Preview: UFC 308 Prelims

Middleweights

Abusupiyan Magomedov (26-6-1, 2-2 UFC) vs. Brunno Ferreira (12-1, 3-1 UFC)

ODDS: Magomedov (-142), Ferreira (+120)

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When Magomedov got the main event call against Sean Strickland in 2023, it wasn’t a particularly deserved slot, as his UFC career to that point consisted entirely of a 19-second knockout of Dustin Stoltzfus. However, there was some logic to throwing Magomedov immediately into the fire. With more than a decade of experience under his belt, he was certainly at the point where it made sense to see if he could hang as a contender. Magomedov fell short there, but he has otherwise been a solid middle-of-the-road fighter before and since who is at his best early on in his fights. Magomedov is a large middleweight that settles into things quickly, and he has found most of his success quickly catching his opponents off-guard. If things go past a round, Magomedov doesn’t necessarily implode; it’s more that he runs out of ideas and stops taking his opponents by surprise, allowing them to settle into a much more even fight. Magomedov’s last fight, a May win over Warlley Alves, was a clear example of that, as he was able to outlast a fellow hot starter on the back of a solid but unspectacular wrestling game. That’s the likely path to victory here against Brazil’s Ferreira, who has proven to be a dangerous fighter during his own four-fight UFC stint.

Ferreira’s game consists almost entirely of power punching, but announcing himself with a UFC debut win over Gregory Rodrigues proved he can punch with just about anyone on the middleweight roster. Unfortunately, his sophomore UFC bout against Nursulton Ruziboev showed he can get knocked out himself, though he has since been able to rebound with two more knockout wins that have been right in his wheelhouse. This should be a coinflip for a few minutes while both men are at their best, but Magomedov looks like the surer bet over the long haul. If he can’t beat the Brazilian to the literal punch, Ferreira’s wrestling has looked particularly poor, so he should have little trouble grinding out a win. The pick is Magomedov via decision.

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