Azerbaijan UFC athletes force to reckon with

Article posted by Coliseum, May 5^th, 2025

Image: Crystal Hall Baku, Zeljko Joksimovic, CC BY 2.0

The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization, in partnership with the Ministry of Youth and Sports of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Baku City Circuit (BCC) Operations Company (a motor racing circuit in Baku, Azerbaijan), recently announced UFC’s debut event in Baku, Azerbaijan on June 21^st at the Baku Crystal Hall.

‘UFC’ stated that an epic main event will see the former UFC light heavyweight champion and No. 4-ranked contender Jamahal Hill (American mixed martial artist) take on the No. 7-ranked Khalil Rountree Jr (American mixed martial artist).

The Azerbaijani athletes are rapidly emerging as a formidable presence in UFC showcasing world-class wrestling, striking and grit. Fighters like Rafael Fiziev (Azerbaijani mixed martial artist) have delivered dominant performances against elite opponents including former lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos (Brazilian-American mixed martial artist) and King Green (American mixed martial artist).

The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada (US). It is owned and operated by the TKO Group Holdings (American media conglomerate), a majority-owned subsidiary of the Endeavor Group Holdings (American holding company for talent and media agencies).

‘UFC’ further stated that the partnership was announced at a signing ceremony with the UFC President and head honcho Dana White and the Minister of Youth and Sports Azerbaijan Farid Gayibov in Miami (US) recently.

Observed Dana White, UFC President and head honcho, “Azerbaijan and the City of Baku have an incredible history of hosting massive global sporting events. We have so many great athletes from in and around this country that it was a natural next destination for us. I’m excited to have our debut event there on June 21^st.”

The Minister of Youth and Sports of Azerbaijan Farid Gayibov emphasized the significance of the event in advancing Azerbaijan’s role in the international sports community while stating, “Hosting UFC in Baku marks another significant milestone in our efforts to develop Azerbaijan as a regional sports leader. Thanks to President Ilham Aliyev’s unwavering support and attention along with his successful sports policy Azerbaijan has gained international recognition in the world of sports – and the City of Baku has established itself as a key hub for the major global sporting events. This partnership with the UFC further strengthens our reputation as a global sports hub showcasing our commitment to sports development and international cooperation.”

Maintained Maqsud Farzullaev, General Director of Baku City Circuit Operations Company, “After our successful collaboration with Formula 1 partnering with the UFC is an extraordinary next step for Baku. This event will not only highlight the City’s world-class facilities but also elevate Azerbaijan’s prominence on the global sporting stage. We are proud to contribute to the growth of UFC and combat sports in the region further solidifying Baku as a go-to destination for major international sports.”

Former champion Hill (12-3 1NC, fighting out of Michigan, United States) aims to make a quick return to the Octagon® for his second bout of 2025. The first Dana White’s Contender Series alum to become an undisputed UFC champion he earned his way to the title with wins over the Brazilian mixed martial artists Thiago Santos, Johnny Walker and Jimmy Crute (Australian mixed martial artist). Hill now plans to make a statement against Rountree Jr. and turn his attention to the championship picture.

Rountree Jr. (14-6 1NC, fighting out of Nevada, United States) competes for the first time since his valiant Fight of the Night effort against Alex Pereira (Brazilian mixed martial artist and former kickboxer) at UFC 307 last October. A devastating striker with nine of his 13 wins coming by way of knockout (KO), Rountree Jr. has entertained fans with his victories over Chris Daukaus (American mixed martial artist), Karl Roberson (American former kickboxer and mixed martial artist) and Modestas Bukauskas (Lithuanian-British mixed martial artist). He now looks to take Hill’s spot in the top five with another signature performance.

Also featuring on this stacked card will be the highly anticipated return of Kyoji Horiguchi (Japanese mixed martial artist) (34-5, fighting out of Florida, United States, by way of Gunma, Japan) as he aims to become the first ever Japanese UFC champion. Standing in his way will be the No. 10-ranked flyweight Tagir Ulanbekov (Russian mixed martial artist) (16-2, fighting out of Makhachkala, Russia) who is training under the former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov (Russian former mixed martial artist) and also has his eyes on the top of the flyweight division.

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