Preview: UFC Fight Night 235 ‘Dolidze vs. Imavov’

Welterweights

Gilbert Urbina (7-2, 1-1 UFC) vs. Charlie Radtke (8-3, 1-0 UFC)

ODDS: Urbina (-198), Radtke (+164)

Urbina looks to have some potential as an exciting fighter, and perhaps he keeps up that trend here. A 2021 cast member of “The Ultimate Fighter”—and third Urbina brother to compete on the show—“The RGV Bad Boy” was one of the more seasoned competitors of the season but fell short of the championship. After getting knocked out by Tresean Gore in the season semifinal, Urbina stepped in as an injury replacement and lost a high-paced fight to Bryan Battle. After that, it was radio silence from Urbina for nearly two years until he surprisingly reappeared in May, looking sharp in a dominant win over Orion Cosce. A massive welterweight, Urbina looks to weaponize his pace—often via scrambling through grappling exchanges—but his victory over Cosce was the best his striking has looked to date, as he scored the second-round knockout.

Up next for Urbina is Radtke, who will hopefully provide a tough test as both men look to find their level in the UFC. “Chuck Buffalo” had a spotty record for nearly a decade as a regional lightweight but hit his stride after moving up to welterweight in 2021, at which point he reeled off four straight wins to earn a UFC contract. Radtke mostly looks to stand and trade with his opponents, though he might actually be at his best on the mat, even if that only becomes apparent once someone decides to take him down. His UFC debut, a September decision win over Mike Mathetha, was one of the ugliest fights of the promotion’s 2023 slate, but at the very least it showed some focus on the clinch that suggests Radtke might be moving towards using his best tools more often. That might be enough to stall Urbina and wear the younger prospect out, but the bet is that the Texan can stay ahead in this fight through sheer aggression and persistence, particularly since it is unclear if Radtke can keep up physically against such a large 170-pounder. The pick is Urbina via third-round submission.

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Dolidze vs. Imavov
Carneiro vs. Dober
Brown vs. Salikhov
Silva vs. Araujo
Khizriev vs. Muradov
Urbina vs. Radtke
The Prelims