Jamahal Hill and Khalil Rountree are able to make historical past as the primary UFC fighters to headline an occasion in Azerbaijan.
At Friday’s official weigh-ins for UFC Baku, Hill and Rountree efficiently made weight, tipping the scales at 206 kilos (making use of the one-pound allowance for a non-title gentle heavyweight bout. Each fighters are coming off of losses and seeking to keep within the thick of the title image with a win on Saturday.
Hill, a former UFC champion, is on the primary dropping streak of his profession having suffered back-to-back knockout losses to Jiri Prochazka and Alex Pereira. Presently No. 7 at gentle heavyweight within the MMA Fighting Global Rankings, Hill can transfer one step nearer to regaining the title he by no means misplaced within the cage if he can get previous Rountree.
The No. 8-ranked Rountree additionally goals to remain close to the entrance of the contender line. Rountree rode a five-fight win streak to a championship problem in opposition to Alex Pereira at UFC 307, the place he took “Poatan” to the restrict earlier than succumbing to strikes late within the fourth spherical.
Co-main occasion lightweights Rafael Fiziev (155.5) and Ignacio Bahamondes (155.5) additionally efficiently made weight. Fiziev fights to cease a career-worst three-fight skid, whereas Bahamondes hopes a win over the No. 11-ranked Fiziev strikes him into the highest 15 of the rankings.
All 24 fighters competing Saturday at Baku Crystal Corridor in Azerbaijan efficiently made weight.
See UFC Baku official weigh-in outcomes beneath.
Foremost Card (ABC, ESPN+ at 3 p.m. ET)
Jamahal Hill (206) vs. Khalil Rountree (206)
Rafael Fiziev (155.5) vs. Ignacio Bahamondes (155.5)
Curtis Blaydes (258) vs. Rizvan Kuniev (264.5)
Tofiq Musayev (163) vs. Myktybek Orolbai (165) — 165-pound catchweight bout
Nazim Sadykhov (155) vs. Nikolas Motta (155.5)
Muhammad Naimov (146) vs. Bogdan Grad (146)
Preliminaries (ESPN, ESPN+ at 12 p.m. ET)
Seokhyun Ko (169.5) vs. Oban Elliott (170.5)
Ismail Naurdiev (186) vs. Jun Yong Park (186)
Daria Zhelezniakova (136) vs. Melissa Mullins (136)
Irina Alekseeva (135.5) vs. Klaudia Sygula (135)
Tagir Ulanbekov (126) vs. Azat Maksum (126)
Hamdy Abdelwahab (264.5) vs. Mohammed Usman (244.5)
