Not long after he moved to 3-0 within the UFC, Asu Almabayev says he’s got his next task.
Almabayev (20-2 MMA, 3-0 UFC) on Monday posted on social media to say he’s fighting Matheus Nicolau (19-4-1 MMA, 7-3 UFC) this fall. Although UFC officials haven’t formally announced the flyweight fight, Almabayev posted that it’s set for Oct. 19 at an event expected to be a Fight Night on the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
Almabayev, from Kazakhstan, in June won for the sixteenth straight time when he outworked Jose Johnson in Las Vegas. He was greater than a 5-1 favorite within the fight. That win got here on the heels of a choice over CJ Vergara in March in one other fight during which he was heavily favored.
Those odds surged within the wake of his UFC debut in August 2023, a second-round submission of Ode Osbourne. The previous Brave CF standout now will fight for the third time in 2024 in a flyweight division that’s hurting for brand new contenders for Alexandre Pantoja’s title.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – APRIL 27: (L-R) Matheus Nicolau of Brazil punches Alex Perez in a flyweight bout throughout the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on April 27, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
Brazil’s Nicolau might have been one in all those contenders not way back when he was on a six-fight winning streak, including his first 4 within the UFC. But in his two most up-to-date fights, he’s been knocked out by recent title challengers Brandon Royval and Alex Perez for the primary skid of his profession.
After his win over Johnson in June, which included a highlight-reel head kick that landed, but didn’t take Johnson out, Almabayev called out Kai Kara-France, but that matchup may have to attend. Kara-France meets recent title challenger Steve Erceg in three weeks in Perth, Australia, at UFC 305.
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