SUMMARY
- Randy Brown will take on Muslim Salikhov at UFC Vegas 85 on February 3, 2024.
- Brown and Salikhov have both been in the UFC for over six years.
UFC Vegas 85, also called UFC Fight Night 236, is set to take place at the UFC Apex facility in Nevada on February 3, 2024. The fight card is stacked with some strong bouts in several divisions. The headliner will involve a middleweight bout between Georgian fighter Roman Dolidze and French fighter Nassourdine Imavov. Also on the main card is the welterweight fight between Randy Brown and Muslim Salikhov.
#UFCVegas85 next week. pic.twitter.com/BI5H14gi38
— Marcel Dorff 🇳🇱🇮🇩 (@BigMarcel24) January 28, 2024
The main card includes four more bouts – a lightweight bout between Renato Moicano and Drew Dober, a women’s flyweight bout between Viviane Araújo and Natália Silva, a middleweight bout between Aliaskhab Khizriev and Makhmud Muradov, and a welterweight bout between Gilbert Urbina and Charles Radtke.
In this article, we will take a detailed look at the welterweight fight between UFC veteran Brown and Dagestan-born Salikhov.
UFC Vegas 85: Randy Brown vs. Muslim Salikhov stats
Stats | Randy Brown | Muslim Salikhov |
---|---|---|
Wins | 17 | 19 |
Losses | 5 | 4 |
Height | 6 ft 3 in | 5 ft 11 in |
Division | Welterweight | Welterweight |
Reach | 78 in | 70 in |
Age | 33 | 39 |
Randy Brown vs. Muslim Salikhov: Fight breakdown and prediction
Brown and Salikhov are expected to contest a closely fought match. Clearly, Brown has a height and reach advantage. However, the fight is expected to come down to the clinch and wrestling exchanges.
39-year-old Salikhov is expected to rely on creative attacks while Brown can make the most of the clinch. The fight should be mostly on the feet but Brown and Salikhov both have submission wins to show for themselves. They could take the fight to the ground and attempt a submission move.
Taking a look at their histories, Brown made his UFC debut in January 2016. The former Ring of Combat welterweight champion has been in the same division throughout his UFC career, however, he has never made it to the big fights. Brown was undefeated in 2021 and 2022 with four wins under his belt. He lost to Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 284 in February 2023. In his last fight, he defeated Wellington Turman in June via unanimous decision.
The King of Kung Fu is BACK in the Octagon this weekend ‼️
Muslim Salikhov & Randy Brown will face off at #UFCVegas85 this Saturday pic.twitter.com/PB3vIWu7hT
— UFC (@ufc) January 30, 2024
Salikhov, on the other hand, made his UFC debut in November 2017. Before his UFC debut, he held a 13-1 record, however, he lost on his debut. He lost to Li Jingliang in July 2022 after attaining a five-match win streak. He lost his last fight via unanimous decision against Nicolas Dalby in June 2023.
Salikhov and Brown were scheduled to face each other on December 16, 2023, at UFC 296. However, Brown withdrew from the fight due to illness. They have been scheduled to meet again at UFC Vegas 85.