Abdul-Rakhman Yakhyaev appears to own all the instruments essential to blossom right into a full-bloom star in the Ultimate Fighting Championship gentle heavyweight division.
The aptly named “Hunter” will put his excellent skilled report on the line when he confronts Brendson Ribeiro in a featured UFC Fight Night 272 attraction on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Yakhyaev, 25, has completed seven of his first eight opponents, six of them inside one spherical. The former Ares Fighting Championship and Khan Fight titleholder made his Octagon debut at UFC Fight Night 265, the place he wanted simply 33 seconds to dispatch Raffael Cerqueira with a rear-naked choke on Nov. 22. It was his third sub-minute stoppage victory. Yakhyaev, who punched his ticket to the UFC through Dana White’s Contender Series some seven months in the past, holds the prestigious Master of Sports designation in fight sambo and blended martial arts.
The 13-fight lineup at UFC Fight Night 272 options a number of fighters on the rise, with Yakhyaev at or close to the prime of the listing. Four others to watch:
Bantamweight | 14-0 (3-0 UFC)
Estevam finds himself in the center of a gradual however regular ascent in the 135-pound weight class. The unbeaten Nova Uniao export toes the line in opposition to Ethyn Ewing in a compelling three-round bantamweight showcase. Estevam, 29, was a Shooto Brazil champion earlier than he arrived in the UFC three-plus years in the past. He final fought at UFC on ESPN 71, the place he outpointed Felipe Bunes to a unanimous determination on Aug. 2. Estevam has recorded 16 takedowns in his three appearances inside the Octagon—victories over Bunes, Jesus Santos Aguilar and Charles Johnson.
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Women’s Bantamweight | 6-1 (0-1 UFC)
Pereira’s skills as a high-ceiling prospect are plain, however she stays unpolished as somebody who linked arms with the promotion as a youngster. The Brazilian, now 20, returns to the cage to face Hailey Cowan in a three-round ladies’s bantamweight prelim. Pereira made her promotional debut to blended critiques at UFC Fight Night 259, the place she wound up on the fallacious aspect of cut up scorecards in opposition to Montserrat Rendon on Sept. 13. She had gained her first six bouts as a professional, 5 of them through end and 4 of them inside one spherical. Young fighters are recognized to make vital strides from combat to combat—a bent the UFC hopes Pereira follows in her newest take a look at at the sport’s highest degree.
Featherweight | 9-0 (0-0 UFC)
McMillen offers some welcomed depth to the featherweight midcard. The 28-year-old Red Hawk Academy product makes his organizational debut reverse Manolo Zecchini in a featured conflict at 145 kilos. McMillen has delivered eight of his 9 wins by knockout, technical knockout or submission. The Great Falls, Montana, native secured his spot on the roster through DWCS on Sept. 2, when he posted a majority determination over David Mgoyan. McMillen marches into his first UFC task with a championship pedigree, as he captured a Fusion Fight League title throughout his rise by means of the regional ranks.
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Lightweight | 11-1 (0-0 UFC)
Hope solutions the UFC’s name to arms for the first time underneath less-than-ideal circumstances. The once-beaten Texan jumps up a division when he locks horns with Kai Kamaka III in an impromptu light-weight prelim between two males who sometimes compete at 145 kilos. Hope trains alongside present UFC flyweight champion Joshua Van at the 4oz. Fight Club in Houston. The Peak Fighting titleholder final noticed motion underneath the Fury Fighting Championship banner on Feb. 20, when he punched out Mauricio Gomez lower than two minutes into their confrontation. Hope now boasts 5 first-round finishes on his resume.