even if it’s not really a fight that will hit the casual fan’s radar. And since it’s at the Apex—where only the cameramen will clap, and the lone heckler that paid a small fortune to sit cageside and shout how the athletes are losers—it happens to be one of the rare decent Fight Night cards hosted there.
But much like Renato Moicano said earlier this week, ‘It’s a Fight Night, nobody cares.’ I’m sure some will care, but it will, in all likelihood, only linger in the memories of fans for about 13 seconds after it’s over. Such is the lifespan of an Apex card.
UFC Vegas 85 has several ranked fighters
The main portion of the event is where the ranked action is happening, starting at the top with the main event. The bout features a middleweight contender pairing between Number 8-ranked Roman Dolidze and Number 11-ranked Nassourdine Imavov. We already know that 185 isn’t a deep division, but Dolidze was still on a great run until Marvin Vettori surprised everyone with a unanimous decision over the Georgian.
Now, the 35-year-old has to reset again, and against a pretty tough guy in Imavov. Nassourdine, at 28, carries the youth advantage, but also suffered a setback of his own—actually two of them. First, he took a fight with Sean Strickland on short notice last January when his opponent (Kelvin Gastelum) pulled out. The fight was contested at light heavyweight where Strickland would win a unanimous decision. Then, he faced Strickland’s teammate, Chris Curtis. Due to an accidental clash of heads, the fight was ruled a No Contest.
The co-main event is where the real headliner is, though. Renato Moicano (Number 13) is facing Drew Dober (Number 15) in what will no doubt be a certified banger. Both men are the living embodiments of a firecracker, so we have high hopes for this one delivering big. And with the way they both like to stand and bang, there’s a very good chance it doesn’t make it to the score cards.
The rest of the main card isn’t too bad, but it’s also nothing to write home about. Brown vs. Salikhov looks competitive, as does Araujo vs. Silva. It’s a little better than a standard Apex card, but it’s just not screaming “MUST SEE” or even “Try not to miss it.” Let’s have a look at what we’re working with:
UFC Vegas 85 Main Card
- Roman Dolidze vs. N. Imavov 185 lbs
- Renato Moicano vs. Drew Dober 155 lbs
- Randy Brown vs. Muslim Salikhov 170 lbs
- Viviane Araujo vs. Natália Silva 125 lbs
- A. Khizriev vs. Makhmud Muradov 185 lbs
- Gilbert Urbina vs. Charles Radtke 170 lbs
Don’t forget to check out the bonus section for a great review of the UFC 297 main card. Make sure to tune in immediately after this weekend’s fights for breakdowns and analysis on our 6th Round Post-Fight Show.
Other pertinent information about UFC Vegas 85
UFC Fight Night: Dolidze vs. Imavov (UFC Vegas 85) takes place on January 20th, at the UFC APEX facility in Las Vegas, Nevada. The main card starts at 7 p.m. ET. The prelims begin at 4 p.m. ET. If you just so happen to be out in Nevada and want to witness UFC Fight Night: Dolidze vs. Imavov live, you can purchase tickets by clicking here. UFC Fight Night: Dolidze vs. Imavov can be live streamed on ESPN+ in the United States and Canada. For full streaming details, and compatible devices go here.
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