Sarvarjon Khamidov vs Rafael do Nascimento

🔥 Khamidov has claimed victory in 17 of his 18 professional bouts, with his lone defeat coming via judges’ decision against Magomed Magomedov. In June, the Tajik fighter got back on track by submitting Justin Wetzell in the second round. Du Nascimento is a formidable grappler in his own right: nine of the Brazilian’s 13 wins have come by way of submission. Notably, none of Rafael’s three losses have come by knockout or submission—he’s dropped two decisions, while the third was a disqualification.

This matchup between two high-level grapplers promises an extended battle for positional control. Khamidov excels at maintaining top position and has repeatedly secured wins on the scorecards, while du Nascimento boasts plenty of experience defending on the ground and rarely finds himself in truly dangerous spots. Both fighters have proven highly resistant to being finished at the professional level, so a quick stoppage appears less likely than a drawn-out contest with numerous positional exchanges. The pick: over 2.5 rounds.