Nursulton Ruziboev vs. Dustin Stoltzfus prediction, start time for UFC Fight Night 256
Nursulton Ruziboev vs. Dustin Stoltzfus prediction, start time for UFC Fight Night 256 Powerful middleweights Nursulton Ruziboev and Dustin Stoltzfus clash at UFC Fight Night 256. How long will it last?
Nursulton Ruziboev and Dustin Stoltzfus meet Saturday on the main card of UFC Fight Night 256 at UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup from MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom.
Last event: 2-3
UFC main cards, 2025: 43-38-1
Nursulton Ruziboev vs. Dustin Stoltzfus UFC Fight Night 256 preview
Ruziboev (35-9-2 MMA, 3-1 UFC) will aim to keep the momentum going after returning to the win column with a second-round knockout of Eric McConico in February. A proven dangerous finisher, the 31-year-old from Uzbekistan has not needed the judges' scorecards to record a victory. His lone setback in the UFC last May was the first time he entered a third round since 2019. ... Stoltzfus (16-6 MMA, 3-5 UFC) also returned to the win column in his previous outing. In November, the 33-year-old Pennsylvanian finished Marc-Andre Barriault in the opening round. Stoltzfus has traded wins and losses over his past five outings.
Nursulton Ruziboev vs. Dustin Stoltzfus UFC Fight Night 256 expert pick, prediction
Fulfilling Mick Marynard's minimum on middleweight main card features is a bout between Ruziboev and Stoltzfus.
I'm not the biggest believer in Ruziboev's skill ceiling given the lack of depth to his game, but I can understand why he's favored here. Still, even though Ruziboev's countering acumen and length will likely lead him to an early win, I'm not entirely confident that this is a match he can afford to be taken down in.
Stoltzfus may not have a Demian Maia level of 'game over' grappling, but the German-loving American is an excellent grappler who owns black belts in both Brazilian jiu-jitsu and Luta Livre. Add in Stoltzfus' steady striking improvements, and he can make things very interesting, particularly inside the smaller cage, if he can extend this fight.
The potential problem, however, is that Stoltzfus's lack of speed and striking defense will likely make him too much of a susceptible target early.
It's dog or pass from a betting perspective, but the official pick is Ruziboev by knockout in Round 1.
Nursulton Ruziboev vs. Dustin Stoltzfus UFC Fight Night 256 odds
The oddsmakers and the public favor the fighter from Uzbekistan, listing Ruziboev -325 and Stoltzfus +250 via FanDuel.
Nursulton Ruziboev vs. Dustin Stoltzfus UFC Fight Night 256 start time, how to watch
Ruziboev and Stoltzfus are expected to walk to the cage at approximately 7:40 p.m. ET. The fight broadcasts on ESPN+.
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