Latest news with #KhalilRountree
Yahoo
3 hours ago
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Video: UFC on ABC 8 ceremonial weigh-in faceoffs with Jamahal Hill vs. Khalil Rountree Jr.
UFC on ABC 8 ceremonial weigh-ins took place Friday, and the fighters came face-to-face one final time before Saturday's promotional debut in Azerbaijan. The weigh-ins took place at Baku Crystal Hall, which hosts the event (ABC, ESPN, ESPN+) headlined by a significant light heavyweight matchup between former champion Jamahal Hill (12-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC) and recent title challenger Khalil Rountree Jr. (13-6 MMA, 9-6 UFC). Advertisement Check out the video above to see the final faceoffs for the 12 scheduled matchups at UFC on ABC 8 from ceremonial weigh-ins. This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Video: UFC Baku final faceoffs with Jamahal Hill vs. Khalil Rountree
Yahoo
11 hours ago
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Exclusive: Jamahal Hill Reveals What the UFC Light Heavyweight Division Is Missing
Exclusive: Jamahal Hill Reveals What the UFC Light Heavyweight Division Is Missing originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Jamahal Hill (12-3, 1 NC) believes the UFC light heavyweight division is solid, but there's one thing he hopes to see more of going forward. Advertisement Hill is set for a pivotal clash in the UFC Baku headliner on Saturday. "Sweet Dreams" will be going one-on-one with Khalil Rountree (13-6, 1 NC) inside Baku Crystal Hall. Some fighters on the card have admitted suffering from some jet lag, but Hill told Athlon Sports that this wasn't the case for him. "The flight actually wasn't that bad," Hill said. "It was alright. Flying first class, so it was pretty good." Hill is feeling mentally prepared for Rountree, who has developed into a tough Muay Thai specialist. The former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion revealed whether or not "The War Horse" presents any dangers he hasn't seen before. "No, not exactly," Hill said. "He just has a resilience to him and a never-quit mentality. He's always going to look for a shot or look to swing back and try to get you out of there. So, nothing that I haven't really seen." What Does the Light Heavyweight Division Need? Dominick Reyes being introduced before a UFC fight.(via Zuffa LLC) As fans wait to see what the next light heavyweight title fight will be, some fresh contenders are starting to emerge, and even some aging stars are resurging. Hill shared his stance on where the 205-pound weight class currently stands. Advertisement "I believe that it's a pretty good division," Hill said. "We got Dominick Reyes finally making that turnaround, turning that corner. I said this for years, even back when he was going through his little rut, that the division's good whenever he's in it and he's in a good spot. You've seen the performances he's put on the last couple of fights, knocking guys out." As much as Hill feels his division is in a healthy place, he hasn't exactly been impressed with the lack of activity. "There's young guys up and coming; [Zhang] Mingyang just fought Anthony [Smith]. We're in a good spot. People just need to make their bones; people need to fight, need to be active, and need to keep things going. I've been injured the last two years, and I've still fought about as much as a lot of people. I'd like to see the activity pick up." Injury Woes Solved Jamahal Hill poses for the cameras during a UFC ceremonial weigh-in.(via Zuffa LLC) Hill is entering his fight against Rountree coming off a loss to Jiri Prochazka. Despite showing heart in the bout, "Sweet Dreams" said he felt he was in denial about some of the injuries he was dealing with at the time. He's confident that those issues have been addressed. Advertisement "I went and got some really good treatment," Hill said. "I went and got the stem cell treatment. Took a little bit more time, as we pushed the fight back. That's how we got to where we are now so I could take time to let my body heal. I believe that's paid off a lot for me." Tuning Out Fickle Fans Stage lighting over an empty UFC Octagon.(via Zuffa LLC) Some fans have given Hill his due for the effort he put forth against Prochazka, but he's more concerned with the day one supporters. "I'm not really paying attention to that," Hill said. "The people that love me, love me. That's the one thing I've learned about this fanbase; they're going to be wishy-washy. So, I stay locked in to the people that are always in my corner. That's who I keep in mind and in my heart." Advertisement Hill also took note of certain fans claiming he continued delaying his fight with Rountree, despite the fact that their first meeting was initially planned for 2024. At the time, that bout cancellation wasn't on his end. "That's another thing that's weird," Hill said. "I did hear that. People were like, 'Oh, he keeps backing out.' The first time the fight got cancelled, that was because of Khalil. You know what I'm saying?" Who Will Challenge Magomed Ankalaev? Magomed Ankalaev stares down his opponent during fighter introductions.(via Zuffa LLC) Right now, it's unknown what the next UFC light heavyweight title fight will be. Some feel Alex Pereira will ultimately get a title rematch against Ankalaev. Others believe that another contender could slide in for the next title fight at 205 pounds. Advertisement Hill shared his take on what could be Ankalaev's first title defense. "At this point, I believe Magomed wants to fight, and the UFC likes to keep their champions going," Hill said. "That's their pay-per-views; that's their money. I believe there is an opportunity, but I don't know exactly what's happened. I don't know if they called him and he said no or whatever. It's possible somebody else could slide in there." Prepared for Khalil Rountree Khalil Rountree enters the Octagon.