What mattered most at UFC on ABC 8 on Saturday at Crystal Palace Hall in Baku, Azerbaijan? Here are a few post-fight musings …
4. Those dreadful prelims
The UFC’s introduction to Baku was a rough one. The first six fights on the undercard were not to be remembered, with the closest thing to a finish being Ismail Naurdiev’s illegal knee on JunYong Park that somehow didn’t get him disqualified.
The high points were few and far between, and almost nonexistent. The best fight was probably the flyweight bout in which Tagir Ulanbekov defeated Azat Maksum, and even that left a bit to be desired.
It’s not a set of prelims that will be spotlighted as the way for UFC to introduce itself to a new market. Unfortunately it wasn’t redeemed much by the main card, either, with four of six fights also going to a decision, making for the 11th-longest card in UFC history in total fight time.
3. Myktybek Orolbai’s impressive start
Myktybek Orolbai name might be hard to spell and pronounce, but it is one to remember going forward in the lightweight division after he spoiled the octagon debut of 2019 RIZIN Grand Prix champion Tofiq Musayev courtesy of a nasty choke.
Although he’s just four fights into his promotional tenure, Orolbai (14-2-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) is building credibility as a much-watch name at 155 pounds. His fights are either wars or finishes, and that’s exactly the mold as the most lovable names in divisional history.
He might present an older physical image, but Orolbai is still just 27 and evolving training out of a great gym at American Top Team. For now, it feels like he is one who could be a great action fighter for years to come, and perhaps eventually more.
2. Rafael Fiziev bounces back
Rafael Fiziev sent a reminder that he is still a viable top-level lightweight when he outworked surging contender Ignacio Bahamondes for a unanimous decision.
After losing three consecutive fights against Justin Gaethje (twice) and Mateusz Gamrot, the situation on paper seemed dire for Fiziev (13-4 MMA, 7-4 UFC) coming in. If he had lost to Bahamondes, it would’ve felt like a definitive ceiling for him. Instead, he came through as an underdog and put himself back into a prominent position.
Although he downplayed it, the pressure on Fiziev between the losing skid and fighting in his native Azerbaijan was immense. Instead of folding to it, he came through with a performance that said a lot about his fighting character.
1. Khalil Rountree Jr. is a valid contender
After a title shot against then-champion Alex Pereira in October that was largely the product of circumstance, many questioned whether Khalil Rountree Jr. truly belongs at the top of the light heavyweight division or if his valiant performance in defeat against “Poatan” was a one-off.
Rountree (14-6 MMA, 10-6 UFC) silenced those with a negative perspective when he broke down and defeated former champion Jamahal Hill by unanimous decision for what not becomes the biggest victory of his career.
If someone, as Hill did, chooses to largely stand in front of Rountree for the majority of a fight, then they are likely to get battered with his dangerous array of strikes. The upper tier of the 205-pound division has plenty of names who fancy themselves strikers, so this a good spot for Rountree to be.
The biggest question, however, is whether he can find the consistency to get back to the top. The fights aren’t going to get much easier from here, and if Magomed Ankalaev continues to hold the belt, that is not a very style-friendly matchup for him.
Rountree is in a promising spot and after a long career in the octagon seems to be experiencing his high point. Whether it comes together in the form of a title shot or title win remain to be seen, but after so many years of being up and down, he’s already done more than most expected of him.
