The UFC’s decision to hold their first event in Azerbaijan is either brilliant marketing or someone at headquarters finally found Baku on a map after years of spinning a globe blindfolded. The Baku Crystal Hall will host this spectacle, and you can bet your bottom dollar that the production team is frantically googling “Azerbaijan fun facts” for the broadcast. However, UFC on ABC 8 in Baku has managed the miraculous feat of having all 22 fighters actually make weight, including the headliners Jamahal Hill and Khalil Rountree Jr., both tipping the scales at a tidy 206 pounds.

Hill, the former light heavyweight champion who lost his belt on the sofa rather than in the octagon due to that Achilles injury, is facing Rountree Jr., who recently gave Alex Pereira a proper scrap before getting knocked senseless. Hill comes into this fight with that classic American confidence, despite being 12-3 and having more ups and downs than a British weather forecast. His knockout power is undeniable, but his defensive lapses have cost him dearly in the past. Meanwhile, Rountree Jr. has transformed from a middling fighter into a genuine contender, though his chin remains about as reliable as a second-hand Alfa Romeo.

The Supporting Cast Delivers

The co-main event features Ignacio Bahamondes against Rafael Fiziev at lightweight – now that’s a proper scrap waiting to happen. Fiziev’s striking is poetry in motion, while Bahamondes has been quietly building momentum. Both made weight at 155.5 and 155.5 respectively, because apparently even half a pound matters in this game.

Curtis Blaydes, that wrestling powerhouse who’s been knocking on the heavyweight title door longer than a persistent Jehovah’s Witness, faces Rizvan Kuniev. Blaydes came in at 256, while Kuniev hit 264.5 – still well within the heavyweight limit but heavy enough to make you wonder if he’s been sampling too much local cuisine.

Women’s Fights and Catchweight Chaos

The women’s bouts on this card feature some intriguing matchups, with Melissa Mullins facing Daria Zhelezniakova and Irina Alekseeva taking on Klaudia Sygula. These fights often steal the show with their technical precision and heart, proving once again that women’s MMA has evolved far beyond the novelty act it was once considered.

There’s also a catchweight bout between Tofiq Musayev and Myktybek Orolbai, because nothing says “professional sport” quite like fighters who can’t figure out what weight class they belong in. Musayev made 163 while Orolbai hit 165, which is close enough for government work, I suppose.

The preliminary card rounds out with a mix of prospects and veterans, all desperately trying to make their mark in the most unforgiving sport on the planet. Mohammed Usman, brother of former welterweight champion Kamaru, will be looking to make his own name at heavyweight against Hamdy Abdelwahab.

This Baku debut represents the UFC’s continued global expansion, bringing the violence to new markets and new audiences. Whether the locals will embrace the sport or run screaming from the arena remains to be seen, but at least everyone made weight without drama. What do you think – will Hill reclaim his path to title contention, or is Rountree Jr. about to announce himself as the division’s next big threat?