UFC Prague: Fight to Watch
UFC Fight Night 145: Prague may not be quite as stacked as last week’s blockbuster headliner It does not necessarily have the name recognition or star power of some other Fight Night cards, in the past or the days ahead. But, that does not warrant an excuse for diehard fans to miss the UFC’s next event, which takes place at the O2 Arena in Prague, Czech Republic and airs on ESPN + and ESPN2. Any true fan of mixed martial arts does not rely on how a fight card looks on paper anyhow because they remember that some of the worst fights in the history of the sport happen between some of the biggest stars. There are plenty of great fights on this card, but the real hidden gem is airing on ESPN2, as the second fight on the Preliminary Card.
Rustam Khabilov and Carlos Diego Ferreira both come into the contest on a winning streak and each has gone three years without suffering defeat. A Dagestani Sambo master, Khabilov currently rides a longer win streak than Ferreira, at six straight. Though seven of his nine wins in the UFC have come by way of decision, it is impossible to ignore his resume, losses included. For example, his first UFC loss came at the hands of former UFC Lightweight Champion Benson Henderson and was only his second overall career defeat. Prior to that, he was undefeated for over three years, with wins over Jorge Masvidal, Yancy Medeiros and Vinc Pichel.
Carlos Diego Ferreira on the other hand has proven to be a fairly consistent finisher in his UFC run. The former Legacy FC lightweight Champion made a huge statement from his very first outing in the octagon, submitting Ultimate Fighter Season 16 winner Colton Smith with a choke in just 38 seconds. Ferreira was undefeated at the time and remained so until suffering back-to-back losses against top-10 ranked lightweights Beneil Dariush and Dustin Poirier. Since then, he has bounced back with a decision win over Olivier Aubin-Mercier and a pair of TKOs, bringing his current winning streak to 3 in a row.
What makes this match interesting, apart from the abundance and quality of wins each man brings into the cage, is the stylistic match up. These lightweights are both well-rounded fighters, who are high-level grapplers in two very distinct styles. The idea of Sambo vs Gracie Jiu-Jitsu at this stage of MMA has a nostalgic feel, but either fighter is capable of finishing the fight with strikes. It’s a modern MMA fight with throwback matchmaking. What’s not to love?
Lastly, the implications of this fight within the 155lb rank structure are very interesting. With an impressive win, UFC matchmakers will surely offer the winner a fight with a top-15 ranked opponent. The rankings panel might even vote the winner into the top 15 based on their performance, especially if Khabilov wins. Should the Dagestani get it done against the BJJ Black Belt, his star will be elevated through his association to international star and UFC lightweight Champion Khabib Nurmagomedov.
