UFC Fight Night: Nursulton Ruziboev vs Andrey Pulyaev Preview & Prediction
Two tall standing middleweights face off in Baku, Uzbek finisher Nursulton Ruziboev looks to march through the durable Russian Andrey Pulyaev.
Nursulton Ruziboev vs Andrey Pulyaev facts
What time are Nursulton Ruziboev and Andrey Pulyaev expected to walk out?
Where is UFC Fight Night: Fiziev vs Torres? National Gymnastics Arena, Baku, Azerbaijan
Where can I get tickets for UFC Fight Night: Fiziev vs Torres? Click here for the latest ticket information for UFC Fight Night 280
What TV channel is UFC Fight Night: Fiziev vs Torres on? UK – TNT Sports / USA – Paramount
Where can I stream UFC Fight Night: Fiziev vs Torres? UK – TNT Sports can stream the event online via the TNT Sports website and HBO Max / USA – Paramount+ & UFC Fight Pass
UFC Fight Night: Fiziev vs Torres main card
Rafael Fiziev vs Manuel Torres (Lightweight)
Sharabutdin Magomedov vs Michel Pereira (Middleweight)
Nazim Sadykhov vs Matheus Camilo (Lightweight)
Asu Almabayev vs Charles Johnson (Flyweight)
Ikram Aliskerov vs Brunno Ferreira (Middleweight)
Abusupiyan Magomedov vs Michal Oleksiejczuk (Middleweight)
UFC Fight Night: Fiziev vs Torres prelims
Farman Hasanov vs Eric Nolan (Welterweight)
Abdul-Rakhman Yakhyaev vs Julius Walker (Light Heavyweight)
Nursulton Ruziboev vs Andrey Pulyaev (Middleweight)
Kaan Ofli vs Javier Reyes (Featherweight)
Daniil Donchenko vs Theodor Berggren (Welterweight)
Bekzat Almakhan vs Jean Matsumoto (Bantamweight)
Tahir Abdullayev vs Jefferson Nascimento (Welterweight)
Nursulton Ruziboev: Seasoned wrecking machine hunting for another quick night
Nursulton Ruziboev (36-9-2) is one of the most battle-worn names on the roster, arriving in the UFC back in 2023 with nearly 50 professional bouts already under his belt. The man is 4-1 in the promotion, his sole loss coming by way of decision to Joaquin Buckley during a brief drop to welterweight, back at middleweight, he most recently outworked Dustin Stoltzfus across three rounds. A 6’5” dynamic finisher with fast kicks, heavy hands, and a submission threat, Ruziboev stays light on his feet, but his volume starts to slim out and his cardio looks to be his soft spot as the fight wears on.
Andrey Pulyaev: Durable southpaw who refuses to fold
Andrey Pulyaev (10-4) is a tall southpaw sitting at 1-2 in the promotion but is a fair bit better than the betting lines suggest. Both his UFC losses came by decision against dangerous strikers in Christian Leroy Duncan and Ateba Gautier. His UFC win, a second-round TKO of Nick Klein, showcased how his calculated body work can define his game. At 6’4”, Pulyaev circles off the cage well, picks his shots at range, and has underrated pop in his shots. He operates well in the clinch, throwing knees to the body and head, but his volume runs on the lower side.
Nursulton Ruziboev vs Andrey Pulyaev prediction
Ruziboev usually walks in with a sizeable frame advantage to his opponents, but he doesn’t get one here, Pulyaev is nearly as tall, just as rangy, and fights from the opposite stance. Ruziboev fights at his best when he can get the job done early, ripping fast kicks, heavy punches, nice uppercuts on the inside, and has a real submission threat if he chooses to grapple. Expect Ruziboev to come forward to close the gap and try find the finish early, he can sometimes rush in with wild combinations rather than staying long.
Pulyaev has really good survivability though, this whole read hinges on him weathering that early storm, and he’s shown that he can, dragging both CLD and Gautier to a decision. If he weathers round one, those body kicks can change the fight, he can chip away to the midsection nicely, and that can be the blueprint to draining Ruziboev, whose fading cardio and thinning volume are the obvious cracks. Can Pulyaev bank enough rounds to actually win the fight though? Because he’s not a high-volume guy himself. Either way, this is nowhere near as one-sided as the bookies are giving it, and I can see the pair grinding out a dogfight till late. I’d lean towards Ruziboev getting his hand raised, but the value lies in the fight going the distance.
Prediction: Fight to go the distance
