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Sean Strickland defends his standing among the middleweight elite against a fighter few anticipated to see in the marquee, Abus Magomedov. Strickland vs. Magomedov headlines UFC Fight Night from the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Saturday.

Strickland (26-5) has emerged as one of the most unhinged personalities in the UFC between his in-cage trash talk and questionable quotes circulating online. A middleweight contender ready to fight at anytime, Strickland (No. 7) accommodated the UFC's request to fight an opponent not recognized by the UFC's official middleweight rankings. Strickland is many things, but he is not dismissive of the challenge his unheralded opponent presents.

"Just because this guy might be the best against this guy, and this guy might beat that guy, doesn't mean a low-ranked guy can't beat him," Strickland told CBS Sports. "Every single person you fight, it's different. You have to fight differently, you have to do everything differently. When you're talking about top 10 or top 15, it's about how that style works."

Check out the full interview with Sean Strickland below.

Magomedov (25-4-1) finds himself thrust into an unlikely main event in just his second UFC fight. The 13-year mixed martial arts veteran debuted with UFC last year in Paris. He made a thunderous introduction with a 19-second front-kick knockout of Dustin Stoltzfus. Despite Magomedov's wealth of experience, odds are he hasn't faced someone with Strickland's unique appetite for trash talk. Magomedov cautions Strickland against being too animated on Fight Night.

"My advice for Strickland is he has to be quiet, he has to take care of himself and take care of his survival," Magomedov told CBS Sports. "If he wants to talk, we can talk after the fight. But in the fight, we have to fight. It's not a talk show."

Check out the full interview with Abus Magomedov below.

What Saturday's card lacks in name power it tries to make up for in prospect development. Damir Ismagulov and Grant Dawson are two tremendous candidates bubbling in the bottom third of the UFC's official top 15. Undefeated 14-0 fighter Michael Morales takes on tough-nosed veteran Max Griffin, and Ismael Bonfim looks to build on his 2023 KO of the Year candidate against Terrance McKinney.

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Below is the rest of the fight card for Saturday night with the latest odds from Caesars Sportsbook before we get to a prediction and pick on the main event.

UFC Fight Night card, odds

Favorite
Underdog
Weightclass
Sean Strickland -150
Abus Magomedov +125
Middleweight
Damir Ismagulov -110
Grant Dawson -110
Lightweight
Michael Morales -250
Max Griffin +205
Welterweight
Melissa Gato -230
Ariane Lipski +190
Women's flyweight
Ismael Bonfin -330
Benoit Saint-Denis +260 Lightweight
Nursultan Ruziboev -220
Brunno Ferreira +180
Middleweight

UFC Fight Night viewing information

Date: July 1 | Start time: 7 p.m. ET (main card)
Location: UFC Apex -- Las Vegas, Nevada
TV channel: ESPN+

Prediction

Sean Strickland vs. Abus Magomedov: There is absolutely a portion of the fanbase underestimating Magomedov based on his upset loss to Louis Taylor in the PFL 2018 season. The highlight reel punch, which sent Magomedov flying across the cage, overshadowed Magomedov's 3-0-1 run with the promotion that preceded it. Magomedov and Strickland have comparable experience with each man exceeding 30 professional MMA fights, but Strickland has faced an overall higher level of competition. KO, submission, and decision wins are in the catalogs of both fighters. I'd give the striking and wrestling edge to Magomedov with comparable cardio between the two parties. The heavy impact of Magomedov's strikes could sway the judges, but Strickland makes fights messy with his awkward, jab-heavy, in-your-face style. Magomedov has the right skillset to win on paper, but something tells me Strickland will get it done in an ugly five-round contest. Strickland via UD

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