Former UFC light heavyweight title challenger Khalil Rountree Jr. earned a dominant unanimous decision against Jamahal Hill in the main event of UFC Fight Night on Saturday in Azerbaijan, taking the cards 49-46, 50-45, 50-45.
Utilizing leg kicks and knocking the former light heavyweight champion down on several occasions, Rountree Jr. (15-6 MMA) is open to multiple options for his next fight, as long as he remains in the light heavyweight title picture.
“I didn’t come in here underestimating Jamahal,” Rountree Jr. said.
Meanwhile, Hill (12-4 MMA) has lost three in a row and is searching for his first win since January 2023.
The co-main event went the way of hometown lightweight Rafael Fiziev (13-4 MMA), winning a unanimous decision against Ignacio Bahamondes 30-27, 30-27, 30-27 for his first victory since July 2022. Fiziev’s striking ability made the difference, as it was the first loss for Bahamondes (17-6 MMA) since August 2023. Fiziev does not prefer who he fights next, as he entered the bout as the No. 11-ranked fighter in the division.
Heavyweight Curtis Blaydes outlasted debutant Rizvan Kuniev, earning a split decision 29-28, 28-29, 29-28. Blaydes (19-5 MMA) bounced back after falling victim to UFC interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall last July at UFC 304.
Blaydes said post-fight he’d be interested in fighting former two-time heavyweight title challenger Ciryl Gane in “October or November” after Blaydes recovers from an apparent MCL injury. Kuniev (12-3-1 MMA) was signed to the promotion from Dana White Contender Series last August, suffering his first loss since August 2015.
In a 165-pound catchweight fight, Myktybek Orolbai secured a kimura submission at 4:35 of Round 1, defeating Tofiq Musayev. Orolbai (14-2-1 MMA) has won five of his past six fights, halting Musayev’s (22-6 MMA) two-fight winning streak and beginning the latter’s UFC career off the wrong foot.
In one of the most high-octane UFC fights in recent memory, lightweight Nazim Sadykhov overcame a hellacious effort from Nikolas Motta to secure a late second-round TKO at 4:17. Sadykhov was nearly finished by a plethora of Motta strikes in Round 1 before Sadykhov turned the fight around in the second. Sadykhov (11-1-1 MMA) has won 11 of his last 13 fights, landing a 75-punch combination to seal the deal. Motta (15-6 MMA) suffered his first loss since June 2023.
The UFC Baku main card opened with a 13th-straight decision dating to last Saturday’s Atlanta event, with featherweight Muhammad Naimov winning unanimously over Dana White Contender Series alumni Bogdan Grad 29-28, 29-28, 29-28. Naimov (13-3 MMA) has won four of his last five as he improved to 4-1 in the UFC. Grad (15-3 MMA) had a four-fight winning streak snapped, falling to 1-1 in the promotion.
–Field Level Media
