UFC Fight Night 163 - Moscow Breakdown & Predictions
When is UFC Fight Night 163? Saturday 9th November, 2019 - 17:00 start (UK)
Where is UFC Fight Night 163? CSKA Arena, Moscow, Russia
What channel is UFC Fight Night 163? BT Sport 3
Where can I stream UFC Fight Night 163? BT Sport subscribers can stream the fight online via the BT Sport website
For viewers in the United States, the event will be shown live on ESPN+ which can you sign up to here!
Are tickets still available for UFC Fight Night 163? https://www.ufc.com/tickets
Zabit Magomedsharipov vs Calvin Kattar
Thankfully, Zabit Magomedsharipov and Calvin Kattar’s scrap has been rescheduled and instead of duking it out in Kattar’s Boston, it is now in hostile territory over in Moscow.
It is great to see Zabit back in action as he is one of the biggest prospects in the UFC, riding a 13-fight winning streak with a mesmerizing skill set. He looks a seamless fighter, and submitted three of his five UFC victims, coming off his biggest win and unanimous decision over Jeremy Stephens.
A lot of fighters are ducking the Russian prospect but not Kattar. After preparing for the fight in Boston, Zabit pulled out with an injury but Kattar still wanted a piece of him and flies over to Moscow to prove himself, something very few fighters would do. After losing his first fight in 11 to Renato Moicano, he made a statement in going on to knock out Chris Fishgold and Ricardo Lamas.
PREDICTION
This should be a stand-up war until Zabit decides to shoot in for a takedown. Zabit turned down the option for a five-round fight which disappointed Kattar but he will still have to be patient in searching for the knockout as Zabit leaves hardly any openings.
You cannot count Kattar out but Zabit’s wrestling and kicks from range should make the difference. He is expected to suppress Kattar’s striking threat by fighting long to control the distance and mix in takedowns. He will look for the finish but Kattar should drag this to a decision.
Winner: Zabit via Decision
Alexander Volkov vs Greg Hardy
Junior dos Santos unfortunately pulls out of his clash with Alexander Volkov but up steps Greg Hardy only three weeks after his last fight. Let’s hope there is no controversy in this one.
Volkov has not fought since his knockout loss to Derrick Lewis a year ago. Lewis snapped his six-fight winning streak but Volkov really let a win slip away. He controlled the fight, peppering Lewis with shots, and despite knowing that Lewis was only waiting to throw his monster right hand he got caught with it seconds before earning the decision.
Only three weeks after another controversial fight, Hardy is back in action. He earned a unanimous decision over Ben Sosoli but decided to use an inhaler between rounds which turned the win into a ‘no contest’. The former NFL star cannot evade controversy but you can’t argue with his determination to be a success in MMA as he steps up against the former Bellator champion and one of the most experienced and seasoned strikers in the division.
PREDICTION
Hardy has the physical attributes to threaten any fighter plus he must be difficult to prepare for as he is evolving so quickly at American Top Team, bringing new tools to the octagon in each appearance.
That said, his tools do not compare to Volkov’s and his lack of cardio will make him a sitting duck if he gets past the first round. Volkov is expected to weather the early storm and once settled with the distance, he will pick Hardy apart with combinations until he topples.
Winner: Volkov via KO/TKO
Zelim Imadaev vs Danny Roberts
Danny Roberts flies over to Moscow to take on another knockout artist in the shape of Zelim Imadaev.
Imadaev arrived to the UFC with a lot of hype, winning all eight of his fights and finishing every victim via knockout. He then continued to make noise leading up to his UFC debut, stirring the pot and adding beef to his match-up with Max Griffin. However, despite a spot of cheating, he was brought down to earth with a closely contested decision loss and now he is desperate to get back to winning ways by letting his fists do the talking.
Roberts has great experience, making his 10th appearance for the UFC, but his exciting style has got him in trouble going 5-4 and suffering finishes in his last two. Firstly, a submission to jiu-jitsu ace Claudio Silva and then got caught in a Michel Pereira whirlwind and devastating flying knee to say goodnight.
PREDICTION
Both men are savages and extremely talented and powerful strikers which should create a thrilling battle unlikely to require the judges. The win and knockout could fall either way but Imadaev may have the edge fighting on home soil with Roberts coming off a brutal knockout loss.
Winner: Imadaev via KO/TKO
Ramazan Emeev vs Rocco Martin
Another Russian phenom looks to thrill his fans as Ramazan Emeev has the toughest test of his career so far in Rocco Martin.
Emeev has only lost once in 16 fights which was to Vyacheslav Vasilevsky, losing his M-1 middleweight championship. However, he submitted Vasilevsky in the rematch and went on to defend the belt four times before making his UFC debut. He beat UFC vet Sam Alvey via decision and then added two more decisions to the record with wins over Alberto Mina and Stefan Sekulic but he has not fought in over a year.
If Emeev gets past Martin, you know he will be a huge threat in the division. Martin only lost once in eight before meeting one of the best grapplers in the sport. He lost to Demian Maia but put up a great fight escaping the Brazilian’s clutches before forcing a majority draw.
PREDICTION
On paper, this should be a fascinating grappling battle. Emeev has used his sambo and wrestling to amass a brilliant record while Martin is a machine and extremely difficult to put away as we saw in his fight with Maia.
It would be great to see them tangle but their skills may force the fight on the feet. It will be a gritty affair and likely to end in a decision with Martin expected to use his experience and sway the judges.
Winner: Martin via Decision
Shamil Gamzatov vs Klidson Abreu
The unbeaten Shamil Gamzatov and grappling powerhouse protects his perfect record against Klidson Abreu who intends to give him a violent welcome to the UFC.
Gamzatov has won all 13 of his fights and after finishing his first 10, he faced stiffer competition coming off three decisions. He battled Rodney Wallace to a split decision for the ACB promotion and is coming off two unanimous decisions for PFL against Eddie Gordon and Rex Harris, although these were over a year ago.
Abreu has been more active, fighting twice this year already. He made his UFC debut in February but was outclassed in a decision against Magomed Ankalaev which snapped a six-fight winning streak. However, he responded with the 15th win of his career by squeaking out a decision over Sam Alvey.
PREDICTION
This is a tough match-up for Gamzatov especially as he has not fought for a while but the Dagestani will feel at home in Moscow. He is expected to adopt his usual game plan of taking Abreu down and maintaining top position to dish out ground-and-pound but he will have to be cautious as Abreu is a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. That said, Gamzatov’s wrestling should be enough to subdue the Brazilian and control the fight for long enough to earn the decision.
Winner: Gamzatov via Decision