Black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, balanced skills in both striking and grappling, experience fighting at the highest level in the UFC. Cage Fury Fighting Championships Champion in 2016, defended his title successfully, and later signed with Dana White’s UFC. Over his career, he has 20 wins (7 by knockout, 11 by decision, 2 by submission) and 7 losses. However, Gordon has struggled recently in the UFC, with two losses in his last three fights.
Gordon’s recent form has been disappointing, with two losses and one draw in his last three fights, including a split decision loss to Nasrat Haqparast in June 2024 and a unanimous decision loss to Paddy Pimblett.
Aggressive fighting style, powerful knockout ability, excellent performance in the first round. 19 wins (11 by knockout, 3 by decision, 5 by submission), and 4 losses. Ruziboev is coming off a seven-fight win streak, with six of those victories coming in the first round via knockout. Ruziboev enters the UFC on a strong winning streak. His recent wins in the Russian Open Fighting Championship include a first-round TKO against Nurzhigit Karaev in October 2023, and a first-round TKO against Nerijs de Oliveira before that. He’s in top physical form and is known for his rapid finishes.
This promises to be an exciting matchup. Although Gordon has more UFC experience, Ruziboev is in outstanding form and has the edge in knockout power. His aggressive approach and ability to end fights early, especially in the first round, will be crucial. Gordon will likely look to take the fight to the ground, but Ruziboev’s striking advantage could make a significant difference.
Expected winner: Mashrabjon Ruziboev. His current form and knockout ability give him the edge in this fight, especially if he can keep it standing.
Gordon enters the upcoming fight as the clear favorite. Bookmakers believe that achieving victory on short notice will be nearly impossible. However, sportsbook analysts are overestimating the American's chances. While Gordon has more UFC experience, Ruziboev is also no stranger to championship glory. A small mistake could result in a knockout punch from Mashrabjon. In this situation, it's worth betting that the fight won't go the distance.
Our prediction — the fight won't go the full distance, with odds of 1.65.
