UFC Baku: Five Things We Learned

UFC Baku: Five Things We Learned

UFC Baku is in the books. The event was a solid night of fights, with several fighters delivering noteworthy performances. That gives us a lot to recap. Here are five things we learned at UFC Baku.

Khalil Rountree Secures His Position With The Elite Light Heavyweights

The UFC Baku main event featured a light heavyweight matchup between Khalil Rountree and Jamahal Hill. This was an important fight for both fighters. In Rountree’s case, his massive step up in competition to get the title fight left questions about how he would look against a top-five opponent. He answered those questions with an overwhelmingly positive response.

Rountree had a great game plan to take out Hill. The focal point of his approach was his leg kicks. In the first two rounds, he put a lot of focus on destroying Hill’s lead leg. This paid dividends in the later portion of the fight. Hill struggled to put weight on his leg; his movement was compromised, and he had to fight out of the opposite stance. This all negatively affected Hill’s defense and helped Rountree land big strikes.

This was a strong showing from Rountree. It did not show that he is destined to be the champion, but he can hold his own against quality opposition.

Jamahal Hill Will Never Be The Same After His Achilles Tear

On the flip side of the UFC Baku main event, Jamahal Hill suffered a one-sided decision loss. The defeat marked his third loss in a row. Unfortunately, it seems like Hill will not be the same fighter since returning from his Achilles tear.

Hill has significantly struggled since returning from his Achilles tear. The biggest issue is that he is not as sharp. At his best, he would find knockout shots and end the fight. This was done with technique, speed, and power. The problem is that he simply cannot find his opponent’s chin. Meanwhile, he is not leveraging his length or activity to win rounds with distance striking volume.

I am not willing to say Hill cannot get the train back on the tracks and find success in the UFC. That said, it would be very hard to predict that he gets back to the level he was before the injury.

Rafael Fiziev Shows Off His Distance Striking

In the UFC Baku co-main event, Rafael Fiziev picked up a decision win over Ignacio Bahamondes. The victory broke a three-fight losing streak.

Fiziev put on a distance striking masterclass against Bahamondes. Despite being the much shorter fighter, he controlled the range. Bahamondes was unable to consistently land shots. Plus, Fiziev used his quickness and speed to land combinations.

This was exactly what Fiziev needed to do to get his career back on track. His recent run includes close fights, injuries, and a short-notice bout. He did not have any of those issues in this fight. As a result, he looked much better and showed why he is a top-ten lightweight.

Rizvan Kuniev Can Compete With High-Level Heavyweights

The biggest question mark heading into UFC Baku was Rizvan Kuniev. The UFC debutant did not have the fight experience to determine his ability to fight elite heavyweights. In 15 minutes against Curtis Blaydes, we got a few answers.

Kuniev can compete with quality heavyweights. Despite losing this fight, he showed several positive moments. The most important note is that he denied Blaydes’ wrestling entries throughout this fight. His defensive wrestling is competent. In a different matchup, he could probably show offensive wrestling. In the striking exchanges, he was not anything spectacular, but he had quite a few solid moments.

The UFC heavyweight division badly needs to add quality heavyweights. At a minimum, Kuniev can be a ranked fighter and help the division get a little deeper.

Jon Jones Has Officially Retired From MMA

Nazim Sadykhov and Nikolas Motta Will Scrap

The UFC Baku main card opener was an absolute war between Nazim Sadykhov and Nikolas Motta. These two fighter showed their willingness to get into a scrap in this matchup.

This fight was absurd. Both fighters were willing to exchange big strikes. At one point, Motta had Sadykhov hurt, and he nearly finished the fight. Sadykhov was unwilling to quit, however. The tides eventually turned in Sadykhov’s favor. That began with his cardio, but his body work and combinations were what helped him finish Motta.

This was a sensational fight. Both fighters deserve respect for their willingness to scrap. That is especially true considering they are both at an important point in their career. The stakes were high for these fighters.

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