Fans should not blink when Abdul-Rakhman Yakhyaev steps into the Octagon again.
Yakhyaev was the biggest favourite on the card when he took on Julius Walker in a light heavyweight tilt at UFC Baku on Saturday. Yakhyaev justified the odds by dropping Walker with a right hand and finishing him in 8 seconds. Yakhyaev also earned a $100,000 performance bonus for his highlight-reel victory.
Despite scoring one of the quickest finishes in UFC history, Yakhyaev promises an even quicker finish in his next fight. The undefeated Turkish prospect believes he is already prepared for top-tier opponents.
Ready to Move Up
“Next time fight will be more short,” Yakhyaev said in a post-fight interview with the UFC. “Be ready guys. I think I’m ready for Top 10, Top 5, doesn’t matter. I will sit with my coach, my team, we’ll talk about that and let the UFC know.”
Yakhayaev has finished nine of his 10 career wins so far, eight of them in the first round. The 25-year-old has scored three consecutive first-round finishes since making his UFC debut last year.