(via Zuffa LLC) Anytime Hill steps inside the Octagon, a dominant finish is ideal. Still, "Sweet Dreams" feels he'll be ready no matter where the fight with Rountree goes. "I'm prepared for it either way," Hill said. "I'm prepared to go five hard rounds, or I'm prepared to go out there and assert myself and be dominant. I'm always looking to be dominant, go in and dominate the fight, control the fight, and cap it off with a highlight. If that comes, it comes, but if it don't and we got to go to war, I'm ready for war." Advertisement Hill is also taking a simple approach in his bid to walk out of Baku with a victory. "Just be myself," Hill said. "Get back to doing things business as usual, how I do things, and I believe that will be enough to get the win." Second UFC Title Reign Can Wait Jamahal Hill celebrates winning the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship.(via Zuffa LLC) Hill knows what it's like to hold UFC gold. He's also aware that the possibility of returning to the title picture lies in front of him, but he won't deviate from the task at hand. "It's possible, but right now that's not my focus and that's not my concern," Hill said. "Right now, my concern is going in and dominating Khalil Rountree on Saturday." Related: UFC Champion Kayla Harrison Lived an 'Empty Life' Before Motherhood This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 17, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
11 hours ago
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UFC Baku: Khalil Rountree Clears the Air on Perceived Beef With Jamahal Hill
UFC Baku: Khalil Rountree Clears the Air on Perceived Beef With Jamahal Hill originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Khalil Rountree (13-6, 1 NC) has cleared the air on how he feels about Jamahal Hill (12-3, 1 NC). Advertisement Rountree and Hill are set to collide in the main event of UFC Baku on Saturday. Ahead of the fight, Hill has shared his belief that "The War Horse" has been attempting to manufacture pre-fight drama. Rountree responded to Hill's claims during an interview with Athlon Sports. "I really don't understand where that would come from," Rountree said. "There's no beef at all." Hill has told several reporters that Rountree once asked him if there's an issue between the two, which confused the former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. "Sweet Dreams" also claimed that Rountree has had UFC staffers prevent the two from having a run-in, which "The War Horse" didn't deny. "Those things are accurate," Rountree said. "Just reading articles, things like that, I did approach him and asked if he had a problem with me, and we cleared that up. I don't necessarily like to be around any of my opponents in certain settings. I don't think that there's any problem or any beef. It's just I do like to ask, 'Hey, is my opponent in the building? Is it okay if I take this back route?' It's nothing extreme at all. It's literally all just to make sure that things move smoothly. That's really it." Controlled Chaos Jamahal Hill and Khalil Rountree meet face-to-face ahead of their UFC Baku main event.(via Zuffa LLC) While there might be a bit of awkwardness ahead of fight night, Rountree was honest about the dangers that Hill presents. Advertisement "He's a heavy hitter, and he's a tough guy," Rountree said. "He's not afraid to fight, and I think that when you're going up against people like that, there's always things to consider. It's always dangerous grounds to step into, but I don't plan to approach this fight carelessly at all. Anytime two light heavyweight fighters step inside the cage, you can bet your [expletive] that there's going to be danger. There's also a healthy level of caution." More Content for Fans Fans attend a UFC pay-per-view event.(via Zuffa LLC) Back in 2018, Rountree created a YouTube channel, but he's been more active with content recently. The No. 7-ranked UFC light heavyweight plans to continue keeping the channel active, and he explained what sparked his interest in posting more videos. Advertisement "After the Alex [Pereira] fight, there was a really big influx of new fans, and in the past I've been a little bit more reserved and closed off," Rountree said. "I thought I owe it to the people who support me to at least provide some type of insight on what life looks like. It's my way of being able to just share a little bit more of me so that people feel a little bit more connected." Khalil Rountree's Major Camp Addition Khalil Rountree gets his hands wrapped before making his entrance for a UFC fight.(via Zuffa LLC) In one of his videos, Rountree discussed adding former Muay Thai champion and MMA coach Chris Knowles to his camp. "The War Horse" recalled first meeting Knowles and why the two remained in contact to work together. Advertisement "After the Alex fight I took a small vacation, traveled the world, and while I was in London I just so happened to stop by Chris Knowles' gym and just kind of check it out, get some training with him. There was great chemistry there, and within the first two days, I think there were some stuff that we did that I felt stood out to me and that I wanted to continue to work on. We stayed in contact, and I flew him out to Las Vegas, and we just continued to work." Rountree has quickly grown quite comfortable with Knowles, given how much time the head coach has dedicated to helping him improve. "He's with me daily," Rountree said. "As a fighter, especially training every day, it's just nice to have coaches that are willing to dedicate the time it takes to really making us