Movlid Khaybulaev's bout has been removed from the card after his opponent, Asael Adjoudj, withdrew due to illness. A replacement opponent could not be found, leaving Khaybulaev without a fight on the event.
Movlid Khaybulaev will not fight on the upcoming card after his scheduled opponent, Asael Adjoudj, withdrew because of illness. No replacement could be found, and the bout has been removed from the event.
The cancellation leaves Khaybulaev, one of the more statistically unusual fighters in the sport, without a fight on the card. The story as reported does not say whether the matchup will be rescheduled.
Khaybulaev, a 35-year-old Russian nicknamed "KILLER," is 23-0-1 as a professional. He stands five-foot-six (168 cm) with a 70-inch (178 cm) reach, making him compact even by the standards of the lighter weight classes.
His numbers point to a grappling-first approach. Khaybulaev averages 20.89 takedowns per 15 minutes, a rate that suggests he looks to take fights to the mat almost relentlessly. His striking is efficient rather than voluminous: he lands 2.65 significant strikes per minute but connects at 75.71 percent accuracy, a figure that means roughly three of every four strikes he throws find the target. He has recorded no submission attempts per 15 minutes, so his offense is built on control and positional dominance rather than finishing holds.
The unbeaten record is also worth a closer look. With 23 wins and one draw, Khaybulaev has never tasted defeat, and every scheduled fight that falls through delays the next test of that run. At 35, time matters for any fighter trying to turn a perfect record into a title shot or a marquee matchup.
Why it matters
- Khaybulaev loses a scheduled opportunity to extend his unbeaten run, which stands at 24 professional bouts without a loss.
- Adjoudj's illness means the withdrawal is medical rather than a contract or weight issue, though no rescheduling has been reported.
- The failure to find a late replacement suggests the matchup was not easy to substitute, though the story does not explain why.
For now, Khaybulaev remains unbeaten and idle, with no date reported for his return.
