The Prelim Breakout Star is a once per event article that helps fans get to know those who will be entertaining them from the undercard. The intention of the article is not to bring attention to the most talented fighter on the preliminary card, but rather one that the common fan may have overlooked or underestimated.
We’ve finally made it to the promised land: Fight Island. While the main event took a hit, the prelims are fully intact and promise to showcase some international names that have long been waiting to make their debut. Here’s one we’ve been waiting for impatiently.
Zhalgas Zhumagulov
Nickname – Zhako
Affiliation – Erkin Kush
From – Aktobe, Kazakhstan
Height – 5’5″
Weight – 125 lbs (Flyweight)
Record – 13-3 (0-0 UFC)
What makes him impressive
It’s easy to say that a flyweight has lots of forward pressure, but Zhumagulov has it in spades. While embodying the speed and endless cardio you can expect from a 125-pounder, he rarely takes a step back. Although this is sometimes to the detriment of a fighter, particularly when it comes to defensive grappling, Zhako is particularly heavy of his feet and quick to get up should he get taken down. This lets him sit down and overthrow on some of his punches with no real concerns.
Why he has been overlooked
There’s not a lot of hype to go around for flyweights outside of the UFC (or really inside, if we want to go there). So it’s maybe not surprising that one from Eastern Europe may have not been on the front of MMA fans’ minds in the Americas. However, Zhako undoubtedly should have been when you look at his resume. His last three victories have all come over someone formerly or currently in the UFC, with the most recent being former title challenger Ali Bagautinov. When they’re beating that much UFC-level talent, it’s time to pay attention.
What makes this a good match-up
Raulian Paiva is one of the taller flyweight fighters at 5’8″, and he uses his reach fairly well. However, one of his major pitfalls is that he fights rather upright. This lends him to being pressed against the cage and/or taken down. We saw him get taken down by Kai-Kara France who is predominantly a striker. With Zhumagulov mixing in takedowns and insane forward pressure, he should be able to control the action, thus making it hard for Paiva to use the distance striking game he’d like to here.
Prelim Breakout Star Record: 198-86-1 (2 NC) (8 DNF)
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