better, and Chris does that. He's sacrificed so much to just be with me daily. It's all been great, a great experience, great decision." Rountree has also mentioned putting a greater emphasis on grappling in an effort to have a well-rounded skillset. While it's hard to argue that Rountree's Muay Thai journey was his biggest undertaking as a pro fighter, he has a familiar feeling the more he gets acclimated to grappling. Advertisement "Yeah, there are similarities," Rountree said. "I've definitely gained a bigger appreciation for certain aspects of grappling, especially having great coaches and training partners. They're really great. They explain things to me in a way that really excites me about grappling and grappling for MMA. I don't think anything will impact me as much as Muay Thai did, but I can definitely say that this is the first time that I'm very excited to get in there and grapple." Remaining in UFC Title Race Khalil Rountree delivers a body kick to Anthony Smith during their UFC Vegas 83 fight.(via Zuffa LLC) Rountree's last fight was for the UFC light heavyweight gold. "The War Horse" had never been closer to a world title, and he's hoping a win over Hill puts him right back in contention. Advertisement "That would be ideal, honestly," Rountree said. "It all just comes down to how I perform on Saturday night. So, that's where my focus is, putting on a performance that is undeniable and that puts me somewhere up there at the top where a title fight is not too far away." The current light heavyweight champion is Magomed Ankalaev, who defeated Pereira for the title in March. At the moment, the next UFC championship fight at 205 pounds hasn't been determined. Rountree thinks the unpredictability of MMA makes it difficult for him to guess Ankalaev's first challenger. "It's really hard to say," Rountree said. "I don't think that anything in this sport is guaranteed. I think that the UFC is always full of surprises. I don't think that it's by choice. I think if it were up to the UFC, they would keep things very structured, and they would be able to give the fans the answers that they're looking for. Us fighters, we are complicated people, and we can be picky at times, but with all that being said, I'm not really sure. I think that when the news comes out of what's next, I'll be just as surprised as you are." Leaving No Doubt Khalil Rountree lands a punch on Alex Pereira during their title fight at UFC 307 in Salt Lake City.(via Zuffa LLC) By the time UFC Baku is over, Rountree is hoping for more than just a victory. He hopes to leave no doubt that he should be back in UFC title talks. Advertisement "I think the headlines are going to say, 'Khalil Rountree is the baddest man on the planet, hands down,'" Rountree said. "'Give this guy a title shot as soon as possible,' and that's the headline." Related: Exclusive: Jamahal Hill Reveals What the UFC Light Heavyweight Division Is Missing This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 19, 2025, where it first appeared.
Forbes
a day ago
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- Forbes
UFC Baku Fight Card Odds And Predictions: Hill Vs. Rountree
SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH - OCTOBER 04: Khalil Rountree Jr. poses on the scale during the UFC 307 ... More ceremonial weigh-in at Salt Palace Convention Center on October 04, 2024 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC) The next fight card on the UFC schedule, UFC Baku, takes place on Saturday, June 21, from Baku Crystal Hall in Baku, Azerbaijan. The UFC Fight Night marks the UFC's first visit to Baku. The main event of the UFC Baku fight card finds former UFC light heavyweight champion Jamahal Hill facing recent UFC 205-pound title challenger Khalil Rountree Jr. Before that scrap, Rafael Fiziev and Ignacio Bahamondes face off in the lightweight co-main event. UFC Baku has an early start time in the US, with the main card kicking off at 3:00 p.m. ET. LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - APRIL 13: Jamahal Hill prepares to face Alex Pereira of Brazil in the UFC light ... More heavyweight championship fight during the UFC 300 event at T-Mobile Arena on April 13, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images) Jamahal Hill (12-3-0-1) had a 5-0 record when he appeared on a Dana White Contender Series card in July 2019. He won that fight against Alexander Poppeck by TKO in the third round. The victory earned him a UFC contract. Hill made his official UFC debut in January 2020, winning a decision over Darko Stosic on the main card of an ESPN+ event at PNC Arena in Raleigh, North Carolina. He then faced Klidson Abreu in May 2020. He initially won that bout by first-round TKO, but the result was later overturned to a no-contest because Hill tested positive for marijuana He followed that fight with a December 2020 TKO over former interim light heavyweight title challenger Ovince Saint Preux. Hill's unbeaten streak ended in his next trip to the Octagon, when Paul Craig ended their June 2021 fight in under two minutes by TKO. Hill bounced back from that loss by rattling off three straight 'Performance of the Night' bonus-winning knockouts. That run earned him a shot at then-champion Glover Teixeira. Hill put on a striking clinic in that fight, battering Teixeira over five rounds to earn a one-sided decision win and the UFC 205-pound crown. That fight headlined UFC 283 in January 2023. Misfortune ended Hill's title reign. In July 2023, he suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon during a UFC fighter basketball game. He relinquished the title and underwent surgery to repair the injury. Hill returned at UFC 300 in a matchup against UFC light heavyweight champ Alex Pereira. Pereira ended that