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Remains undefeated after huge win
Askarov defeated Alexandre Pantoja via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) at UFC Fight Night on Saturday in Abu Dhabi.
ANALYSIS
Askarov remains undefeated as a professional and vaults himself right into the flyweight title picture with this impressive win. Askarov was lucky to emerge with a draw in his UFC debut against Brandon Moreno last September, but he has since run off a pair of impressive unanimous decision wins over Pantoja and Tim Elliott. The Russian won this fight on the heels of his wrestling and gas tank. Simply put, he was the better conditioned athlete. The fact Askarov was able to emerge victorious against a quality opponent in a fight in which he landed just 2-of-15 takedowns is a very good sign. That said, those takedowns better land with a bit more regularity moving forward if Askarov wants to continue his undefeated ways.
Askarov remains undefeated as a professional and vaults himself right into the flyweight title picture with this impressive win. Askarov was lucky to emerge with a draw in his UFC debut against Brandon Moreno last September, but he has since run off a pair of impressive unanimous decision wins over Pantoja and Tim Elliott. The Russian won this fight on the heels of his wrestling and gas tank. Simply put, he was the better conditioned athlete. The fact Askarov was able to emerge victorious against a quality opponent in a fight in which he landed just 2-of-15 takedowns is a very good sign. That said, those takedowns better land with a bit more regularity moving forward if Askarov wants to continue his undefeated ways.
Headed for July 18 showdown
Askarov will take on Alexandre Pantoja in a flyweight matchup on the July 18 card, MMAFighting.com reports.
ANALYSIS
After a subpar debut that resulted in a draw versus Brandon Moreno last September, Askarov rebounded with an impressive showing against veteran Tim Elliott at UFC 246. He typically does a lot of his damage on the mat but displayed his abilities standing up versus Elliott, landing 73 significant strikes compared to Elliott's 47, while also stopping eight of Elliott's 11 takedown attempts. Look for Askarov's game plan to change this time around, though Pantoja is a relatively well-rounded fighter. The two will coincidentally duke it out on the same night as the flyweight title is on the line between Deiveson Figueiredo and Joseph Benavidez, which could suggest it will have future implications in the division. Askarov sits as roughly a (+160) betting underdog shortly after the announcement of this bout.
After a subpar debut that resulted in a draw versus Brandon Moreno last September, Askarov rebounded with an impressive showing against veteran Tim Elliott at UFC 246. He typically does a lot of his damage on the mat but displayed his abilities standing up versus Elliott, landing 73 significant strikes compared to Elliott's 47, while also stopping eight of Elliott's 11 takedown attempts. Look for Askarov's game plan to change this time around, though Pantoja is a relatively well-rounded fighter. The two will coincidentally duke it out on the same night as the flyweight title is on the line between Deiveson Figueiredo and Joseph Benavidez, which could suggest it will have future implications in the division. Askarov sits as roughly a (+160) betting underdog shortly after the announcement of this bout.
Strong effort for first UFC win
Askarov defeated Tim Elliott via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27) at UFC 246 on Saturday in Las Vegas.
ANALYSIS
It was an easy victory for Askarov on the heels of his split decision draw against Brandon Moreno in his UFC debut last September. Askarov looked quite poor in the Moreno fight but he rebounded in a big way in this one. Askarov easily controlled the striking exchanges between the two men in addition to stuffing 8-of-11 takedown attempts from Elliott. Askarov is much better on the mat than on the feet so his strong work on the striking game on Saturday was a pleasant surprise. The Dagestani tired a bit as the fight progressed but he was so effective in the early going that he was able to cruise to the unanimous decision win. Askarov is definitely worth keeping an eye on in the flyweight division.
It was an easy victory for Askarov on the heels of his split decision draw against Brandon Moreno in his UFC debut last September. Askarov looked quite poor in the Moreno fight but he rebounded in a big way in this one. Askarov easily controlled the striking exchanges between the two men in addition to stuffing 8-of-11 takedown attempts from Elliott. Askarov is much better on the mat than on the feet so his strong work on the striking game on Saturday was a pleasant surprise. The Dagestani tired a bit as the fight progressed but he was so effective in the early going that he was able to cruise to the unanimous decision win. Askarov is definitely worth keeping an eye on in the flyweight division.
Pegged to fight Tim Elliott
Askarov will fight Tim Elliott in a flyweight bout Jan. 18 at UFC 246, MMAFighting.com reports.
ANALYSIS
Askarov is still seeking his first UFC win, but he's ranked No. 12 in the division due to his dominance in Absolute Championship Akhmat. Elliott, on the other hand, is No. 8, and he's coming of a submission loss to Deiveson Figueiredo.
Askarov is still seeking his first UFC win, but he's ranked No. 12 in the division due to his dominance in Absolute Championship Akhmat. Elliott, on the other hand, is No. 8, and he's coming of a submission loss to Deiveson Figueiredo.
Fortunate to emerge with draw
Askarov and Brandon Moreno fought to a split decision draw (28-28, 29-28, 27-30) at UFC Fight Night on Saturday in Mexico City.
ANALYSIS
Askarov's UFC debut was underwhelming and a couple questionable scorecards from the judges were the only reason he is leaving Mexico City with his perfect record intact. The Russian newcomer leaned on the takedown early and often in his company debut. He landed four of his 11 tries, but did stunningly little with his positional advantage. His effectiveness waned following a reasonable effective first round. Askarov's reputation is that of a ground specialist with a limited amount of power in his hands and that's what we saw on Saturday. Quite frankly, the soon-to-be 27-year-old didn't earn the draw that he received.
Askarov's UFC debut was underwhelming and a couple questionable scorecards from the judges were the only reason he is leaving Mexico City with his perfect record intact. The Russian newcomer leaned on the takedown early and often in his company debut. He landed four of his 11 tries, but did stunningly little with his positional advantage. His effectiveness waned following a reasonable effective first round. Askarov's reputation is that of a ground specialist with a limited amount of power in his hands and that's what we saw on Saturday. Quite frankly, the soon-to-be 27-year-old didn't earn the draw that he received.