UFC newcomer Islam Dulatov traded a career modeling in high fashion magazines for scrapping in the octagon.
LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Islam Dulatov[/autotag] had an easy career posing for high fashion magazines, but the modeling life didn’t bring him the same joy as fighting inside a cage.
From modeling for Versace, Hugo Boss, and many others, Dulatov has now fully traded in his fancy clothes for a Venum fight kit, and it’s precisely where he wants to be.
“(I worked for) every brand which is like a big name,” Dulatov said at a post-fight news conference when asked about his modeling career. “I did a lot of fashion weeks and all that stuff, but to be honest, I prefer fighting more than modeling.”
Even as an up-and-comer on the regional scene, Dulatov passed up bigger paychecks to be in front of the camera to fight, which he admits was not the best financial decision at the time.
“I canceled a lot of shootings when I was younger,” Dulatov said. “We had some problems with money and everything. This time, modeling was really helping me with my situation. I remember when I canceled a shooting for $5,000. At this time, that was a lot of money for me.
“The fight, which was the same day, was for like 200 euros or something like that. … At the end of the moment, the fight was canceled too because my opponent had an injury. I had these situations like 10 times, with even more money and everything. But to be honest, I love to be a fighter and that’s what I do.”
Being a fighter and a model comes with the obvious risk of messing up the money-maker. Dulatov, 26, is a fast finisher who has ended 10 of his 11 pro fights in the first round. He only recalled one particular instance where he showed up to a shoot after a fight with a bruised eye.
“I had a shooting for GQ, and when I go to the shoot casting, they go, ‘What is this? Blue eye?'” Dulatov said. “I go, ‘Yeah.’ They say, ‘Oh, it’s cool. It’s more authentic. It shows what you really are.’ Because in the model business, the people already all know me, they know that I do fighting.
“My agency, at the beginning, they was hating it, but with time they saw, ‘OK, this guy will never stop fighting, so we have to accept it.'”
The Chechnya-born fighter has put modeling on the back burner for now. He will still perform in front of the camera, but as a new UFC welterweight with vicious finishing skills.
MMA Junkie fight analyst Dan Tom takes a closer look at the performances of the five winners from Dana White’s Contender Series 75.
Week 9 of Dana White’s Contender Series (2024) took place on Tuesday in Las Vegas, and we’re grading the winners from the five-fight card, which streamed on ESPN+ from the UFC Apex.
With a simple but digestible format that has had the MMA fanbase responding, this series has shown to have legs in multiple ways while serving as a crockpot for contenders the UFC matchmakers can use to fill their roster for future events. With that trend in mind, I once again will be taking a look at the winning fighters, regardless of whether or not they won a UFC contract, and grading their performances in regard to their probability of returning to a UFC stage.
Summary: Setting the tone for the night was a technical scrap between [autotag]Sean Gauci[/autotag] and Anthony Drilich.
I’m not beyond rewarding fighters who go to a decision with an A, but there wasn’t enough output and action to get there for me. That said, it was a shame that Gauci didn’t get consideration come contract time given that he was one of the most complete fighters to compete on the entire card.
I know Dana White has gotten everyone (including myself when it comes to winner grades) to associate quick finishes with good performances, but those two things are far from mutually exclusive.
Unfortunately for Gauci, he claimed to have broken his hand early in the second frame and couldn’t make a case as strong as he would like.
It’s a shame that the UFC flew out two Australian talents who could’ve just fought on the regionals (especially given the flyweight grading curb), but I hope that Gauci and Drilich get serious consideration from the UFC matchmakers down the road.
Summary: After turning the cage into a cartoon dust storm, it was hard to deny [autotag]Islam Dulatov[/autotag] anything short of an A for his knockout over Vanilto Antunes.
As his record indicates, Dulatov is a fighter accustomed to getting things done early.
Dulatov, like other fast starters, such as Conor McGregor, appears to have the ability to lock in straight out of the gate regarding his reads on distance and openings.
Although it can be hard to tell given his enthusiasm and work rate, Dulatov appears to have solid technique and a diverse striking arsenal from which to draw. Dulatov also owns multiple submissions on his record, so I’m curious to see more of him against stiffer competition.
Signing the Chechnya-born German was a no-brainer for Dana White, so don’t be surprised to see Dulatov featured on an international card early next year.
I’m not sure who they’ll book Dulatov with, but I suspect he’d be the perfect dance partner for someone like Danny Barlow.
Summary: Even though it was a quick outing, it’s difficult to deny [autotag]Mario Pinto[/autotag] an easy A for his knockout over Lucas Comacho.
Both men seemed to be somewhat shakey at first given the height and length parity at play, but Pinto was able to be the more composed of the two by staying behind his lead hand. And once Pinto was able to establish his range, the native of Portugal smartly hooked off his jab to catch Camacho coming in.