fight via knockout at the 3:14 mark of the first round. Hill returned to the Octagon at UFC 311 when he faced former champ Jiri Prochazka on the main card. Prochazka ended that bout via TKO at 3:01 of Round 3. Hill, the No. 4 ranked UFC light heavyweight, has seven wins by knockout and five decision victories. His three losses have come via knockout. LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - DECEMBER 09: Khalil Rountree Jr. reacts after his knockout against Anthony Smith ... More in a light heavyweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on December 09, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images) Khalil Rountree Jr. (13-6-0-1) joined the UFC in July 2016 when a loss to Andrew Sanchez in the season finale of The Ultimate Fighter dropped him to 4-1 as a pro. A submission loss to Tyson Pedro followed Rountree's defeat to Sanchez. However, Rountree went 3-0-0-1 after that setback, scoring three knockout wins in his victories. A knockout loss to Johnny Walker, who Rountree was favored to beat, ended his unbeaten streak. A decision victory over Eryk Anders in April 2019 got Rountree back in the win column, but a TKO loss to Ion Cutelaba and a decision setback against Marcin Prachnio followed. In September 2021, the UFC matchmakers booked Rountree against Modestas Bukauskas. He won that scrap via TKO. That win was the first of five consecutive victories for Rountree. Rountree was scheduled to face former UFC light heavyweight champ Jamahal Hill in June, but a self-reported drug test failure knocked him from that card. The Nevada State Athletic Commission suspended Rountree 4.5 months for that drug test failure. When Rountree returned to action it was at UFC 307 in the main event of the pay-per-view card opposite then-UFC 205-pound champion Alex Pereira. Pereira battered Rountree before ending the fight via TKO in the fourth round. Rountree has nine knockout wins and four decision victories. His losses have come by knockout (three), submission (one) and decision (two). He is the No. 7 ranked competitor in the UFC's 205-pound weight class. When BetOnline first published the betting lines for the UFC Baku main event, Rountree was the -135 betting favorite, while Hill came in at +115. Today, the fight is a pick 'em, with Rountree at -117 and Hill coming in at -103. Age: 34 Height: 6' 4' Reach: 79' Stance: Southpaw Age: 35 Height: 6' 1' Reach: 76' Stance: Southpaw BAKU, AZERBAIJAN - JUNE 18: Khalil Rountree Jr. works out for fans and media during the UFC Fight ... More Night open workout at Dinamo Square on June 18, 2025 in Baku, Azerbaijan. (Photo by Ed Mulholland/Zuffa LLC) The first pick, and maybe easiest pick, for this fight is the outcome, which is for Hill vs. Rountree to end via knockout. Now, as for which fighter will score that knockout, that's where things get a little iffy. Both men have power, both men look to headhunt, but Rountree is the more well-rounded fighter. He has more tools and a deeper arsenal of weapons. He's also a bit more defensively sound than Hill. The betting pick is for Rountree to find an opening for a counter and send Hill to the mat for a knockout win. We will have more on the UFC Baku fight card and the Hill vs. Rountree fight as fight night nears, as well as full fight card results, reactions and highlights on fight night.
Yahoo
a day ago
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- Yahoo
UFC Baku Best Betting Props, Parlays & Picks
Jamahal Hill headlines UFC Baku. | PhotoUFC Baku goes down this weekend (Sat., June 21, 2025) inside Baku Crystal Hall in Baku, Azerbaijan. To earn their massive site fee (from another questionable source), UFC is bringing out recent Light Heavyweight title challengers for the main event. Jamahal Hill vs. Khalil Rountree Jr. was supposed to go down in Kansas City, but after Hill withdrew, UFC decided to send these two out to the South Caucasus. Advertisement UFC Baku's co-main event has Azerbaijan's own Rafael Fiziev taking on Ignacio Bahamondes in the Lightweight division. Fiziev is coming off a short notice loss to Justin Gaethje, while Bahamondes is soaring right now after a stoppage of Jalin Turner (watch highlights). The remainder of the main card is designed to lure local interest. Among those fights are Curtis Blaydes vs. Rizvan Kuniev (another rebooked fight), Nazim Sadykhov vs. Nikolas Motta and Muhammad Naimov vs. Bogdan Grad. The main card also features Myktybek Orolbai vs. Tofiq Musayev. Musayev, a former RIZIN champ, has been signed specifically for this card. UFC Baku's 'Prelims' are headlined by Seokhyeon Ko vs. Oban Elliott. Elliott slides over to Azerbaijan after not getting a visa to fight in Vegas (guess that White House connection isn't all it's cracked up to be). The 'Prelims' also include Tagir Ulanbekov vs. Azat Maksum and Ismail Naurdiev vs. Jun Yong Park. As always, there's lots to bet on this card and we've got odds for all the fights below: UFC Baku Main Card Money Line Odds Khalil Rountree Jr. comes into UFC Baku after a war with Alex Pereira. Jamahal Hill (+105) vs. Khalil Rountree Jr. (-125) This is a match-up of the one of UFC's most likeable Light Heavyweights and Jamahal Hill. Advertisement Rountree Jr. earned heaps of praise with his very gutsy performance opposite Alex Pereira last year. A lot of people snorted at the fact Rountree was getting a title shot after a year on the sidelines (due to a PED test failure) and a win over Anthony Smith. However, Rountree gave us an excellent fight and hurt Pereira a few times before he was worn down and finished in the fourth round (see it here). Hill fought Pereira in 2024, too. That didn't go well. Pereira TKO'd him in the first round and then dunked on him to create an MMA photo for the ages (see it here). After that Hill was finished, in the third round, by Jiri Prochazka (see it here). Hill's last win was against Glover Teixiera in 2023, where he won the Light Heavyweight title. He's suffered with shoulder and knee injuries since then. This is a kickboxing match through and through with neither man likely interesed in taking the other down. Neither of these guys have ever attempted a takedown in UFC, let alone landed one. Advertisement Hill has a three-inch reach advantage and lands a ton more offense than Rountree. Hill lands 7.05 significant strikes a minute. That leads the division. He only absorbs 4.02 sig. strikes a minute, giving him a very healthy striking differential. Rountree's stats are less impressive. He lands just 3.73 sig. strikes a minute, which is below average. He absorbs 4.51 sig. strikes a minute. Negative striking differentials are a big red flag for me. An X-factor in this fight is durability, though. Rountree can, and has, taken a lot of punishment in his career and has been able to withstand a lot of it, despite being finished with strikes three times. Hill has been finished three times, too. Though, one of those was that weird loss to Paul Craig where his arm got injured (see it here). Advertisement The optics on Hill are that he is less durable than Rountree, thanks to his last two losses and Rountree's epic beating at the hands of Pereira. I'm not sure that's fair, though. I think a lot of people are looking for reasons to pick Rountree over Hill since Hill is so unlikeable. Hey, I'm with them, I don't find Hill that appealing either. But I do think he might be the better fighter in this match-up and that his line is benefitting from fan distaste more than smart money. I think Hill should be a moderate favorite in this fight. His pick 'em line is tempting to me. But, I'm also not that enthusiastic about betting on him, because I'm not his biggest fan and I think he can still get slept by Rountree. Because of that, I'm looking at round totals and methods of victory in this fight. Advertisement The round total is set at 3.5 with the over at +170 and the under at -220. Exact method of victory - KO/TKO/DQ is a laughable -400. You can get +300 if you think both these guys can make it through all five rounds and we see a decision (I don't). Winning Round is a nice prop bet over on DraftKings. You can get +240 for a first round finish and +330 for a second round finish. Third, fourth and fifth round finishes are +450, +700 and +1100 respectively. That's definitely worth throwing a dart at since this fight feels so likely to end inside the distance. Of those possibilities I like the second round finish. That accounts for some feeling out in the first and the toughness of Rountree, in case it's Hill who shows he's the much better striker in this one. For my best bet here, I'm picking something rather conservative. I'll find a tastier prop bet in my long shot section. I think this one probably ends somewhere around the second or third round, for that reason, I don't think we're going to get any 'championship rounds' on Saturday. Best bet: Fight to Start Round 4 - No (-180) Rafael Fiziev is set for a homecoming at UFC Baku. Rafael Fiziev (+105) vs. Ignacio Bahamondes (-125) All eyes will be on Fiziev in his return to Azerbaijan here. However, I think he's been set up to fail. Bahamondes is a problem at Lightweight and I think he's going to send a message to the division in Baku. Advertisement Since dropping a decision to L'udovit Klein, Bahamondes has been on a tear. He has three straight 'Performance of the Night'-winning performances. Those include a head kick knockout on Christos Giagos (see it here), a right hook finish over Manuel Torres (see it here), and a triangle choke on Jalin Turner (see it here). The win over Torres saw the 27 year-old Chilean spoil the Noche UFC vibes for Torres and the crowd. I think he spoils things for Fiziev in Baku, too. Fiziev, on the other hand, is on a three-fight losing skid. Two of those fights were decision losses to Justin Gaethje. The first of those was very competitive, the second (Fiziev's most recent fight), not so much. The other loss was a leg injury induced TKO to Mateusz Gamrot. That second Gaethje fight was only in March. Fiziev's last win, a KO of Rafael dos Anjos, was in 2022. Advertisement This is going to be a striking match-up, with neither man that interested in taking things to the ground. Fiziev is the more likely to go for a takedown. He might find that tough to do, though, given that Bahamondes' primary training partner is Belal Muhammad and he has a 81.8 percent takedown defense (fifth highest in the division). If this is going to play out on the feet, I think Bahamondes will be too long and dynamic for Fiziev to handle. Fiziev is a very dynamic striker himself, with lots of tricks up his sleeve, but I think his best years are behind him. Bahamondes' best years are ahead of us. Fiziev lands 4.85 sig, strikes a minute. That's pretty average. He absorbs marginally more than that (4.95). There's that red flag, again. Bahamondes lands over seven sig. strikes a minute, which puts him at fourth in the division (behind Terrance McKinney, Manuel Torres and Estaban Ribovics). Bahamondes is also seventh in striking differential (he abosrbs just 4.36 sig. strikes a minute). Bahamondes is also sixth in knockdowns per minute. Advertisement With Fiziev and Bahamondes absorbing roughly the same amount of strikes, but ahamondes landing way more of them, I think we might see Fiziev wilt the pressure on Saturday. Granted, we've not seen Fiziev get overwhelmed much in his UFC career. But I am just very high on Bahamondes. Bahamondes also fights with a lot of verve and confidence. I don't think this occasion