Tag: UFC Kazakhstan

Petr Yan: There’s no denying I’m next for a title shot with a win over Marlon Moraes

Petr Yan expects to emerge as a clear-cut No. 1 contender with a win over Marlon Moraes.

[autotag]Petr Yan[/autotag] expects to emerge as a clear-cut No. 1 contender with a win in June.

Yan (14-1 MMA, 6-0 UFC) is scheduled to meet Marlon Moraes (23-6-1 MMA, 5-2 UFC) in the UFC Kazakhstan main event, and with fighters like Aljamain Sterling and Cory Sandhagen also gunning for the title, Yan thinks a win over Moraes should separate him from the pack.

He is yet to lose in the UFC, and is coming off a “Performance of the Night” knockout over Urijah Faber this past December.

“I think after seven wins in a row, and taking the No. 1 contender spot, it will be impossible to deny that I’m the only one who deserves to fight for the belt,” Yan told MMA Junkie through a translator.

Moraes failed to capture the vacant UFC bantamweight title against Henry Cejudo, but rebounded with a split decision win over former featherweight king Jose Aldo at UFC 245.

So Yan sees Moraes as the perfect opponent to set him up for a title shot opportunity.

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“Moraes was the first opponent who’s has been offered to me and I’m happy with this matchup,” Yan said. “He is still the No. 1 contender in the division, so I gladly accepted this challenge.”

Moraes’ barely edged out Aldo, and many thought Aldo should have won. While Yan doesn’t necessarily view it as a robbery, he sees things playing out a lot differently when they fight.

“It was a very close fight – a decision could’ve gone to anyone,” Yan said. “I don’t think it’s fair to call it a robbery. Moraes slowed down toward the end, but still was landing a lot of shots. My fight with Marlon will be different because it will be five rounds and I won’t give him an opportunity to take a break. I’m confident in my abilities in a five-rounder.”

Despite losing to Moraes, Aldo was awarded a title shot with Cejudo opting to face him next.

But Yan doesn’t think it’ll be an easy task for the champion.

“I think Aldo has a good chance. Both of them are good fighters and can find the way to win,” Yan said. “We also don’t know how the current pandemic affected their training, and in what shape and mindset they will come into the fight.”

With the coronavirus outbreak sweeping the globe, Yan is staying put in Thailand and is continuing to prepare for his fight, despite the uncertainty surrounding upcoming UFC events.

“Right now, I’m with my family in Phuket,” Yan said. “I decided to stay in Thailand and not travel back home during the pandemic. It is an emergency deck here and the gym, like everything else, is closed now. So most of the time, I’m training on my own or one-on-one with my coaches. I’m staying positive and doing everything I can to stay in shape and prepare for the fight. I have a date and opponent, but the location of the fight is still unknown.”

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Klidson Abreu vs. Gadzhimurad Antigulov added to UFC Kazakhstan

A light heavyweight matchup between Kildson Abreu and Gadzhimurad Antigulov is the latest addition to the UFC’s first trip to Kazakhstan.

A light heavyweight matchup is the latest addition to the UFC’s first trip to Kazakhstan.

[autotag]Klidson Abreu[/autotag] (15-4 MMA, 1-2 UFC) will face [autotag]Gadzhimurad Antigulov[/autotag] (20-6 MMA, 2-2 UFC) at the event. Abreu posted about the matchup on his social media following an initial report from Combate.

UFC Kazakhstan is expected to take place June 13 at Astana Arena in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan. The event has not been officially announced by the promotion.

Abreu failed to make good on his UFC debut in February 2019 when he suffered a unanimous decision loss to Magomed Ankalaev. He bounced back against Sam Alvey for his first promotional win, but was edged out in his most recent fight by Shamil Gamzatov at UFC on ESPN+ 21.

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After a 14-fight unbeaten run in which he went the distance only once, Antigulov has dropped two in a row with stoppage setbacks to Ion Cutelaba and, most recently, Michal Oleksiejczuk in April 2019. He will look to avoid a three-fight losing skid when he takes on Brazil’s Abreu.

With the addition, the current UFC Kazakhstan lineup includes:

    • Marlon Moraes vs. Petr Yan
    • Jordan Espinosa vs. Zhalgas Zhumagulov
    • Klidson Abreu vs. Gadzhimurad Antigulov

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Marlon Moraes impressed with Petr Yan and happy to keep fighting UFC’s best bantamweights

“I want to keep winning. I want to keep fighting the best.”

