Verdict's Sleeper Fight of the Week: Magomedov vs. Alves

This fight takes place in the Middleweight (185 lbs.) division.

Abus Magomedov has a professional record of 25-6-1 and has won three of his last five bouts. He holds a UFC victory over Dustin Stoltzfus.

Warlley Alves has a professional record of 15-7-0 and has won one of his last five outings. He holds UFC victories over Colby Covington, Mounir Lazzez, and Alan Jouban.

Abus Magomedov blasts Dustin Stoltzfus with an uppercut. Credit: DraftKings Network.

Magomedov is a lengthy striker who prefers power over volume, typically blasting his opponents with a barrage of kicks. He throws everything with fight-ending intentions and is at his most dangerous early, with 15 of his 20 finishes coming in round one. He is always pressuring forward and constantly switching stances, dealing damage to his opponent's body and head evenly. Magomedov is willing to grapple and is a solid wrestler, able to land his takedowns and often reverse ones attempted on him to land on top. Training at UFD Gym, he transitions quickly on the ground and is active on top, always throwing ground-and-pound or pursuing a choke. Despite a brief UFC tenure, he has big-fight experience, having made a run through the playoffs to the PFL middleweight championship in 2018.

Abus Magomedov exchanges blows with Sean Strickland. Credit: MMA Fighting.

Alves is a wild, aggressive fighter who always comes out guns blazing. He throws every shot with knockout intentions and often drops his head and blitzes forward to throw big combinations. Training at Rizzo RVT, he was the winner of TUF Brazil 3 and is very unpredictable, with a slick submission game to back up his powerful striking. Four of Alves’ six career submissions have come via guillotine, so he’s incredibly dangerous if he can get a hold of his opponent’s neck. He pushes a high pace and slows down as the fight continues, but is willing to eat a shot to land one and is always comfortable in a brawl. He tends to headhunt and always comes forward, fighting with a “kill or be killed” attitude.

Warlley Alves rains down ground and pound onto Nordine Taleb. Credit: MMA Fighting.

This is a fight you definitely won’t want to miss.