Tofiq Musayev vs Myktybek Orolbai at UFC on ABC 8 | Preview & Prediction
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UFC newcomer Tofiq Musayev makes his debut on home soil in Azerbaijan and he faces a tough test against Kazakh fighter Myktybek Orolbai
Tofiq Musayev vs Myktybek Orolbai Facts
What time are Tofiq Musayev and Myktybek Orolbai expected to walk out?
Where is UFC on ABC 8? Baku Crystal Hall, Baku, Azerbaijan
Where can I get tickets for UFC on ABC 8? Click here for the latest ticket information for UFC on ABC 8
What TV channel is UFC on ABC 8 on? UK – TNT Sports / USA – ABC (main card) & ESPN preliminary card
Where can I stream UFC on ABC 8? UK – TNT Sports subscribers can stream the event online via the TNT Sports website and discovery+ / USA – ESPN+ & UFC Fight Pass
UFC on ABC 8 main card
Jamahal Hill vs Khalil Rountree Jr. (Light Heavyweight)
Rafael Fiziev vs Ignacio Bahamondes (Lightweight)
Curtis Blaydes vs Rizvan Kuniev (Heavyweight)
Tofiq Musayev vs Myktybek Orolbai (Lightweight)
Nazim Sadykhov vs Nikolas Motta (Lightweight)
Muhammad Naimov vs Bogdan Grad (Featherweight)
UFC on ABC 8 prelims
Ko Seok-hyun vs Oban Elliott (Welterweight)
Ismail Naurdiev vs Park Jun-yong (Middleweight)
Melissa Mullins vs Daria Zheleznyakova (Women’s Bantamweight)
Irina Alekseeva vs Klaudia Syguła (Women’s Bantamweight)
Tagir Ulanbekov vs Azat Maksum (Flyweight)
Hamdy Abdelwahab vs Mohammed Usman (Heavyweight)
Tofiq Musayev vs Myktybek Orolbai prediction
The UFC have made a free agent signing for this card in Baku as Azeri native Tofiq Musayev (22-5) joins from Rizin to make his Octagon debut. He comes off successive knockout wins but those came in 2023 and it is over 18 months since his last fight.
It will be interesting to see if he has any rust coming into this bout and equally whether he can make the step up to the higher calibre of the UFC. He has an outstanding 18 of his 22 wins coming by knockout and that power will make him dangerous against any opponent.
The UFC matchmakers have not handed him an easy opener as they have select Kazakhstan’s Myktybek Orolbai (13-2-1) as his first opponent.
Orolbai joined the UFC in October 2023 and won his opening two fights against Uros Medic and Elves Brener.
He lost his last bout however against Mateusz Rebecki last October by split decision to bring an end to his eight-fight winning streak.
As is so often the case, it is difficult to judge CV’s from outside of the UFC but Musayev has been in the upper echelons of the lightweight divisions in both Bellator and Rizin. Despite all that experience, there will almost certainly be a degree of nerves in front of his home crowd and in the Octagon for the first time and that is a concern for us.
Orolbai is a tricky customer to say the least and could very well play the role of spoiler here. he did lose last time out but that could easily have gone the other way and we just have a feeling that he may frustrate Musayev here.
Prediction: Myktybek Orolbai to win
