Takhir Abdullaev (19-3) and Jefferson Nascimento (13-0) will meet at welterweight at UFC Baku on June 27, with both fighters making their UFC debuts. The 29-year-old Abdullaev is a combat sambo master of sport who began wrestling at age 11 and competing in MMA at 16, turning professional in 2015 with stints in AMC Fight Nights, M-1 Global, and UAE Warriors. Seventeen of his 19 victories have come by finish.
A welterweight clash between Takhir Abdullaev and Jefferson Nascimento has been made official for UFC Baku on June 27, with both men set to make their promotional debuts on the same night.
Abdullaev enters the Octagon carrying a 19-3 professional record built across a decade of competition that stretches back to 2015. The 29-year-old Uzbek fighter is a combat sambo master of sport who took up wrestling at age 11 and began competing in MMA at just 16. His résumé includes stints in AMC Fight Nights, M-1 Global, and UAE Warriors, and he has been exceptionally difficult to last a full fight with — 17 of his 19 victories have come by finish.
Nascimento arrives undefeated at 13-0, making the matchup a contest between two fighters with something significant to prove on the biggest stage of their careers so far.
Why it matters
- Both fighters are making their UFC debuts, meaning the winner immediately earns a foothold in the welterweight division's pecking order.
- Abdullaev's sambo and wrestling base against an undefeated opponent creates a compelling stylistic test for each man's first Octagon appearance.
- A finish-heavy record on one side and a perfect professional mark on the other raise the stakes for what is already a notable debut matchup on the UFC Baku card.
