Nassourdine Imavov and Brendan Allen meet Saturday on the main card of UFC Fight Night 243 at Accor Arena in Paris. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup from MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom.
Last event: 3-2
UFC main cards, 2024: 79-68-3
Nassourdine Imavov vs. Brendan Allen UFC Paris preview
Imavov (14-4 MMA, 6-2 UFC) vs. Allen (24-5 MMA, 12-2 UFC) is an intriguing matchup between middleweights officially in the UFC’s top-10 rankings. … Imavov, who’s No. 4, has won back-to-back bouts, including the biggest victory of his career in his most recent matchup as he finished former title challenger Jared Cannonier in the fourth round of their encounter in June. … Allen has been on a roll since February 2022, having won seven consecutive fights. Allen is coming off a split decision win over Chris Curtis in their five-round rematch that took place this past April.
Nassourdine Imavov vs. Brendan Allen UFC Paris expert pick, prediction
Despite the UFC drowning us in middleweight main events since the pandemic, this is a fight that actually deserves five rounds. The three-round nature should favor Imavov, but I believe Allen is a live underdog in this spot.
Aside from the fact that Allen is riding the momentum of a seven-fight winning streak, the American fights at a dogged pace and has one of the more dangerous grappling games in the division (currently owning the second most submissions in UFC middleweight history).
Imavov is an incredibly skilled and well-trained fighter, but the Frenchman’s propensity to both clinch and fade down the stretch worries me against a grapple-heavy fighter like Allen.
Even though I’m officially picking Allen to dig out a decision win, a late finish from “All In” wouldn’t shock me either.
Nassourdine Imavov vs. Brendan Allen UFC Paris odds
The oddsmakers and public favor the French fighter, listing Imavov -230 and Allen +184 via FanDuel.
Nassourdine Imavov vs. Brendan Allen UFC Paris start time, how to watch
As the co-main event, Imavov and Allen are expected to walk to the cage at approximately 5:15 p.m. ET (11:15 p.m. locally in Paris). The fight will stream on ESPN+.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 243.
