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Fighters On The Rise | UFC Abu Dhabi
Shining A Spotlight On Three Athletes With The Potential To Make Waves This Weekend At UFC Fight Night: Sandhagen vs Nurmagomedov
This weekend, the UFC makes its 19th trip to Abu Dhabi with a stacked card to kick off the month of August in the Octagon.
Those previous stops have produced a myriad of breakout efforts over the years, including the devastating debuts of Jiri Prochazka, Khamzat Chimaev, and Shavkat Rakhmonov, statement efforts from standouts like Max Holloway and Dustin Poirier, and championship masterpieces from Khabib Nurmagomedov, Kamaru Usman, and Islam Makhachev.
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The last time an event at Etihad Arena was headlined by Cory Sandhagen, the elite bantamweight contender knocked out recent title challenger Marlon Moraes with a spinning wheel kick on a night that also featured Joaquin Buckley’s jumping spinning back kick knockout of Impa Kasanganay and a main card that kicked off with victories by Ilia Topuria, Dricus Du Plessis, and Tom Aspinall.
Will something similar transpire this time around?
Time will tell, but the three athletes below certainly have an opportunity to deliver exciting performances and make waves this weekend.
Joel Alvarez
Alvarez is one of those lightweights that has resided on the border of the Top 15 for the last several years, constantly feeling one win away from breaking into the rankings while not yet having been able to find permanent residence amongst the elite.
Over the course of his seven-fight UFC run, the 31-year-old Spaniard has amassed a 5-2 record, with victories over Joe Duffy, Thiago Moises and Marc Diakiese, and his losses coming in his debut against Damir Ismagulov and current top contender Arman Tsarukyan. Those efforts show the level of talent Alvarez possesses and where he currently fits in the lightweight hierarchy as he heads into action this weekend against Brazilian Elves Brener.
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The 26-year-old Chute Boxe Diego Lima representative has been an all-action addition to the 155-pound ranks since debuting last February with a split decision win over Zubaira Tukhugov. After that victory, he added a colossal comeback win over Guram Kutateladze and a first-round mauling of Kaynan Kruschewsky to his resume, with his winning streak coming to a halt earlier this year at the hands of divisional dark horse Mytybek Orolbai.
Saturday’s contest feels like a bit of a crossroads bout for Alvarez, as his win over Diakiese last year in London came with a pinch of controversy, as the two clashed heads in the moments just prior to Alvarez locking up the fight-ending brabo choke.
He’s proven himself capable of beating very good lightweights in the past, but in a division where new names are constantly making a push towards the Top 15, it’s critical that “El Fenomeno” deliver a strong showing in his return to the Octagon this weekend if he wants another chance to compete alongside the division’s best in the near future.
Shara Magomedov
After touching down in the UFC amidst much fanfare last year, “Shara Bullet” was a late addition to this weekend’s fight card, where he will take on Michal Oleksiejczuk in what has the potential to be a striker’s delight.
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Magomedov arrived with an 11-0 record and a ton of hype last October at UFC 294, where he out-worked Bruno Silva to register a unanimous decision win in his promotional debut. Earlier this summer in Saudi Arabia, he scored a third-round stoppage win over late replacement opponent Antonio Trocoli to advance to 13-0 and keep his momentum intact.
Right now, it’s difficult to know whether “Shara Bullet” is simply adjusting to life on the biggest stage in the sport or having a difficult time replicating the tremendous results he delivered while working his way to the UFC. There is no question that it takes time to find your footing, and short-notice bookings and opponent changes make things more complicated, too, so it will be curious to see how he navigates things this weekend against Oleksiejczuk.
The 29-year-old Polish middleweight is now 14 fights into his UFC tenure, sporting a 7-6 record with one no contest across two divisions, while entering on a two-fight slide. Oleksiejczuk is a striker, through and through, and struggles when opponents show no interest in trading with him on the feet, which shouldn’t be the case with Magomedov this weekend.
While the bout only came together recently, it still feels like an important litmus test for the unbeaten middleweight, as “Hussar” is the first opponent that is going to be more than willing to meet him in the center and see who the better striker is.
Jordan Vucenic
Just a handful of days after earning his fourth consecutive stoppage win over the last two years, former Cage Warriors featherweight champ Jordan Vucenic was tapped to make his short-notice promotional debut this weekend.
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The 28-year-old Brit was part of a triumvirate of talents that competed for the featherweight strap in the outstanding England-based promotion a couple years back alongside current UFC featherweight Morgan Charriere and Paul Hughes, who is the only man to beat Vucenic over his last dozen outings.
Vucenic’s last four outings have shown that he’s beyond ready for an opportunity at the next level, as he’s made relatively quick work of a quartet of solid opponents, showcasing his outstanding submission skills in each contest. That being said, this weekend’s assignment is a big ask, even for an outstanding prospect.
While Kutateladze enters on a two-fight slide, he’s still an established, legitimate UFC lightweight with a strong 12-4 record that includes competitive battles with Mateusz Gamrot and the aforementioned Damir Ismagulov. Along with being a couple inches taller than Vucenic, the 32-year-old “Georgian Viking” will also benefit from having been in camp, working towards this date for the last several weeks, as he was initially slated to face Fortis MMA representative Abdul-Kareem Al-Selwady.
That being said, Vucenic has been anxiously awaiting this opportunity and competed just a couple weeks back at featherweight, so he’s likely to still be in good shape as he takes this step up the ladder in his promotional debut.
This is one of those instances where even if things don’t work out in his favor on Saturday, Vucenic is unquestionably one to keep close tabs on going forward.
Don't miss a moment of UFC Fight Night: Sandhagen vs Nurmagomedov, live from Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on August 3, 2024. Prelims start at 12pm ET/9am PT, while the main card kicks off live on ABC, ESPN & ESPN+ at 3pm ET/12pm PT.