Shamil Gaziev vs Thomas Peterson at UFC Fight Night 250 | Preview & Prediction
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We have a heavyweight match-up as one of the final fights on the prelims and the UFC will be hoping it provides some fireworks as the heavy-hitting Shamil Gaziev takes on the dangerous Thomas Peterson
Shamil Gaziev vs Thomas Peterson Facts
When is UFC Fight Night 250? UK – the preliminary card starts at 2:00pm on Saturday 1st February 2025, followed by the main card at 5:00pm / USA – 9:00am/12:00pm ET and 6:00am/9:00am PT
Where is UFC Fight Night 250? ANB Arena, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Where can I get tickets for UFC Fight Night 250? Click here for the latest ticket information for UFC Fight Night 250
What TV channel is UFC Fight Night 250 on? UK – TNT Sports / USA – ESPN+
Where can I stream UFC Fight Night 250? UK – TNT Sports subscribers can stream the event online via the TNT Sports website and discovery+ / USA – ESPN+ & UFC Fight Pass
For viewers in the United States, UFC Fight Night 250 will be shown live on ESPN+ and you can sign up for access as part of a Disney Bundle here!
What time are Shamil Gaziev and Thomas Peterson expected to walk out? Saturday 1st February, 2025, 5:00pm UK / 12:00pm US ET / 9:00am US PT
UFC Fight Night 250 Main Card Event
Israel Adesanya vs Nassourdine Imavov (Middleweight)
Sharabutdin Magomedov vs Michael Page (Middleweight)
Sergei Pavlovich vs Jairzinho Rozenstruik (Heavyweight)
Said Nurmagomedov vs Vinicius Oliveira (Bantamweight)
Ikram Aliskerov vs Andre Muniz (Middleweight)
Muhammad Naimov vs Kaan Ofli (Featherweight)
UFC Fight Night 250 Prelims
Shamil Gaziev vs Thomas Peterson (Heavyweight)
Terrance McKinney vs Damir Hadzovic (Lightweight)
Fares Ziam vs Mike Davis (Lightweight)
Abdul-Kareem Al-Selwady vs Bolaji Ok (Lightweight)
Mateusz Gamrot vs Rafael Fiziev (Lightweight)
Jasmine Jasudavicius vs Mayra Bueno Silva (Women’s Flyweight)
Bogdan Grad vs Lucas Alexander (Featherweight)
Hamdy Abdelwahab vs Jamal Pogues (Heavyweight)
Shamil Gaziev: Heavyweight aiming to string together successive wins
Shamil Gaziev (13-1) bounced back from his first-ever professional MMA loss as he earned a unanimous decision victory over Don’Tale Mayes last time out in August 2024. He was TKO’d in his previous bout against Jairzinho Rozenstruijk as he was forced to retire at the end of round four in a bout where he was clearly second best. He responded well however to beat Mayes and he will look to follow that up here.
Thomas Peterson: The Train seeking tenth pro MMA victory
Thomas Peterson (9-2) picked up his first-ever victory in the UFC last time out as he grabbed the unanimous decision win over Mohammed Usman at UFC on ESPN 60 in July 2024. That came after defeat on his UFC debut at the hands of Jamal Pogues who is also on this card, as he saw a decision go against him after he earned his shot via Dana White’s Contender Series in August 2023. He will now look for back-to-back wins in the Octagon for the first time.
Shamil Gaziev vs Thomas Peterson Prediction
These two heavyweights have both come via Dana White’s Contender Series in the last couple of years and it will be interesting to see how they measure up.
Gaziev is the more experienced of the two and they have tested his credentials early given his bout with Jairzinho Rozenstruijk. That loss should not weigh too heavily on him despite being the first loss on his resume.
Peterson has impressive knockout power of his own but there is a question mark over whether he will ultimately be too small – height-wise – for the UFC’s heavyweight division.
Gaziev has a clear advantage in reach and while they may weight very similar numbers, expect Gaziev to have the edge and look to control this fight with his wrestling.
Both have good knockout power but Gaziev is by far the more well-rounded of the two. Expect him to grind his this one out and potentially get the stoppage.
Prediction: Shamil Gaziev to win
