The main card for UFC 257 has a middleweight bout that comes in as a ‘Fight of the Night’ contender. Andrew Sanchez and Makhmud Muradov will throw down, as they often do, to put on a show for the fans. Additionally, the crowd in attendance, albeit in a limited capacity, will most certainly serve to hype up the scrap.
The fight card is headlined by Conor McGregor’s rematch against Dustin Poirier that is around 6 years in the making. The two fought back in 2014, and ‘The Notorious’ definitively came out on top via a first-round TKO. Fans all over the world will be tuning in for the event, and this will be an exciting prospect for both Sanchez and Muradov.
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UFC middleweights: Andrew Sanchez vs Makhmud Muradov
Andrew ‘El Dirte’ Sanchez has a 12-5 record and racked up a KO win over Wellington Turman in his singular 2020 appearance. Sanchez has seen various looks in his career thus far, having faced several middleweight UFC staples. Anthony Smith, Khalil Rountree, and Marvin Vettori are some of the elites he’s scrapped with.
Sanchez has good fundamentals and has a style that is conducive to face a pressuring opponent in Muradov. His versatility is the biggest feature of his game, as he can adapt on the fly based on his opponent’s output. However, the power dynamic largely tilts in Sanchez’s favor and this could be costly.
‘Mach’ Muradov out of Uzbekistan is on a 13-fight win streak and hasn’t lost a bout since December 2016. He’s had a long layoff from the UFC’s cage and didn’t fight through the entire calendar year of 2020. With an early start in 2021, Muradov will want to capitalize on his incredible streak and move closer to title contention. The middleweight division is quite open and there’s scope to break through with a few statement wins.
Makhmud Muradov carries fight-ending power in both hands and has check hooks that could put down any middleweight. Moreover, his durability is no joke either, as he’ll happily absorb shots just to send them back. His aggression has played into his favor this far, and there’s no reason why he can’t impose his will on Sanchez.
Prediction: Makhmud Muradov to claim a second-round TKO win