I obviously want to see way more of Pinto before making any bold declarations, but not even I can argue with a heavyweight who actually jabs.
Considering Dane White’s Vince McMahon-like adulation for huge men, seeing Pinto get promptly signed came as no surprise to me. As far as his first assignment goes, I think Thomas “Jefferson” Peterson would be the perfect matchup to test Pinto in his promotional debut.
Summary: Bodyshot stoppages equal instant A’s for me, so it should be no surprise that [autotag]Kody Steele[/autotag] gets the proverbial rubber stamp from myself and the UFC brass alike.
Looking like the second coming of Rick Story, Steele – who comes from a grappling base – showed steady pressure and bodywork en route to wearing down Blair.
In Blair’s defense, he did take the fight on a short turnaround from a fight he won in late September, so I hope to see him again on a full camp.
Steele appears ready to meet the usual standard signed for this show, but I can’t help but worry about his propensity to keep his head upright and on center in exchanges. That said, I expect solid fight-to-fight improvements from Steele, given his age and the camp he trains at.
I’m happy to see Steele get signed considering the fallout he endured during this season and wouldn’t be shocked to see him paired with someone like Mitch Ramirez for his first UFC assignment.
Summary: Despite starting off a bit shaky, I felt like [autotag]Artem Vakhitov[/autotag] showed enough in his first-round finish over Islem Masraf to earn an A from me.
When you consider that Vakhitov only recently came over from kickboxing (only having two professional MMA fights prior to this), then I feel like we should temper our expectations when it comes to both the Russian’s style and ceiling.
The clinch is quietly the most important space for strikers coming into this sport, so seeing Vakhitov gravitate toward this phase of the fight isn’t the worst thing in the world (although I suspect he was only doing it to quiet the chaos and reduce win conditions for his opponent).
So long as Vakhitov can avoid pulling his opponent on top of him like he briefly did in this bout, then I expect his competence in closed quarters to only improve from fight to fight. That said, I suspect that the UFC will be careful with how they book Vakhitov, considering his history with Alex Pereira (who apparently played a role in his former foe’s signing).
I feel bad for Yousri Belgouri, who now trains with Pereira and still didn’t get this treatment in his two swings at bat on the Contender Series, but I wasn’t surprised to see Vakhitov get the nod from Dana White and company. For my money, don’t be shocked to see Vakhitov paired up with someone like Ivan Erslan for his UFC debut.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for DWCS 75.
Dana White’s Contender Series cards see prospects fighting for the opportunity to sign a UFC deal, with UFC president Dana White on hand to make the decisions.
The ninth week of the eighth season saw 10 fighters compete for their shot at a UFC contract. In the feature bout at light heavyweight, former kickboxing standout Artem Vakhitov (3-1), who holds a September 2021 victory over UFC champion Alex Pereira under the GLORY banner, took on Islem Masraf (3-1).
The UFC Apex hosted the card, which streamed live on ESPN+.
DWCS 75 full results
Artem Vakhitov def. Islem Masraf via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 4:23
Kody Steele def. Chasen Blair via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 4:07
Mario Pinto def. Lucas Camacho via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 1:43
Islam Dulatov def. Vanilto Antunes via knockout (elbow) – Round 1, 2:44
Sean Gauci def. Anthony Drilich via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
DWCS 75 round-by-round updates
Islem Masraf vs. Artem Vakhitov
Round 1 – They touch ’em up, and Masraf comes in swinging heavy hooks! Vakhitov gets clipped by one, and backs into the fence. Masraf gets a clinch and a takedown, but Vakhitov gets up and exits quickly. Vakhitov is on the clinch now. They separate and Masraf comes forward with punches, right into a takedown. Vakhitov gets down to a knee, but pops back to his feet and reverses the clinch. Masraf goes for a trip, but gets reversed, and eats clean punches on his way up. Back in space now with just over a minute left. Vakhitov gets a clinch and lands a knee before they separate. Vakhitov rips a right to the body and BANG! A huge right hand stuns Masraf in his tracks. Vakhitov pours it on for the finish!
Round 1 – Both study the range as they bounce around the cage. Blair looks for a head kick in the opening moments, but it’s blocked. Steele comes forward with punches and looks for a takedown, but gets shucked away. The striking exchanges start to heat up as Blair lands a stiff left hand. Steele rips a hard kick to the body and a right hand not far behind it. Steele looks for a single leg, but can’t get it. Blair stings with a left now. Steele answers with a solid right a few moments later. Steele with a combination now. Blair sneaks in a counter shot before circling. Steele keeps coming forward with huge hooks. Blair connects with a sharp counter as Steele swings. Steele keeps offering hooks and looks for a takedown. Blair keeps things standing. Steele goes for a head kick right at the horn.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9 for Steele.
