Shara Magomedov and Michael Page meet Saturday in the co-main event of the UFC Fight Night 250 main card at ANB Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup from MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom.
Last event: 3-2
UFC main cards, 2024: 6-5
Shara Magomedov vs. Michael Page UFC Fight Night 250 preview
Magomedov (15-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) puts his undefeated record on the line against a career welterweight. “Bullet” made three appearances in 2024, stopping Antonio Trocoli and Armen Petrosyan while also picking up a unanimous decision over Michal Oleksiejczuk. … Page (22-3 MMA, 1-1 UFC) will move up to face an opponent seven years younger. “Venom” is .500 in the UFC, winning his debut against Kevin Holland by unanimous decision, but dropped his next decision to Ian Machado Garry.
Shara Magomedov vs. Michael Page UFC Fight Night 250 expert pick, prediction
The co-main event in Saudi Arabia features a striker’s delight at middleweight between Magomedov and Page.
Despite being a career welterweight, Page will be temporarily moving up to 185 pounds for a challenge he couldn’t refuse in Magomedov.
Between fight fans’ fetishization of fighters from Dagestan to the Hollywood interest “Bullet” gathers from his unique James Bond villain looks, Magomedov has acquired more glaze than anything you can buy at Voodoo Doughnuts after midnight.
Although Magomedov’s violent rap sheet continues to be conveniently overlooked in the praise he receives, there’s no denying the fight-to-fight improvements he’s showing as a martial artist.
In his last fight opposite Armen Petrosyan, Magomedov displayed an improved overall boxing presence – particularly in his lead hand. That said, Page can be a tricky customer to get a beat on and is very difficult to look good against.
A self-proclaimed snake charmer, Page will distract his opponents by making them look at the proverbial birdy before delivering pinpoint punches down the pike. And though Page traditionally competes at welterweight, his usual speed advantages and attributes could be amplified at middleweight.
Still, I suspect that the leg kicks of Magomedov will be the looming threat worth watching for in this fight.
At first glance, this should be a clear pick for Magomedov. Aside from the tactical and size advantages on paper, Magomedov is the younger fighter who is clearly being put in place to succeed.
That said, I can’t help but see Page’s experience, swagger and defensive savvy frustrating Magomedov and making him emotional. An impressive knockout on either side is on the table, but I’ll officially pick Page to somewhat surprisingly end up on the right side of the scorecards for a decision win.
Shara Magomedov vs. Michael Page UFC Fight Night 250 odds
Despite the oddsmakers opening the Englishman as a slight favorite, public money has flipped the line in the Russian’s favor, listing Magomedov -192 and Page +154 via FanDuel.
Shara Magomedov vs. Michael Page UFC Fight Night 250 start time, how to watch
As the co-main event, Magomedov and Page are expected to walk to the cage at approximately 1:40 p.m. ET. The fight will stream on ESPN+.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 250.
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