Renowned MMA expert Shiraslan Karimov has shared his thoughts on the historic UFC event held in Baku and assessed the performance of Azerbaijani fighters.
“An incredible fight night took place in Azerbaijan. A few years ago, it would have been hard to imagine such a prestigious UFC event being hosted here. But we made it happen, and I’m deeply grateful to everyone who made this a reality,” Karimov told AZERTAC.
Speaking about Rafael Fiziev, who defeated Chilean fighter Ignacio Bahamondes, Karimov said:
“Despite losing his last three fights, Rafael showed he's in top form. His experience clearly outmatched his opponent’s versatility. While I expected a knockout, Rafael played it smart and secured the win through solid tactics, and that’s what really mattered.”
Karimov also praised Nazim Sadykhov for his victory over Brazilian Nikolas Motta:
“They were evenly matched, and the bout was full of suspense. But Nazim kept his edge and emerged victorious. He earned both the ‘Fight of the Night’ and ‘Performance of the Night’ bonuses, taking home a total of $100,000. He had promised not to lose on home soil, and he delivered.”
Commenting on Tofiq Musayev’s loss to Kyrgyz fighter Myktybek Orolbai, Karimov expressed disappointment:
“Tofiq is a national legend and a former Rizin champion. Unfortunately, he faced an unfair situation. The bout was supposed to be at 70.8 kg, but Orolbai came in nearly 3 kg overweight, while Tofiq had nearly made weight at 71 kg. This gave his opponent a physical advantage. Although the fight could’ve been more exciting on the feet, Orolbai smartly used his wrestling to control the bout.”
“I believe Tofiq would easily beat someone in his proper weight class. Hopefully, we’ll see more thrilling matchups for him in future events.”
The Baku UFC card featured 24 fighters across various weight classes, delivering a total of 12 action-packed bouts. It was a night of intense competition and a major milestone for MMA in Azerbaijan.
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