All six preliminary bouts went the distance, proving once again that sometimes the most interesting scraps happen before the main event even kicks off. The Baku Crystal Hall witnessed a proper mixed bag of performances that ranged from impressive debuts to good old-fashioned grudge matches.

Debutants and Upsets Steal the Show

SeokHyeon Ko absolutely schooled Welsh prospect Oban Elliott in what can only be described as a masterclass in grappling dominance. The South Korean newcomer swept all three rounds 30-27, making Elliott look like he’d never seen a takedown before. It’s always satisfying when the supposed ‘highly regarded prospect’ gets shown up by someone making their UFC debut – rather like watching a Ferrari get overtaken by a well-tuned Honda Civic.

JunYong Park had a bit more drama in his middleweight bout against Ismail Naurdiev, and by drama I mean getting walloped by an illegal knee that left him looking like he’d gone ten rounds with a meat tenderiser. The referee had to stop the action, dock Naurdiev two points, and somehow Park managed to come back and dominate the ground game to secure victory. Nothing quite like winning a fight after your opponent tries to cave your skull in with an illegal strike.

Women’s Bantamweight Revenge Served Cold

Daria Zhelezniakova got her revenge against Melissa Mullins in their bantamweight rematch, evening the score from their 2022 encounter. It’s always interesting when fighters get a second crack at someone who previously had their number – like getting another go at that driving test after you’ve actually learned how to parallel park.

Meanwhile, Poland’s Klaudia Sygula picked up her first UFC win by shutting out Irina Alekseeva across three rounds. The judges saw it 30-27 across the board, which in UFC scoring terms means it wasn’t even close. Sygula was landing clean combinations while Alekseeva seemed to be fighting underwater for most of the bout.

Flyweight Fireworks and Heavyweight Plodding

The flyweight scrap between Tagir Ulanbekov and Azat Maksum delivered proper entertainment, with both men having their moments throughout three competitive rounds. Having Khabib Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev in your corner clearly helps, as Ulanbekov managed to edge out the decision despite some late heroics from Maksum.

The heavyweight opener saw Mohammed Usman grind out a decision win over Hamdy Abdelwahab in what was probably the least exciting fight of the night. Nothing quite like watching two big lads lumber around the octagon for fifteen minutes, though Usman did manage to find his range in the later rounds to secure the victory.

The Baku Experiment Pays Off

Credit where it’s due – the UFC’s first venture into Azerbaijan proved that fight fans are fight fans regardless of geography. The crowd was engaged throughout, and the atmosphere looked electric on the broadcast. It’s refreshing to see the promotion expanding into new territories rather than running the same tired venues into the ground.

These preliminary results set up what should be an entertaining main card, with the local crowd now properly warmed up and ready for the headline attractions. The fact that all six prelim bouts went the distance suggests we saw some evenly matched contests rather than the usual mix of quick finishes and decisions.

So there you have it – another successful UFC international expansion with plenty of solid performances from fighters looking to make their mark. Which of these preliminary performances impressed you the most?