The main card at UFC Saudi Arabia on February 1 has a special Bantamweight matchup headed our way.
Said Numragomedov is going to take on red-hot Vincius Oliveira. This will mark the first meeting between these two fighters, and the outcome will be critical as they each try to pad their resume in pursuit of a title shot.
- What: UFC Saudi Arabia (UFC Fight Night 250)
- When: Saturday, February 1, 2025
- Start Time: 7 p.m. EST (preliminary bouts), 10 p.m. EST (main card)
- Where: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- Venue: anb Arena
- Where to Watch: ESPN+ (subscription required)
- Main Event: Israel Adesanya vs Nassourdine Imavov
If you’re in the market for more UFC Saudi Arabia predictions, we have picks for Israel Adesanya vs Nassourdine Imavov, which is the main event for the February 1 festivities. But you absolutely want to keep it here first for our Vincius Oliveira vs. Said Nurmagomedov breakdown.
Nurmagomedov comes to UFC Saudi Arabia with a 18-3-0 lifetime record. While he lost against Jonathan Martinez at a Fight Night in March 2023, he has won five of his last six fights overall. However, Nurmagomedov is working his way back from a longer sabbatical. His most recent fight for The Company came all the way back in October 2023, at UFC 294, where he scooped up a submission victory over Muin Gafurov.
Vincius Oliveira, meanwhile, arrives in Saudi Arabia with a 21-3-0 overall record, though many of those matchups have come outside the UFC. The 29-year-old made his debut for The Company in March 2024. He began his career with a victory over Benardo Sopaj by KO/TKO. And then he followed that up with a win against Ricky Simon at UFC 303 last June.
UFC Saudi Arabia Bantamweight Battle: Said Nurmagomedov vs Vincius Oliveira Betting Lines
In the Bantamweight division, online UFC betting odds tend to favor the fighter with more experience inside The Company. This trend continues ahead of Oliveira vs. Nurmagomedov, as you can see below.
[viscaweb]https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vTzGyVz4Y6MoIHSJVjA24i5hW4a-sbrWImBzpNJCuUGCWaCghNRY6v4_B7km05qn2j_DEVWhRIZLKYy/pub?gid=1333641150&single=true&output=csv[/viscawebTable]
Our usual reminder: Please continue checking UFC Saudi Arabia betting odds right up until you actually submit your wager. Our UFC Saudi Arabia betting lines are accurate entering Tuesday, January 21. This still gives the best online UFC betting sites a few weeks to make adjustments ahead of the opening bell.
Granted, ahead of major events, we typically don’t see too many changes. But UFC Saudi Arabia is proving to be an exception. So many of the fights on the main card are closer than initial betting lines fear. Just look at how much movement we have already seen in other matchups. The Sergei Pavlovich vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik betting lines, in particular, are undergoing semi-major shifts following the conclusion of UFC 311.
To be sure, we are not guaranteeing Nurmagomedov vs. Oliveira will follow this trend. But as you will see in our breakdown to follow, there’s more to this matchup than meets the eye.
The Case for Said Nurmagomedov to Beat Vincius Oliveira
With seven official wins in the UFC under his belt, many were hoping Nurmagomedov would face a more prominent opponent at UFC Saudi Arabia. There is a chance his loss to Martinez nearly two years ago coupled with a long layoff hurt him in that arena.
Regardless, the 32-year-old still looms as one of the more well-balanced fighters in the Bantamweight division. His offensive arsenal includes everything from guillotine chokes and spinning back kicks to powerful punches and striking combinations that give him the ability to end matchups in an instant.
What’s more, over the years, he has continued to demonstrate excellent striking defense. Opponents land just 43 percent of their significant striking attempts against him, which is noticeably better than the UFC average of 53 percent.
Of course, Nurmagomedov will have his work cut out versus Oliveira, who is also one of The Company’s more balanced Bantamweight fighters. But the additional experience Nurmagomedov has against more established and just generally tougher opponents should serve him well here.
The Case for Vincius Oliveira to Beat Said Nurmagomedov
More people would be clamoring for a Vincius Oliveria victory if he boasted a more extensive resume. With just two UFC fights under his belt, many remain skeptical.
To that end, this is Oliveira’s chance to go up against a top-tier fighter and establish himself as a major threat in the Bantamweight division. We believe he’s equipped to handle the pressure.
Speed striking combinations will be his friend against Nurmagomedov. Oliveira is landing 5.87 significant strikes per minute. And he pairs this punching ability with reasonable takedown chops. He averages around 1.38 successful takedowns per 15 minutes and ends up connecting on around 60 percent of those takedown attempts.
Skeptics will worry about how his accuracy holds up against Nurmagomedov’s defensive portfolio. That is fair. But as we saw in Oliveira’s UFC debut, he throws enough volume at opponents to create and ultimately capitalize on openings.
UFC Saudi Arabia Picks for Oliveira vs. Nurmagomedov
We find ourselves torn as we inch closer to Vincius Oliveira vs. Said Nurmagomedov at UFC Saudi Arabia.
On the one hand, we respect Nurmagomedov’s body of work to date. And he is by no means on the downswing of his career. On the other hand, we are marveling at the (brief) glimpses we have seen of Oliveira at the UFC level. We worry that he’ll be able to land enough potent strikes on Nurmagomedov but ultimately believe he has the versatility—right down to his switchfoot stance—to cause real problems for his veteran opponent.
Don’t be surprised if and when this fight comes down to a split decision. It has the makings of an epic Bantamweight battle. For our money, though, we are taking the up-and-comer in Vincius Oliveira, who we believe has the better meld of speed, aggression and fundamentals.
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