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.
The cards happening in Asia in the last few years haven’t really been all that much to write home about. With a main event title fight and a decently relevant co-main, this one bucks that trend a bit. Although the prelims have a lot of new names, there are plenty of reasons to be excited about more than a few of the names.
Khadis Ibragimov
Affiliation – Sambo Piter
From – Dagestan, Russia
Height – 6’3″
Weight – 205 lbs (Light Heavyweight)
Record – 8-0 (0-0 UFC)
What makes him impressive
The skill on the ground is often a story for young Russian prospects and Ibragimov is no different. In his last fight for M1 Challenge it took exactly 30 seconds for him to hit his first takedown. But what was most impressive after that was the skill of which he passed the closed guard. He chains together pass attempts well to make them work together and also does well to keep his position should his opponent try to sweep. He also has a number of subs he’s locked in, including the rarely seen bulldog choke.
Why he has been overlooked
Although he was well-polished in M1 Challenge, Ibragimov has not been a professional for all that long. He turned pro in 2017 just after his 22nd birthday. In that time, he’s fought a ton of fights, which gives him the much needed experience. Still there hasn’t really been a lot of time to get hyped about the prospect.
What makes this a good match-up
Da Un Jung is the one who has had plenty of time to prepare for this fight. He’s been locked in to this card for months as they’ve rotated opponents in and out for him. Unfortunately for Jung, they locked in on the opponent with the best takedowns and the most suffocating top game. Jung is a guy who likes to do work in the clinch, which means he’s close enough to be taken down at all times. In his last fight he was able to get up after a few takedowns, but it may be harder to against the top pressure of Ibragimov.
Prelim Breakout Star Record: 180-75-1 (2 NC) (7 DNF)
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