Rashid Vagabov
14-2 | 27 | Russia
Vagabov had his chance to get into the UFC as he fought on the Contender Series last season. Even though he won a dominant decision, Dana wasn’t a fan of his performance and didn’t give him a contract. I believe he looked solid and proved to be UFC-level, but on the Contender Series, you kindly have to put it all out there to please the boss. The silver lining is that he won and is still young enough that he will eventually get him another chance.
His game is built around relentless wrestling and strong grappling. He times his entries well, shooting off his own strikes or slipping punches, and if his first attempt is stuffed, he quickly reshoots until he finds success, making him difficult to stop once he’s on the hips without elite takedown defense. On the mat, he’s patient and calculated, mixing steady ground-and-pound with positional advances and showing a smooth back take paired with a tight choke when the neck is available. While his wrestling is clearly elite, the key question is how far it can carry him given his limited striking, as he’s disciplined and mistake-free on the feet but offers little threat beyond setting up the takedown and avoiding unnecessary exchanges.
His style may not be made for the Contender Series to impress enough to get a contract. To be fair, the guy he beat was pretty good and doesn’t get enough respect for that. Give him another chance next season or a short-notice replacement because he’s UFC-level.
Muhidin Abubakr is definitely a future UFC Champ