(Josh Holmberg-USA TODAY Sports)
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 the most talented guy on the preliminary card, but rather one that the common fan may have overlooked or underestimated.
Long gone is the time when people were arguing that the current pound-for-pound king was a Russian native. However, a recent influx of talent from the former Soviet Union has found a way to the UFC and is making a big impact. While Russian born fighters like Dennis Siver and Khabib Nurmagomedov are more obviously at the forefront of public attention, there are still a few people have yet to see such as our Breakout Star for Saturday’s fights.
Rustam Khabilov
Nickname – Tiger
From – Makhachkala, Russia
Height – 5’9”
Weight – 155 lbs (Lightweight)
Record – 15-1 (1-0 UFC)
What makes him impressive
If you were lucky enough to catch his UFC debut, you saw that this man has some amazing throws. He put together a number of German suplexes, including one that knocked his opponent unconscious. It would be a lot easier to chalk that up as a fluke if he hadn’t done it once already with a belly-to-belly suplex in M-1 Challenge. So, watch for him to get a body lock and send his opponents for a ride when he does.
As if having terrifying throws that knock people out is not enough, his overall game has become very well-rounded. Like many of the other Combat Sambo practitioners making the move to MMA, he’s using a really solid standup game, to set up these inside exchanges. Not to mention some good submissions, specifically an arm bar, if you don’t get knocked out on the way down.
Why he’s been overlooked
As a European prospect, he’s had very little exposure. Despite coming from one of the continent’s biggest organizations, he has seen very little television time. This is mostly due to being relegated to M-1’s Challenge cards, which are similar to the Strikeforce Challengers’ cards in that they were used to build prospects.
What makes this a good matchup
Yancy Medeiros is a good wrestler and strong striker. However, he tends to be a bit wild with his strikes as well as his pressure. Khabilov is a very calm, patient fighter, who maintains a technical approach to his fights. While in the past Medeiros has caused problems for his opponents with the pressure, Khabilov should handle it easily and make him pay for his mistakes.
Daniel Vreeland is a writer (PrelimPicker) and teacher with an avid love for martial arts. He has practiced jiu jitsu and submission grappling under and next to many top names including Royce Gracie, Rousimar Palhares, Murilo Bustamante and Marco Alvan. He has placed in multiple NAGA grappling tournaments and currently trains under black belt Dave Roy in Amherst, MA.
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