Surely we see MVP take some risks tomorrow? Everyone, including him I’m sure, can see the writing on the wall. He’s ranked 14th at welterweight, though Saturday’s fight is actually booked at middleweight, so a win won’t even move that ranking. What it will move is his contract status, because this is the last fight on his current UFC deal, and the man across the cage is exactly the kind of opponent a promotion points to when it’s ready to make a change. Ruziboev is 5-1 inside the Octagon, riding a three-fight win streak that includes a technical submission finish back in June. This is a live prospect who’s finished nearly everyone put in front of him lately, the kind of guy a promotion moves on from a veteran to make room for. Despite his pleadings that “we all want to see him in the UFC,” Page knows if he goes out and gets a boring decision win, he might get cut anyway. That kind of talk from a 39-year-old on an expiring contract usually means one thing, he knows the ground underneath him isn’t solid. His last fight, a decision over Sam Patterson in March, was competent and unremarkable. Another output like that, even in victory, tells the UFC exactly what it doesn’t want to hear about a fighter this deep into his career, that he’s safe, not exciting, and easily replaced by the very man standing across from him. That’s what makes Saturday different from a normal “prove it” fight. Page doesn’t just need to win, he needs to look like he still belongs in dangerous fights, which means taking risks he might otherwise avoid. Or, we see the below because I think Ruziboev is massive and also that good:

It appears Roberto Soldić will be fighting at 185. People overrate him so much because he is 1-1 with DDP almost 10 years ago. He fought 3 times in last 4-5 years and fought nobodies in ONE and his KSW resume is much weaker than Parnasse’s. I will disappoint 90% of Balkan MMA fans, but this dude does not deserve top 15 shot right away, let alone title shot. Make him fight Shara Bullet in Abu Dhabi PPV or Qatar Fight Night. Ot, if he ends up fighting at 170 - make him fight Jacobe Smith.