will get him. It didn't at Sphere, last year. I think he'll have fun in there with Fiziev and piece together nasty combinations before getting a finish. The point spread is Bahamondes -3.5 at +140. That's very tempting for me, especially since I can see a finish coming for Bahamondes. Bahamondes by KO/TKO/DQ is +400. That's also very tempting. I'm going to go conservative with Bahamondes here, but look out for my long shots below where I'll go for something nutty. Best bet: Ignacio Bahamondes -3.5 (+140) Curtis Blaydes and Rizvan Kuniev had their fight moved to UFC Baku. Curtis Blaydes (-258) vs. Rizvan Kuniev (+210) Third time's a charm, right? Advertisement This match-up was supposed to happen in February and was then reschedule for UFC 313 in March. The March fight didn't happen after Blaydes got sick on fight day. This has all meant that Kuniev has had to wait almost a year to make his UFC debut after getting first round technical knockout on Contender Series. Prior to that, Kuniev has fought in PFL and Eagle FC, where he was Heavyweight champ. Blaydes was crushed in a minute by Tom Aspinall in his last fight (see it here). Before that, he finished Jailton Almeida, in a fight he was losing (see that here). This is Heavyweight so anything can happen. But, I think Blaydes is too big and too good a wrestler for Kuniev, a pretty one dimensional Heavyweight, to handle. I'm not expecting much fireworks in this one. It could be a pretty dull lay-and-pray affair from Blaydes. Best bet: Curtis Blaydes moneyline (-258) Former RIZIN champ Tofiq Musayev might get the biggest crowd reaction at UFC Baku. Tofiq Musayev (+140) vs. Myktybek Orolbai (-166) Musayev might get the biggest crowd pop of the night. Yes, Fiziev is more famous in the U.S., but Musayev has been fighting to big crowds in this part of the world and further east for awhile. During the recent conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia, Musayev also put his career on hold to serve in the military. This partisan crowd will love that. Advertisement As a fighter, Musayev is best known for lifting a RIZIN Lightweight title after beating Patricky Pitbull in a 2019 tournament. In RIZIN, he beat Johnny Case, Damien Brown and Daron Cruickshank. His only loss was to the very dangerous submission artist Roberto Satoshi. Musayev recently had a stop in Bellator where he KO'd Sidney Outlaw and then lost to an Alexander Shabily body kick. He most recently fought at RIZIN's Landmark show here in Baku. He won that fight, over Koji Takeda, by technical knockout. Orolbai, meanwhile, hasn't fought since Oct. 2024 when he and Mateusz Rebecki put down a Fight of the Year candidate. Rebecki won that fight, by split decision, after both men did an ungodly amount of damage to each other. In that fight, Orolbai took a lot of the damage early and took a while to respond and almost win back the fight. That was his first loss in UFC after impressive wins over Elves Brener and Uros Medic. Orolbai is a wild man. If he fights Musayev like he fought Rebecki, though, I think he gets put down. Orolbai showed tremendous toughness in the Rebecki fight, but that kind of damage can take something from a fighter. Remember when Chang Sung Jung earned his Korean Zombie nickname against Leonard Garcia and was then immediately KO'd by George Roop? Advertisement Orolbai, a former Welterweight, is a lot bigger than Musayev. But I think Musayev's stirking is fast and hard enough to level the scales in that regard. I also think the crowd support will be a considerable factor in firing up Musayev and helping him fight his best fight. The round total for this one is set at 1.5. That's a little low, but I get it. These guys only know how to attack. Orolbai's toughness and slow start has me thinking this one goes over. I'll avoid round betting here and just stick with the hometown favorite. Best bet: Tofiq Musayev moneyline (+140) Nazim Sadykhov comes to UFC Baku after a win over Ismael Bonfim. Nazim Sadykhov (-455) vs. Nikolas Motta (+350) Sadykhov looked great in his last fight. His win over Ismael Bonfim went down as a doctor's stoppage, but this wasn't one of those funky endings. This was a legitimate stoppage with Bonfim's eye getting messed up due to a beautiful question mark kick Sadykhov threw in the first round. Sadykhov is quietly undefeated in UFC with wins over Terrance McKinney and Evan Elder and an exciting draw opposite Viacheslav Borshchev. Advertisement Brooklyn's Sadykhov is of Azeri heritage, so expect the roof to blow off when he walks out on Saturday. Motta, meanwhile, is coming off a decision win over Maheshate Hayisaer. Prior to that he TKO'd Tom Nolan (as a +275 underdog). Motta has two stoppage losses in UFC. In 2023 he was ended by a Manuel Torres elbow (see it here). And, in his UFC debut, he was stopped by Jim Miller (see it here). I think Sadykhov is on the rise, but he's going to be tested here by Motta. Sadykhov has very nice striking and he sprinkles in a little bit of wrestling (averaging one and half takedowns a fight). Motta is all striking. He pins his hopes on good takedown defense. He's got an 82 percent rating there, so he's pretty hard to take down. The only person who has managed that is Trey Ogden, who is a better than average wrestler and who needed 16 attempts to get those. Advertisement That takedown defense means we are probably going to be spending this entire fight standing. Sadykhov is the big favorite with Vegas, but I'm going to preach caution on his line here. I think he's probably going to win, but I think it's going to be close. And if the occasion gets the better of Sadykhov (it's probably going to be quite emotional and potentialy distracting fighting in Azerbaijan for the first time) then there