UFC in Baku: Who will dominate the octagon tomorrow? Full fight card and predictions

Tomorrow, June 21, the capital of Azerbaijan will host the famous mixed martial arts fights (better known as no-holds-barred fights) under the banner of the iconic organisation that is the gold standard in this sport — the Ultimate Fighting Championship, or simply UFC.

Residents and visitors of the capital will witness 12 fights live, 6 of which are part of the main card, and another 6 belong to the preliminary card of the grand evening at the “Crystal Hall,” starting at 8:00 PM Baku time. Everyone who has enough patience and emotional energy will have the chance to experience the live show that the UFC fighters have undoubtedly prepared for the audience over the course of six hours.

As for the main fights, they will begin at 11:00 PM in three weight categories: three fights in lightweight, and one each in featherweight, light heavyweight, and heavyweight.

Considering readers’ interest, let’s analyse the chances of the fighters on the main card.

Let’s start with the fight between the fighter from Khabib Nurmagomedov’s team — Tagir Ulanbekov — and the Kazakhstani Azat Maksum. It’s worth noting that dozens, if not hundreds, of tourists came to support their compatriot from Kazakhstan. However, considering that the Kazakh was called in at the last minute as a replacement for the Japanese fighter Kyoji Horiguchi, the Russian’s chances look more favourable.

Of course, we’re all damn excited that our living legend — 35-year-old Tofig Musayev — was given a chance by the organizers, led by the even more legendary Dana White, to prove himself where he has dreamed for years: in the UFC! His fight against the representative of Kyrgyzstan, Myktybek Orolbai, is surely awaited by our viewers with no less interest than the main and co-main events of the evening. Given his vast experience in similar MMA fights and Bellator, we would like Tofig to secure his 23rd victory rather than suffer his 6th defeat. For Myktybek, the main factors are his age — 27 years old — and his UFC experience, as this will be his fourth fight in the promotion.

Another one of our fighters — Nazim Sadikhov — will be facing Nicholas Motta. Here, the chances are 50-50, as the opponents are roughly equal in age (Nazim is 31, Nicholas is 32), height, and fighting experience. Let’s hope that Nazim’s only loss, which the "Black Wolf" suffered in 2018 against Juan Galarza (after 10 wins), remains his only defeat.

And finally, another one of our fighters (who only became ours in July 2022), Rafael Fiziev, will be competing in the co-main event of the evening against the Chilean Ignacio Bahamondes. Of course, we hope Fiziev breaks his terrible streak of three consecutive losses. If he loses again in Baku, it would likely mean losing his spot on the main card of any somewhat significant UFC title event for the next two to three years — a career setback that could be devastating for the 32-year-old fighter. And his opponent is a serious contender! While Fiziev has 12 wins and 4 losses in the UFC, the 27-year-old Chilean has 17 wins and 5 losses, with a recent winning streak of three consecutive victories. So, it’s definitely not an easy fight for Fiziev…

The fight between Curtis Blaydes and Rizvan Kuniev promises a surge of intense emotions, if only because it will be an American-Russian showdown between two very experienced fighters. Blaydes has 18 wins and 5 losses, while Rizvan has 12 wins and 2 losses. But something tells me Kuniev will win, if only because he won’t have to suffer from jet lag.

And finally, the main event of the evening: 34-year-old Jamahal Hill versus 35-year-old Khalil Rountree. On one side is the former UFC champion, currently ranked fourth in the official UFC light heavyweight rankings, who famously lost his title simply by playing basketball (that’s what it means to be American!) and getting injured. On the other side is the "War Horse," who at 35 has repeatedly proven his physical power and clearly has no intention of yielding to the winner. Don’t be misled by his seventh place in the rankings — it’s enough to say that Khalil has won 7 out of his 14 victories by knockout. So those who bet on Rountree’s victory certainly won’t be disappointed.

In conclusion, especially for Caliber.Az readers, we present the full fight card for this grand UFC evening in the Azerbaijani capital.

Main card

• Jamahal Hill vs. Khalil Rountree

• Rafael Fiziev vs. Ignacio Bahamondes

• Azat Maksum vs. Tagir Ulanbekov

• Curtis Blaydes vs. Rizvan Kuniev

• Myktybek Orolbai vs. Tofig Musayev

• Nazim Sadikhov vs. Nicholas Motta

Preliminary card

• Jun Yong Park vs. Ismail Naurdiev

• Muhammadjon Naimov vs. Bogdan Grad

• Mohammed Usman vs. Hamdy Abdelwahab

• Daria  Zheleznyakova vs. Melissa Mullins

• Oban Elliott vs. Seok Hyun Ko

• Irina Alekseeva vs. Klaudia Sygula

Vugar Vugarli, exclusively for Caliber.Az