The UFC was back this past weekend as the octagon landed in Baku, Azerbaijan. This card was all action, as nine of the 13 fights ended with a submission or TKO finish. As far as the stakes entering UFC Baku, there weren’t any real division-altering results or No. 1 contenders made from the card.
The fights mostly delivered, though, and now there are some fun matchups ahead for some of the cards most notable victors. Here are three fights to make after UFC Baku.
Advertisement
MORE: UFC power rankings after UFC Vegas 119
Rafael Fiziev vs Dan Hooker (Lightweight)
Rafael Fiziev closed the show by scoring a stunning TKO in the main event of UFC Baku. Fiziev entered Saturday morning as the No. 11-ranked contender in the lightweight division and defeated No. 15 Manuel Torres.
Fiziev being back in the win column is a great start to the climb back up the rankings. That being said, he certainly doesn’t earn any top-of-the-division opportunity. After the victory, Fisiev called for a BMF title fight. This title is held by Charles Oliveira, who is the No. 3 contender at 155.
MORE: UFC 330 fight card: Main, co-main events announced for Philadelphia return
Dan Hooker needs another fight, and a striking matchup against Fiziev would ensure action. Hooker is ranked No. 9 at 155 in the media panel rankings, so since he and Fiziev are floating around the same range of the rankings, it makes the most sense.
Advertisement
This matchup could be perfect on the main card of a numbered card later this year, potentially the Abu Dhabi card in October.
Sharaputdin Magomedov vs Israel Adesanya (Middleweight)
Sharaputdin Magomedov’s performance against Michel Pereira wasn’t anything to write home about. A win is a win, though, and Shara Bullet defeated an opponent with years of UFC experience. Now feels like the time when Magomedov takes a slight step up in competition. Israel Adesanya is just that, and it works out perfectly because Adesanya needs to step down in competition level. The former Middleweight champion is now on a four-fight skid. All four of those losses are to some of the division’s best, though.
Advertisement
It’s clear that Adesanya is no longer a title contender. After Shara Bullet’s latest performance, it doesn’t seem like he’s a contender either. Since both are true at once, a fun striking bout to headline a fight night card makes total sense.
MORE: Conor McGregor frustratingly reveals next fight date after UFC 329
Asu Almabayev vs Brandon Moreno (Flyweight)
Asu Almabayev finished Charles Johnson with a worthy submission-of-the-year entry: a Suloev stretch. Almabayev won his third straight fight on Saturday morning and can continue his patient rise to the top of the division.
A huge win for Almabayev, another step up in both competition and high-level experience is in store. Brandon Moreno is the fight. Moreno needs a fight to get back to active status, but these two have also been booked against each other before.
Almabayev and Moreno were originally booked for the main event of a UFC fight night card in February. Since Almabayev had to pull out, this matchup still needs to happen.
