Bogdan Grad and Muhammad Naimov meet Saturday in the main card opener of UFC on ABC 8 at Baku Crystal Hall in Baku, Azerbaijan. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup from MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom.
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Bogdan Grad vs. Muhammad Naimov UFC Baku preview
Grad (15-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC) enters on a four-fight winning streak with three stoppages. After back-to-back finishes on the regional scene, he picked up a win on Dana White’s Contender Series, and then finished Lucas Alexander in his February debut. … Naimov (12-3 MMA, 4-1 UFC) looks to keep the momentum going after a unanimous decision over Kaan Ofli in February, which was a successful rebound from his first setback in the UFC.
Bogdan Grad vs. Muhammad Naimov UFC Baku expert pick, prediction
Kicking off the main card in Joe Silva-like fashion is a featherweight attraction between Muhammad Naimov and Bogdan Grad.
Naimov’s resume is a deceiving one when you factor in everything from his opportunistic style to his favorable fortunes with fouls and injuries alike. And though I suspect that Naimov’s not far from being audited again, I don’t think it comes here.
Grad, who looks like a muscled-up version of Edward Furlong in “American History X,” can make fights ugly and work his way back into them if he’s allowed to stick around. However, Grad also has some porous striking defense to go along with some plodding footwork and linear advances that I see running him right into a Naimov counter hook.
The pick is Naimov by knockout in Round 2.
Bogdan Grad vs. Muhammad Naimov UFC Baku odds
The oddsmakers and the public favor the Tajik fighter, listing Naimov -260 and Grad +205 via FanDuel.
Bogdan Grad vs. Muhammad Naimov UFC Baku start time, how to watch
As the main card opener, Grad and Naimov are expected to walk to the cage at approximately 3:10 p.m. ET. The fight broadcasts on ABC, ESPN and ESPN+.
