Baku to host its first-ever UFC tournament on June 21 Fight card

Baku will host its first-ever Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) tournament tonight, on June 21, bringing some of the world’s top mixed martial arts fighters to the Azerbaijani capital.

According to Caliber.Az, the event will take place at the iconic Baku Crystal Hall.

The evening’s preliminary fights are scheduled to begin at 8:00 p.m. local time, followed by the main card at 11:00 p.m.

The main event of the night will see American fighters Jamahal Hill and Khalil Rountree square off in a highly anticipated light heavyweight bout.

Several Azerbaijani athletes are also set to enter the octagon. Tofiq Musayev will face Kyrgyzstan’s Myktybek Orolbay, Rafael Fiziev will take on Chilean fighter Ignacio Bahamondes, and Nazim Sadykhov will battle Brazil’s Nikolas Motta.

UFC Fight Night Bouts:

Preliminary Fights:

• Featherweight: Irina Alekseeva (Russia) vs. Klaudia Sygula (Poland)

• Welterweight: Sok Hyun Ko (South Korea) vs. Oban Elliott (Wales)

• Heavyweight: Hamdy Abdelwahab (Egypt) vs. Mohammed Usman (Nigeria)

• Featherweight: Melissa Mullins (United Kingdom) vs. Darya Zheleznakova (Russia)

• Middleweight: Ismail Naurdiev (Morocco) vs. Park Jun-yong (South Korea)

• Flyweight: Tagir Ulanbekov (Russia) vs. Azat Maksum (Kazakhstan)

Main Card:

• Featherweight: Muhammad Naimov (Tajikistan) vs. Bogdan Grad (Austria)

• Lightweight: Nazim Sadykhov (Azerbaijan) vs. Nikolas Motta (Brazil)

• Heavyweight: Curtis Blaydes (USA) vs. Rizvan Kuniev (Russia)

• Lightweight: Tofiq Musayev (Azerbaijan) vs. Myktybek Orolbay (Kyrgyzstan)

• Lightweight: Rafael Fiziev (Azerbaijan) vs. Ignacio Bahamondes (Chile)

• Light Heavyweight (Main Event): Jamahal Hill (USA) vs. Khalil Rountree (USA)

The event is expected to draw a large crowd of local fight fans and international visitors, marking a new milestone for combat sports in Azerbaijan.

By Sabina Mammadli