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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.
Routs Alex Gorgees in UFC debut
Ismagulov defeated Alex Gorgees via unanimous decision (30-25, 30-26, 30-26) at UFC Fight Night on Saturday in Adelaide, Australia.
ANALYSIS
Ismagulov entered as a massive -550 favorite for his UFC debut and he showed why. The talented Russian easily picked Gorgees apart on the feet and then he added five successful takedown attempts for good measure. The end result was a 103-22 edge in total strikes landed for Ismagulov and an easy unanimous decision victory. Keep an eye on Ismagulov moving forward.
Ismagulov entered as a massive -550 favorite for his UFC debut and he showed why. The talented Russian easily picked Gorgees apart on the feet and then he added five successful takedown attempts for good measure. The end result was a 103-22 edge in total strikes landed for Ismagulov and an easy unanimous decision victory. Keep an eye on Ismagulov moving forward.