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Slated for May 15 fight
Ismagulov will take on Rafael Alves in a lightweight bout at the UFC event May 15, AgFight.com reports.
ANALYSIS
Ismagulov will be making his first appearance in the Octagon since August of 2019 when he defeated Thiago Moises via unanimous decision. That was his 14th straight MMA victory and improved his career record to 18-2-0.
Ismagulov will be making his first appearance in the Octagon since August of 2019 when he defeated Thiago Moises via unanimous decision. That was his 14th straight MMA victory and improved his career record to 18-2-0.
Leaves China with victory
Ismagulov defeated Thiago Moises via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-27, 30-27) at UFC Fight Night on Saturday in Shenzhen, China.
ANALYSIS
It's Ismagulov's fourteenth straight victory. He wasn't able to get the finish he was seeking, but it was a clear cut win for the 28-year-old Russian. Ismagulov landed nearly twice as many total strikes (73-to-37) as Moises to go along with the only knockdown of the bout. The stopping power in Ismagulov's hands has all but vanished the past couple years, but he excels at putting together combinations and he's durable. He deserves a better opponent his next time out.
It's Ismagulov's fourteenth straight victory. He wasn't able to get the finish he was seeking, but it was a clear cut win for the 28-year-old Russian. Ismagulov landed nearly twice as many total strikes (73-to-37) as Moises to go along with the only knockdown of the bout. The stopping power in Ismagulov's hands has all but vanished the past couple years, but he excels at putting together combinations and he's durable. He deserves a better opponent his next time out.
Fight location in limbo
Updating a previous report, Ismagulov's scheduled matchup against Thiago Moises will remain at UFC Shenzen on Aug. 31, Nolan King of MMAJunkie.com reports.
ANALYSIS
A report surfaced Tuesday night that the bout location was being moved to UFC 243 in Melbourne on Oct. 5, but the report has yet to be confirmed and the original tweet has since been deleted. It's possible moving this fight is on the table still, so stay tuned for any further updates.
A report surfaced Tuesday night that the bout location was being moved to UFC 243 in Melbourne on Oct. 5, but the report has yet to be confirmed and the original tweet has since been deleted. It's possible moving this fight is on the table still, so stay tuned for any further updates.
Scheduled for UFC Shenzhen
Ismagulov (18-1-0) will fight Thiago Moises (12-3-0) at UFC Shenzen on Aug. 31, MMAFighting.com reports.
ANALYSIS
Neither fighter has a long track record in UFC to date, but both Ismagulov and Moises have a pair of fights under their belts. Neither holds a significant edge in offensive strikes, but Ismagulov holds a clear advantage in fending off opposing strikes, absorbing just 1.60 per minute compared to Moises' 2.79 per minute. Both Isamgulov and Moises have gone the distance in their two fights, so this may be shaping up for a similar outcome.
Neither fighter has a long track record in UFC to date, but both Ismagulov and Moises have a pair of fights under their belts. Neither holds a significant edge in offensive strikes, but Ismagulov holds a clear advantage in fending off opposing strikes, absorbing just 1.60 per minute compared to Moises' 2.79 per minute. Both Isamgulov and Moises have gone the distance in their two fights, so this may be shaping up for a similar outcome.
Unable to find finish in victory
Ismagulov defeated Joel Alvarez via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) at UFC Fight Night 145 in Prague, Czech Republic on Saturday.
ANALYSIS
Ismagulov was clearly too much to handle for the short-notice debutante, as the Russian fighter was able to land hard counters at will without having to be concerned about the offense coming back from his opponent. While it was a dominant performance, this is the second fight in a row where Ismagulov has been unable to close the show, despite looking like the far superior fighter in each instance. He will need to ramp up the offense a bit if he wants to get back to being the knockout artist that made him a star in M-1 Global. He improves to 17-2 in professional MMA as a result of the victory.
Ismagulov was clearly too much to handle for the short-notice debutante, as the Russian fighter was able to land hard counters at will without having to be concerned about the offense coming back from his opponent. While it was a dominant performance, this is the second fight in a row where Ismagulov has been unable to close the show, despite looking like the far superior fighter in each instance. He will need to ramp up the offense a bit if he wants to get back to being the knockout artist that made him a star in M-1 Global. He improves to 17-2 in professional MMA as a result of the victory.