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Marlon Moraes[/autotag] sees the Petr Yan fight as an opportunity to climb back to contention.

Moraes (23-6-1 MMA, 5-2 UFC) headlines UFC Kazakhstan on June 13 against the surging Yan (14-1 MMA, 6-0 UFC).

At a Dominance MMA media day this past Saturday in Las Vegas, Moraes, who’s coming off a split decision win over Jose Aldo, sai he’s been impressed with Yan’s recent performances.

“He’s doing great – he’s finishing fights, he’s beating good fighters,” Moraes said. “So let’s put me against him and see how he does and how I do. I’ve got to be myself. I’ve got to be smart, and I’ve got to use all my tools to go there and be on top of the game and beat this guy.”

Since joining the UFC roster, the former WSOF bantamweight champion has been taking on the division’s best. He went on a tear with four straight wins, which included three straight first-round finishes and performance bonuses over Aljamain Sterling, Jimmie Rivera and Raphael Assuncao. That led to a UFC bantamweight title shot.

Although Moraes fell short in his title pursuit against Henry Cejudo, he was able to bounce back by spoiling Aldo’s 135-pound debut. But Aldo ended up getting a bantamweight title shot against Cejudo, anyway, despite the loss.

Having faced both Cejudo and Aldo, Moraes is leaning toward Cejudo in their UFC 250 title fight – but he isn’t counting Aldo out.

“I think Henry’s got the edge in the whole fight, but Aldo’s got his chance,” Moraes said. “He’s got his shots, and we’ll see how that plays out. If Aldo wins, it’s good for me. If Henry wins, it’s good for me. I just have to keep winning to get back there.”

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Marlon Moraes, Petr Yan agree to headline UFC Kazakhstan

A pivotal bantamweight matchup between Marlon Moraes and Petr Yan is expected for the UFC Kazakhstan main event.

A pivotal bantamweight matchup is on tap to headline UFC Kazakhstan.

Former title challenger [autotag]Marlon Moraes[/autotag] is expected to fight [autotag]Petr Yan[/autotag]. Two people with knowledge of the situation informed MMA Junkie of the impending booking Wednesday, but asked to remain anonymous since the UFC has yet to make an announcement. Contracts have not been issued, but verbal agreements are in place.

UFC Kazakhstan is expected to take place June 13 at Astana Arena in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan. The event still has not been officially announced by the promotion.

Winner of five of his last six, Moraes (23-6-1 MMA, 5-2 UFC) failed to capture the vacant UFC bantamweight title when he suffered a fourth-round TKO loss to Henry Cejudo last June. Since then, Moraes rebounded by narrowly defeating former UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo last December at UFC 245.

Yan (14-1 MMA, 6-0 UFC), meanwhile, is yet to lose in the UFC, starting out his tenure at 6-0. He is coming off a third-round knockout of UFC Hall of Famer Urijah Faber at UFC 245.

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UFC Kazakhstan adds Zhalgas Zhumagulov homecoming vs. Jordan Espinosa

UFC Kazakhstan will feature a native son when Zhalgas Zhumagulov faces Jordan Espinosa in the promotion’s first event held in the country.

UFC Kazakhstan will be a homecoming for promotional newcomer [autotag]Zhalgas Zhumagulov[/autotag].

Recently-inked flyweight Zhumagulov (13-3 MMA, 0-0 UFC) will welcomes Dana White’s Contender Series alumnus [autotag]Jordan Espinosa[/autotag], in one of the first UFC fights held on Kazakhstani soil.

Two people with knowledge of the situation informed MMA Junkie of the booking, but asked to remain anonymous as the promotion has yet to make an official announcement.

UFC Kazakhstan is expected to take place June 13 at Astana Arena in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan. The event has still not been officially announced by the UFC, so no streaming info is available yet. No other bouts have been announced for the event at this time.

Zhumagulov, 31, has won four straight fights, and seven of eight, entering his promotional debut. His most recent eight outings have come under the Fight Nights Global promotional banner, where he’s picked up the flyweight title.

As for Espinosa (14-7 MMA, 1-2 UFC), the Luttrell’s MMA product is in need of a victory. Since winning his UFC debut against Eric Shelton in March 2019, Espinosa has dropped back-to-back outings. In August 2019, Espinosa was submitted in the first round by Matt Schnell. In January 2020, history repeated itself when Espinosa was once again submitted in Round 1 – this time, at the hands of Alex Perez.

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