Ion Cutelaba vs. Magomed Tuchalov added to UFC Saudi Arabia card

Ion Cutelaba and Magomed Tuchalov have been added to the UFC Saudi Arabia card, MMA Junkie reported. Details of the bout, including the weight class and where it will sit on the card, have not been confirmed.

Cutelaba, a 32-year-old Southpaw from Moldova who trains with Timoshkov Sport Club, carries a record of 20-12-1. He is coming off a second-round TKO loss to Navajo Stirling on June 20 at UFC Fight Night: Kape vs. Horiguchi, his most recent recorded fight. That defeat followed a first-round submission win over Oumar Sy in March, so his last three recorded outings have alternated between losing, winning and losing. Cutelaba is known for relentless pressure, averaging 4.13 significant strikes landed per minute at 43 percent accuracy, along with 4.02 takedowns per 15 minutes.

Tuchalov, a 26-year-old Russian nicknamed "Wild," is unbeaten at 7-0. He trains with Dagestan Fighter and fights from an orthodox stance. His most recent recorded fight came on July 25 at UFC Fight Night: Ankalaev vs. Guskov, where he beat Brendson Ribeiro by unanimous decision over three rounds. UFC striking and grappling averages for Tuchalov are not yet on record.

Why it matters

• Experience against an unbeaten record: Cutelaba has 33 professional fights on his ledger, while Tuchalov has seven, all wins.
• Physical gap: Tuchalov is six years younger, two inches taller at six-foot-three against six-foot-one, and has a three-inch reach edge, 78 inches to 75.
• Form: Both men fought within the last five months, Tuchalov winning in July and Cutelaba losing in June.

The matchup sets a veteran known for high-volume offense and takedown attempts against a taller, longer opponent who has yet to taste defeat. Cutelaba's loss to Stirling and Tuchalov's decision win over Ribeiro will give both camps recent footage to study.