Round 2 – Blair doubles up the jab and looks for a head kick. Steele comes forward and blocks another head kick. Blair lands a body-head combo. They exchange punches upstairs, and Steele adds one to the body. Steele comes forward again, staying aware of the counter. He rips another punch to the body as Blair circles away. Steele misses with a head kick and Blair charges forward with a left hand. They’re trading punches close to the fence now. Both land clean. Blair circles to reset and Steele closes in to land more punches. Another nice combo for Steele. Ripping to the body now is Steele. Blair answers, but Steele keeps landing. A big left hand to the body from Steele! Blair goes down! It’s a delayed reaction, but Steele swarms, and it’s over!
Round 1 – They get into striking range and begin feeling out each other with quick strikes. Camacho offers kicks and punches while Pinto keeps his guard high, looking for an opening. BANG! There’s a sharp counter left hook! Camacho goes down and Pinto swarms! Big follow-up punches to the head on the ground and the referee stops it. What a finish!
Round 1 – Antunes opens up with a powerful leg kick. Dulatov responds with a fast combination. They reset, and Dulatov darts forward, unloading punches. He’s just throwing bombs at Antunes right now! Not everything is landing, but the punches keep coming! Antunes finally gets a hold of him to stop the storm. Dulatov exits the clinch, and steps right back in with another furious combination. Antunes attempts to answer, but Dulatov charges forward with another combo. Antunes starts to fire back with big strikes. Dulatov steps out of danger, but steps back in with a huge right elbow! Antunes folds to the canvas! He’s out cold!
Round 1 – Gauci comes out to control the center of the cage, keeping his hands high and tight. Drilich circles on the outside and offers a few punches. Gauci shoots in but is easily denied. Drilich fires off a fast combo as Gauci closes in. Drilich continues to circle and work behind a right jab. Another takedown attempt from Gauci is shucked off. More quick punches from Drilich find the mark as Gauci stalks forward. Gauci gets in on a single leg, but is pushed away. Drilich keeps the striking volume high. One minute left. Gauci finally lands meaningful offense with a pair of solid right hands. He connects again in the final exchange.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9 for Drilich.
Round 2 – Drilich fires in a hard kick to the body, followed by quick punches as he circles on the outside. Gauci sits on a right hand, finding the target upstairs. More punches offered from Drilich. Gauci shoots in, completing a takedown, but Drilich is right back up to his feet. Drilich gets back to working behind his right jab as his circles. Gauci lands a solid right elbow. Drilich shoots in a moment later, but is easily stuffed. Gauci gets a double leg, but can’t keep the fight on the mat. He lands a nice strike on the exit. Drilich lands a nice inside kick to punches combo. Gauci lands a trio of hard punches before the horn.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9 for Gauci.
Round 3 – Drilich comes out firing quick strikes from the outside. Gauci charges in with strong punches. A knee strike from Drilich appears to land low, but Gauci waves the ref away. Gauci stays on the heavy forward pressure, landing solid punches before shooting for a takedown. It’s successful, but Drilich gets up quickly. Gauci lands a hard right hook. The punching exchanges continue at a high clip, with Drilich offering more volume, but Gauci more power. Another takedown threat from Gauci goes nowhere, but he lands an elbow on the exit. Drilich keeps touching with punches. Gauci gets a takedown, this time keeping the fight on the ground in guard. Big ground and pound from the top for Gauci until the final horn.
MMA Junkie scores the round 10-9 for Gauci, giving him the fight 29-28.
Result: Sean Gauci def. Anthony Drilich via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) Photos: Dana White’s Contender Series 75: Best photos Records: Drilich (8-2), Gauci (10-1) Division: Flyweight Broadcast: ESPN+ Referee: Mike Beltran
DWCS 75 faceoffs
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for DWCS 75.
One of the best knockouts of the season happened at Dana White’s Contender Series 75.
[autotag]Islam Dulatov[/autotag] brought the violence Tuesday to the UFC Apex.
At Dana White’s Contender Series 75, Dulatov (11-1) cracked opponent [autotag]Vanilto Antunes[/autotag] (16-7) with a brutal standing elbow that folded the Brazilian unconscious. The stoppage came at 2:44 of Round 1.
The win got UFC CEO Dana White out of his seat, in awe of the violence that transpired.
Germany’s Dulatov has a big social media following already with already 100,000 followers on Instagram and nearly 100,000 subscribers on YouTube. He built his brand through fights for OKTAGON, Brave CF, and other promotions. All 11 of his fights have ended in a finish victory for him.
In defeat, Antunes had a three-fight winning streak snapped.
