UFC Vegas 67: Strickland vs. Imavov Odds, Schedule, Predictions
The UFC ended 2022 with a Sean Strickland main event and will kick off 2023 in the same fashion. UFC Vegas 67 features a light heavyweight fight between Strickland and Nassourdine Imavov from the APEX Facility.
The bout was originally slated to be a middleweight fight between Imavov and former TUF winner Kelvin Gastelum.
Unfortunately, Gastelum was forced to pull out of the fight with a mouth injury. Sean Strickland was tabbed as the last-minute replacement, and the bout was moved to light heavyweight to accommodate the changeup.
The bout still serves as an opportunity for Imavov to show that he deserves his time in the spotlight.
The 27-year-old continues to move up the middleweight rankings, but Strickland will be the best opponent he has seen to date.
Here's the complete card and a closer look at the biggest matchups.
Fight Card, Schedule and Odds
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Main Card (ESPN+, 7 p.m. ET)
- Nassourdine Imavov (-135; bet $135 to win $100) vs. Sean Strickland (+115; bet $100 to win $115)
- Dan Ige (-125) vs. Damon Jackson (+105)
- Roman Kopylov (+130) vs. Punahele Soriano (-150)
- Raquel Pennington (+100) vs. Ketlen Vieira (-120)
- Raoni Barcelos (+650) vs. Umar Nurmagomedov (-950)
Prelims (ESPN+, 4 p.m. ET)
- Abdul Razak Alhassan (-105) vs. Claudio Ribeiro (-115)
- Nick Fiore (+540) vs. Mateusz Rebecki (-740)
- Javid Basharat (-315) vs. Mateus Mendonca (+260)
- Carlos Hernandez (+275) vs. Allan Nascimento (-330)
- Nick Aguirre (+410) vs. Dan Argueta (-520)
- Jimmy Flick (+285) vs. Charles Johnson (-345)
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook
Strickland vs. Imavov
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This really isn't an ideal scenario for either main-event fighter. Nassourdine Imavov just spent a full training camp preparing for Kelvin Gastelum at 185 pounds. Now, he's getting Sean Strickland, who weighed in nearly 10 pounds heavier.
Of course, that weight isn't necessarily a true advantage. Strickland is used to fighting at 185 pounds and only weighed more because he wasn't in camp. He's essentially coming off the couch to keep the main event intact here.
Ultimately, the disadvantages probably even out, and the better fighter is still likely to come out on top.
If recent results are any indication, that fighter is Imavov.
Strickland has some respectable skills. He has a good jab that he'll fight behind in the striking. He really shines on the mat, though. He has the wrestling to control a fight when he chooses to use that strategy and enough submission skills to capitalize if an opponent makes a mistake.
That recipe has not been successful of late, though. His last two fights have been losses, including a first-round knockout loss to now-champion Alex Pereira and a split-decision loss to Jared Cannonier.
Imavov on the other hand is showing a knack for scoring knockouts but has a strong submission background to lean on as well. Either way, he's an aggressive fighter who will look to finish wherever the fight may go.
Prediction: Imavov via third-round TKO
Ige vs. Jackson
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There are some similarities in the main event and the co-main fight featuring Dan Ige and Damon Jackson.
Ige—like Strickland—is in a slump, but it's come against some high-quality competition. The Hawaiian has lost four of his last five fights, but those losses have come against the likes of Calvin Kattar, Chan Sung Jung and Josh Emmett. Those are all fighters who have been on the main event scene and contended for championships.
Still, there's only so much credit for losing to good fighters. The lone win in that group of fights was a 22-second knockout of Gavin Tucker.
Meanwhile, Jackson is starting to make a name for himself against lower-level competition.
The 34-year-old isn't young, but he's rising up the ranks with a four-fight winning streak after starting his UFC career 1-1. The last time we saw him he won Performance of the Night for thrashing Pat Sabatini in just over a minute.
Jackson showed considerable knockout power in that fight to go with a potent submission game. He has 15 career wins by submission, including an arm-triangle choke win over Kamuela Kirk last year.
Jackson's knockout win over Sabatini could be the worst thing to happen to him. The only way he loses this fight is if he gets into a slugfest with Ige and eats one of his power shots early.
Don't write off Ige quite yet.
Prediction: Ige via first-round TKO
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Vieira vs. Pennington
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Its position on the card might not say it, but this is the fight with the biggest immediate stakes. Ketlen Vieira comes into her fight with Raquel Pennington ranked as the No. 2 women's bantamweight division.
In other words, Vieira is the only fighter on the entire card who can say that she's one win away from potentially earning a title shot.
Obviously, the UFC might not agree with that. If that was the plan, it's likely she would at least be in the co-main event slot on Saturday night. But Amanda Nunes' dominant reclamation of the bantamweight title against Julianna Pena leaves few options, and Vieira appears to be among them.
Pennington will try to spoil that party.
Rocky has put together a four-fight win streak including a unanimous-decision win over Aspen Ladd in her return to the bantamweight division. Pennington has a loss to Nunes on her record, but it was all the way back in 2018, so the door is open for her to get back in the mix.
The style clash will be interesting here. Pennington is a tough striker who isn't afraid to push the pace on the feet and make things a little sloppy.
Vieira is at her best when she's pushing the pace and making opponents carry her weight in the clinch or on the ground.
How each fighter manages space will be crucial. Vieira's forward movement is going to be hard for Pennington to negate, though.
Prediction: Vieira via decision
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