UFC Fight Night 217 takes place on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada. This card features a middleweight fight between Nassourdine Imavov and Sean Strickland as the Main Event.
We are sharing our UFC Fight Night 217 best bets here, but head over to our main UFC Fight Night 217 predictions for picks on every Main Card fight. Let's get into our best bets for Saturday's card.
UFC Fight Night 217 Main Card best bets
Nassourdine Imavov comes into this fight with an MMA record of 12-3. He is 4-1 in the UFC, most recently beating Joaquin Buckley by unanimous decision back in September of 2021. Imavov is averaging 4.08 significant strikes per minute and has a striking accuracy of 54%. He is absorbing 2.43 strikes and has a striking defense of 62%. His grappling has been improving, averaging 0.95 takedowns per every 15 minutes and 2.4 submission attempts during the same time period. His takedown accuracy is 23%, but his takedown defense is 76%.
This fight is basically even with Imavov as a slight favorite. It is worth noting that Sean Strickland just fought about a month ago, so he has had far less time to prepare compared to his opponent. Strickland does have a slight advantage in striking, but Imavov has been far better in preventing damage. Imavov also has the advantage in terms of submission ability, therefore backing Imavov looks to be worth a play.