Some may argue that saying “Happy New Year” is a little late. But forgive MMA fans for uttering the phrase. The first UFC betting event of the year offers gamblers and fans an outstanding lineup of action. The main event is a ranked middleweight matchup between Nassourdine Imavov and Kelvin Gastelum. Both fighters have designs on getting a future championship bout opportunity. Thus, a win is mandatory on Saturday night to further that goal. On the other hand, a loss would be a catastrophe. ESPN+ brings the season opening action from Sin City Saturday Night!
UFC Fight Night: Imavov vs. Gastelum – Main Card
| Date and Time: | Saturday, January 14, 2023, 7 p.m. ET |
|---|---|
| Location: | UFC Apex, Las Vegas, Nevada |
| TV Coverage: | ESPN+ |
Middleweight Bout
| Fighter | Odds |
|---|---|
| Nassourdine Imavov | -200 |
| Kelvin Gastelum | +170 |
In sum, Nassourdine Imavov has a career sportsbook mark of 12-3. Kelvin Gastelum has a record of 16-8 in his career.
Of major concern is that Kelvin Gastelum has dropped five of his six recent bouts. By contrast, Nassourdine Imavov has won three straight and nine of his most recent ten fights.
Nassourdine Imavov is coming off a unanimous decision win over Joaquin Buckley on September 3, 2022. Previously he defeated Edmen Shahbazyan by 2nd-round technical knockout on November 6, 2021. And on July 24, 2021, Imavov won a 2nd-round technical knockout against Ian Heinisch.
Last time out for Kelvin Gastelum was a unanimous decision loss to Jared Cannonier on August 21, 2021. Previously, Gastelum lost a unanimous decision to Robert Whittaker on April 17, 2021. Gastelum scored a unanimous decision win over Ian Heinisch on February 13, 2021.
Featherweight Bout
| Fighter | Odds |
|---|---|
| Dan Ige | -115 |
| Damon Jackson | -105 |
Dan Ige has a career record of 15-6. In turn, Damon Jackson is 22-4 in his career.
Late on, Dan Ige lost three in a row and four of his last five bouts. Damon Jackson is riding a 4-bout winning streak.
Middleweight Bout
| Fighter | Odds |
|---|---|
| Punahele Soriano | -170 |
| Roman Kopylov | +145 |
Punahele Soriano has a career record of 9-2 with the UFC Betting odds. By contrast, Roman Kopylov has a career record of 9-2.
Last time out, Punahele Soriano won a 2nd-round knockout against Dalcha Lungiambula on July 16, 2022. The win snapped a 2-bout losing streak.
Woman’s Bantamweight Bout
| Fighter | Odds |
|---|---|
| Ketlen Vieira | -115 |
| Raquel Pennington | -105 |
Ketlen Vieira is 13-2 in her MMA career. By contrast, Raquel Pennington is 14-8 in her career.
Ketlen Vieira has won two consecutive fights. Counter to that is a 4-bout winning streak by Raquel Pennington.
Bantamweight Bout
| Fighter | Odds |
|---|---|
| Umar Nurmagomedov | -580 |
| Raoni Barcelos | +440 |
Overall, undefeated Umar Nurmagomedov has won all 15 of his career bouts. In a similar way, Raoni Barcelos has 17 wins and three losses in his career.
Last time out for Umar Nurmagomedov was a unanimous decision win over Nate Maness on June 25, 2022. Raoni Barcelos is coming off a unanimous decision win over Trevin Jones on October 1, 2022. That Barcelos win snapped a 2-bout losing streak.
UFC Fight Night SBG Free Picks
As mentioned earlier, Kevlin Gastelum has been in poor form. Although he is getting a strong price, Gastelum is facing one of the best middleweights, Nassourdine Imavov, in the UFC. Meanwhile, you can’t argue with the dominant success of Umar Nurmagomedov.
UFC Fight Night SBG Best Bets: Nassourdine Imavov and Umar Nurmagomedov.