Abus Magomedov stopped Michal Oleksiejczuk in the first round at UFC Baku, dropping him with an elbow before finishing the fight with a rear-naked choke. After the victory, Magomedov called out Israel Adesanya, stating the two are now at a similar level.
Abus Magomedov delivered a statement performance at UFC Baku on June 27, finishing Michal Oleksiejczuk in the first round with a rear-naked choke after dropping him with a sharp elbow. Following the stoppage, Magomedov called out Israel Adesanya, claiming the two fighters are now operating at a similar level.
Magomedov, who improves to 29-7-1 with the win, is a 35-year-old orthodox middleweight standing six-foot-two with a 78-inch reach. He is a well-rounded threat, averaging 2.61 takedowns per 15 minutes alongside 0.4 submission attempts per 15 minutes — a rate that underscores the finishing ability he displayed against Oleksiejczuk.
Oleksiejczuk, a 31-year-old Polish southpaw known as "Hussar," drops to 22-10-0. He came in as one of the division's more active strikers, landing 5.85 significant strikes per minute at 53 percent accuracy, but he was unable to keep the fight on the feet long enough to make those numbers count. He trains out of Akademia Sportow Walki Wilanow and stands six feet tall with a 74-inch reach.
The fighter Magomedov called out, Israel Adesanya, carries a 24-6-0 record and is currently ranked eighth in the middleweight division. The 36-year-old Nigerian known as "The Last Stylebender" trains out of City Kickboxing and presents one of the sport's most decorated striking résumés, standing six-foot-four with an 80-inch reach.
Why it matters
- A win over Oleksiejczuk, combined with a loud callout, positions Magomedov to push for a ranked middleweight opponent next.
- Adesanya sits at number eight in the division, meaning a matchup would have immediate rankings implications for both fighters.
- The stylistic contrast is stark — Magomedov's grappling-heavy approach against Adesanya's elite, high-volume striking would make for a compelling puzzle.
