FIRST EVER IN BAKU

Azerbaijan will host the world-famous UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) tournament for the first time. The UFC Fight Night event will take place on June 21 at the Crystal Hall in Baku.

The event is being organised through the joint efforts of UFC, the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Azerbaijan, and the Baku City Circuit Operating Company. The headline fight of the evening will feature former UFC light heavyweight champion Jamahal Hill against Khalil Rountree Jr.

To host this prestigious tournament in Baku, UFC President and CEO Dana White and Azerbaijan’s Minister of Youth and Sports Farid Gayibov signed a cooperation agreement in Miami.

Expected main card matchups:

Light Heavyweight

Jamahal Hill (US) vs. Khalil Rountree Jr. (US)

Heavyweight

Rizvan Kuniev (Russia) vs. Curtis Blades (US)

Flyweight

Kyoji Horiguchi (Japan) vs. Tagir Ulanbekov (Russia)

Lightweight

Rafael Fiziyev (Azerbaijan) vs. Ignacio Bahamondes (Chile)

Nazim Sadikhov (Azerbaijan) vs. Nicolas Motta (Brazil)

Heavyweight

Mohammed Usman (Nigeria) vs. Hamdy Abdelwahab (Egypt)

Women’s Flyweight

Irina Alekseeva (Russia) vs. Klaudia Sigula (Poland)

Melissa Mallin (UK) vs. Darya Zheleznyakova (Russia)

Preliminary fights:

Middleweight

Park Jung-Yeong (South Korea) vs. Ismail Naurdiev (Morocco)

The Baku event will also be remembered for the UFC debut of Azerbaijani MMA fighter Tofig Musayev on June 21. His first opponent is yet to be confirmed. Musayev, 35, last fought in November 2023 at the RIZIN tournament, where he knocked out Japanese fighter Koji Takeda in the third round. Musayev holds a record of 22 wins out of 27 MMA fights.

Ticket prices have already been announced, ranging from ₼100 to 1700 ₼ depending on the sector. According to the organisers’ seating plan, the arena is divided into sections with varying price categories. Despite the relatively high prices, a sell-out is expected due to strong interest from abroad. Most of the cheaper tickets have already sold out, and it is forecasted that all tickets may be gone by May.

Brief background

UFC was founded on November 12, 1993, as the world’s first international mixed martial arts championship. Thirty-two years ago, American businessman and martial arts enthusiast Art Davie created a project combining sport and television entertainment. The competition aimed to determine which martial art was strongest by pitting fighters from different disciplines against each other. The first UFC tournament, held in Denver in 1993, exceeded expectations in popularity. Television broadcast ratings broke records, prompting organisers to make the event a regular series. Royce Gracie, a Brazilian jiu-jitsu master who participated in the first fight, went on to win three UFC championship titles in total. Later, UFC’s rights were sold to another company, giving the project a new lease on life.

Currently, Dana White is the organiser of the UFC championship. Most events take place in Las Vegas, US. Fighters compete within their weight categories (120, 93, 84, 77, 70, 66, and 61 kg). Matches are held inside an eight-sided cage known as the octagon.

Prestigious competition

Many believe UFC fights are no-holds-barred brawls. However, UFC matches are governed by strict and detailed rules. Before each fight, the referee reminds fighters about prohibited strikes such as hitting the groin, back of the head or spine, eye gouging, biting opponents, and others. In addition to the referee inside the cage, side judges closely monitor the fight’s progress. Each match consists of three rounds lasting five minutes each. Judges decide the winner based on performance. The UFC champion receives a gold belt and a cash prize.

The UFC tournament is considered one of the most prestigious sporting events ever held in Azerbaijan. Millions of viewers from 165 countries watch these fights via television and online streaming platforms worldwide. Even when online broadcasts require payment, fans make every effort not to miss them.

Before the Baku event, a weigh-in ceremony for fighters will be held. More than 40 cameras will be involved in covering this ceremony. To ensure broadcast quality meets UFC standards, technical staff from abroad are expected to visit and assist with production.