Nassourdine Imavov emerged victorious over Roman Dolidze in the main event of UFC Vegas 85 on February 3, advancing his journey toward a UFC title shot. The intense five-round middleweight clash took place at the UFC Apex facility in Enterprise, Nevada.
Ranked No.8, Dolidze entered the bout as the underdog at +140 odds, having recently suffered a defeat to Marvin Vettori at UFC 286.
On the other hand, Imavov ranked No.11, was favored to win at -165 odds. His previous fight against Chris Curtis at UFC 289 ended in a no-contest due to accidental head contact that halted Curtis’s participation.
The headline bout was not devoid of controversy. Imavov, leading the fight, landed an illegal knee on Dolidze, putting his victory at risk of disqualification. Additionally, Imavov engaged in a dispute with Curtis, who was present in Dolidze’s corner, resulting in a point deduction for the illegal move.
In the fifth round, Dolidze mounted multiple submission attempts, but Imavov, hailing from Russia but representing France, skillfully evaded them to see the final bell.
Ultimately, Imavov secured the victory via a majority decision from the judges’ scorecards (49-44, 47-47, 48-46).
