Simon Head: A flyweight clash with future title implications
Khabib Nurmagomedov is dominant at 155, Zabit Magomedsharipov is on course to challenge for the strap at 145 and Petr Yan looks to be in pole position for a title shot at 135.
After UFC 246, another dominant Russian fighter could find himself on the verge of title contention.
Undefeated flyweight [autotag]Askar Askarov[/autotag] takes on American flyweight veteran [autotag]Tim Elliott[/autotag] in the third fight of the night in a bout that could potentially propel the “Bullet” toward the top of the UFC’s 125-pound division.
Askarov (10-0-1 MMA, 0-0-1 UFC) was a dominant force in Russian promotion ACB, where he was 125-pound champion. But a tough long-haul debut assignment on his UFC debut saw him make the long trip to Mexico to take on Brandon Moreno in what was his first fight outside of Europe. Askarov earned a split draw in that matchup to put the sole blemish on his otherwise perfect record.
Now he returns to action against gritty veteran Elliott (15-9-1 MMA, 4-7 UFC), who is sure to bring the fight straight to Askarov – and that may well be exactly what “Bullet” is counting on. Askarov has finished all 10 of his wins (seven by submission, three by knockout) and an impressive finish of Elliott could vault the Russian towards top contender status.
Other fights on the card may have more established names, but Askarov may just have the highest ceiling of the bunch. If he can pass the test posed by Elliott, don’t be surprised to see him in a title eliminator this summer.
Next page: Nolan King: A featherweight banger that can’t possibly be boring
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