Javier Mendez is not taking [autotag]Bekzat Almakhan[/autotag] lightly ahead of UFC Fight Night 238.
After struggling to net an opponent, [autotag]Umar Nurmagomedov[/autotag] (16-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) drew newcomer Almakhan (17-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) in Saturday’s main card (ESPN+) at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
For Nurmagomedov’s head coach Mendez, Almakhan presents more problems than most bantamweights on the roster do.
“He’s a dangerous guy. He is more dangerous than the vast majority of the UFC fighters,” Mendez said on his YouTube channel. “I’m telling you – this guy’s no joke. He’s one of those phenom-type guys that’s coming into the game, and you’re going, ‘Oh, he’s never been in the UFC.’
“Yeah, OK – keep thinking that way. You better look at him like a serious, serious opponent, and I don’t care about the rankings. I care about 17-1 and 85 percent knockout ratio. That’s something to be concerned about. If you’re not concerned about that, you’re an idiot.”
Kazakhstan’s Almakhan is on a nine-fight winning streak, seven by way of finish. Mendez sees him as a complete fighter.
“He comes in, good body clinch, control, takedowns, he’s got good ground game,” Mendez said of Almakhan. “He’s a well-rounded fighter – good boxing, good everything. He’s good everywhere. For me, it’s unfortunate for him that he’s fighting, to me, the future champion.”
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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 238.