could be an upset on the books. The round total on this fight is another 1.5 rounds and I think that's a little off. I'll take the over there, believing this is a close fight that will go to the judges. Best bet: Over 1.5 rounds (-120) UFC Baku 'Prelims' Under Card Odds Tajikstan's Muhammad Naimov was too much for Kaan Ofli last time out. Muhammad Naimov (-290) vs. Bogdan Grad (+235) Naimov looked very solid in a pretty dominant unanimous decision over recent TUF finalist Kaan Ofli. That followed a loss to 'Jungle Boy' Felipe Lima. The Lima fight was competitive, with Lima coming in on short notice. Lima looks like a very exciting prospect so I'm not mad at Naimov getting subbed by him late (see that finish here). Advertisement Grad came off a war with Michael Aswell on Contender Series to book a debut fight with Lucas Alexander in February. Alexander started that fight well but then gassed out and was finished by Grad in the second, by ground and pound (see it here). This could be a Fight of the Night. Both Naimov and Grad are very tough and quite versailte with good striking, wrestling and grappling. Grad fights a lot more chaotic than Naimov. He lands 5.83 sig. strikes per minute but absorbs an absurd 7.84. That number, calculated through three Octagon appearances, is warped by the 155 strikes he took in his win over Aswell (he landed 102 in return). His numbers will likely regress towards the mean after a few more fights, but those numbers are still quite concerning. Naimov also has a sig. strike deficit, though it's less extreme. He lands 2.94 sig. strikes a minute and absorbs 3.77. Naimov's numbers have been calculated over six contests. Strangely, he's landed less strikes in most of his UFC fights. The only fights he's landed more in were against Ofli (where he landed 32 to Ofli's 31) and in his win over Erik Silva (where he landed 1 to Silva's 0, before Silva got injured). Advertisement In his loss to Lima he was outstruck 37-30. In his win over Nathaniel Wood he was outstruck 50-48. In his win over Jamie Mullarkey he was outstruck 39-28. In his Contender Series loss to Collin Anglin he was outstruck 88-52. If this fight just happens on the feet, then I think Grad is going to find some success. His striking should get through Naimov's pourous guard and he might even have the power to stun him. If Naimov is smart, he'll be looking to minizmie his striking exposure through wrestling. Problem is, Grad is a very willing wrestler, too. I think we could see a bit of stalemate with wrestling, with a lot of time spent on the fence with both men reversing positions a lot. Naimov looks a little bigger and more muscled than Grad, so he might be able to pin Grad to the fence for longer periods of time. Ultimately, I think this fight is too close to call. For some reason Vegas set the round total for this fight at 1.5, too. That is way off, in my opinion. I think this is heading for a decision. So do most people, though. The over is currently -250. I'd rather take that than pick a winner here. I do slightly favor Grad, but not enough to go in on the underdog. Best bet: Over 1.5 rounds (-250) The rising Oban Elliott is a late addition to UFC Baku. Seokhyeon Ko (+390) vs. Oban Elliott (-520) Elliott looked incredible in his last fight, schooling and then KOing Bassil Hafez to win a Performance of the Night bonus under the bright lights of Madison Square Garden (see it here). That was his eighth win in a row (three in UFC). He was then due to fight in the APEX opposite Ramiz Brahimaj. Maybe he's lucky he didn't meet Brahimaj given how good he looked that night in the APEX. Elliott will instead get another big stadium and a much more beatable name in the form of Ko who is coming off Contender Series. Advertisement Elliott is one of the biggest favorites on the card for a reason. And I think he'll get the job done inside the distance, again. Best bet: Under 2.5 rounds (+124) The Iron Turtle heads to UFC Baku after a beating Brad Tavares in the APEX. Ismail Naurdiev (+164) vs. Jun Yong Park (-198) Naurdiev cruised to a decision over Bruno Silva last time out, giving the Brazilian his fourth loss in a row (Silva was then hospitalized by Marc-Andre Barriault six months later). That was Naurdiev's return fight to the UFC after a four year absense. His spot on that card was earned due to the fact this was going down in Abu Dhabi. Naurdiev is a known quantity for those fans, due to his history in BRAVE CF between UFC stints. Advertisement Park looked strong when he took a split decision over Brad Tavares in a fun fight. ''The Iron Turtle' was dropped in that fight, but was able to regroup and land takedowns on Tavares (something very few have ever accomplished) to get the close decision win. Before that, he lost a split decision to Andre Muniz. The Muniz loss broke a streak of three straight rear naked choke wins for the South Korean. Park's activity and motor should be enough to get past Naurdiev, who is not especially excellent at any one thing. Naurdiev is good defensively, so I don't think Park will land a big shot that wobbles him. Park doesn't need to do that, though. He can earn decisions due to his relentless forward movement and how positive/aggressive he is. Whether someone lands or not is a bonus for most judges nowadays. Naurdiev might land a nice counter or two on Park, but I don't think it will be enough to dominate the narrative of the fight. If Park can land a takedown or two, which I suspect he can and will, then it's a wrap. Best bet: Jun Yong Park moneyline (-198) Melissa Mullins will look for UFC win number three in Baku. Daria Zhelezniakova (+220) vs. Melissa Mullins (-270) Zhelezniakova looked rusty when Ailin Perez took her down, submitted her and then twerked on her head (see it here). Prior to this, 'The Iron Lady' took a decision over Montserrat Rendon in her promotional debut. Advertisement In the opposite corner, Mullins' two UFC wins are over the other two women fighting on this card: Klaudia Sygula and Irina Alekseeva. In her other UFC fight, she lost to Nora Cornolle by head kick. Mullins is a big Bantamweight, as shown by her missing weight for both the Sygula and Cornolle fights. This is a really inane fight to make. Mullins beat Zhelezniakova by first round ground and pound in 2022. I think this is one of those fights where if you told the UFC matchmakers it was a rematch they would say, 'Oh yeah?' and then shrug. They clearly don't care about these undercards (so why should you, right?). Anyways... rant over. Mullins is big, physical and aggressive. I expect she overwhelms Zhelezniakova, again. Best bet: Under 2.5 rounds (-135) Klaudia Sygula will hope to get her first UFC win at UFC Baku. Irina Alekseeva (-278) vs. Klaudia Sygula (+225) Neither of these women are UFC quality (if that's even a thing nowadays). Both women are coming off losses to Melissa Mullins, who is barely UFC quality herself. Advertisement Before her Mullins fight, Alekseeva defeated Stephanie Egger with a knee bar (see it here) in a Bantamweight fight where she weighed in at 140 pounds. That was her UFC debut. Sygula's Mullins fight was her debut. Sygula looked terrible in that fight. She looked like she didn't want to be there. Alekseeva at least seems to have more of 'that dog in her.' Best bet: Irina Alekseeva moneyline (-278) Tagir Ulanbekov returned from a long absense to beat Clayton Carpenter last time out. Tagir Ulanbekov (-425) vs. Azat Maksum (+330) Ulanbekov returned from a year long absence to defeat Clayton Carpenter at UFC 311 in January. He smothered Carpenter in that fight, earning a very Team Khabib kinda win. His previous win was a submission over Cody Durden. Advertisement Ulanbekov was supposed to fight Kyoji Horiguchi at this event. The former UFC title challenger has won it all in Bellator and RIZIN since getting armbarred by Demetrious Johnson in the last second of their fight in 2015. Horiguchi pulled out of this fight last month, dealing this card a massive blow. Maksun, meanwhile, has stepped in to take his place. The Kazakh Killer is 1-1 in UFC with a split decision win over Tyson Nam and a unanimous decision loss to Charles Johnson (in a 'Fight of the Night'). Ulanbekov will be in the title picture soon enough at 125 pounds. He's facing a fellow wrestler here. But, he should be far better on the ground than Maksun. With the odds as they are, I'll go for the over instead — believing this is a wrestle heavy fight that goes the distance. Best bet: Over 2.5 rounds (-260) Hamdy Abdelwahab was an accessory to a robbery at the UFC's last show in Riyadh. Hamdy Abdelwahab (-172) vs. Mohammed Usman (+142) Abdelwahab was the recipient of some shameful judging in Riyadh in February. That decision, which robbed Jamal Pogues of a win, was one of the worst decisions I've seen in recent years (some of the others have also happened in this part of the world, favoring local-ish fighters). That 'win' gave Abdelwahab a 4-0 pro record. His record is marred by a 2022 no contest against Don'Tale Mayes due to a failed drug test that resulted in a lengthy ban (this was back when USADA was a thing). On the flip side, Usman is on a two-fight losing streak having dropped decisions to Thomas Petersen and Mick Parkin. As much as I'd love to see Abdelwahab lose to make-up for that Pogues decision, I think he'll be too fast and athletic for Usman to handle. Usman couldn't keep up with Petersen and ended up being a pretty easy target to hit. I think the same will happen in this fight. Best bet: Hamdy Abdelwahab moneyline (-172) UFC Baku is another big opportunity for Ignacio Bahamondes. UFC Baku Long Shots! Here's a couple of long shots for Saturday night's action. Two-fight parlay: Ignacio Bahamondes and Jamahil Hill to win by KO/TKO/DQ (+1325) I'm really high on Bahamondes at this event. I think he's primed to get stake his claim for fights with the elite and storied talents of the Lightweight division. Fiziev is coming off a recent loss to Justin Gaethje and a long time out before that. I'm less confidence in Hill in this parlay, given how durable Rountree looked against Pereira. But, when you take emotion out of this and look at Hill as just a fighter, it's hard to deny his striking and power are among the best in the division. Ignacio Bahamondes to win in round 1 (+900) As I said above, I think Bahamondes will have a big coming party in Baku. Fiziev is very tough and has never been finished in the first round, but that's why I'm getting such good odds here. Bahamondes hits very hard (and has great kicks) and he'll enjoy a significant reach advantage on Fiziev. Maybe he catches him cold/quick? Tofiq Musayev vs. Mytykbek Orolbai - First Minute Finish (+1200) Talk about quick! I think the hometown crowd might work against some fighters on this card, but I don't think that will be the case for Tofiq Musayev. Musayev has fought in front of this crowd before and he knows what to expect. He's also the only Azeri fighter on the card who actually lives and trains out of Azerbaijan. I think the crowd will boost Musayev in this fight and he will run through Orolbai — who is very tough, but also just came off a hell of a beating. will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC Baku fight card RIGHT HERE, starting with the ESPN+ 'Prelims' undercard bouts at 12 p.m. ET, followed by the remaining main card balance on ESPN/ESPN+ at 3 p.m. ET. To checkout the latest and greatest UFC Baku news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive here. More from
