Former UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling has weighed in on the UFC Vegas 85 main event, offering his prediction for the middleweight clash between Roman Dolidze and Nassourdine Imavov. As a high-level grappler himself, Sterling believes Dolidze holds the advantage in this matchup.
Sterling shared his prediction on Twitter, posting a clip from one of his recent YouTube videos where he discussed the fight. Praising Dolidze's grappling skills, Sterling expressed his inclination towards grapplers in such matchups and predicted Dolidze to secure the win.
In the caption, Sterling wrote, "Tough main event scrap coming up! I always tend to lean towards the grappler. This feels like a grappler vs striker, and I’m taking Roman for the win. How do you guys see this fight playing out?"
Given his preference for grapplers over strikers, Sterling's prediction aligns with his belief that Dolidze has the potential to secure a finish if he can take the fight to the ground.
"If he can get the fight to the floor, the fight's over. I can either see a decision or a submission, I'm gonna say in round two."
The Dolidze vs. Imavov matchup holds significance for both fighters, especially coming off less favorable outcomes in their previous bouts. Dolidze faced a controversial decision loss to Marvin Vettori at UFC 286, while Imavov is on a two-fight winless streak, including a recent no-contest due to an accidental clash of heads.
While the main event is crucial, the co-headliner at UFC Vegas 85 between Renato Moicano and Drew Dober has garnered attention. Being a lightweight bout in one of the UFC's deepest divisions, and featuring fighters known for their exciting styles and knockout potential, the co-headliner has generated notable interest within the MMA community.
