UAE Warriors 68 & 69: Who to Watch

With UAE Warriors holding a double header this weekend, there are a lot of prospects to talk about across both cards. UAE Warriors 69 is definitely the stronger of the two, but UAE Warriors 68 has some sneaky, solid fighters as well. With former DWCS contestants, top prospects, and title fights, the cards are in a prime position to deliver.

UAE Warriors 68

Ananias Mulumba (9-3) – Featherweight

After a knockout loss in a fight of the season candidate on DWCS against Marwan Rahiki, Ananias Mulumba returns to UAE Warriors. That fight showed the highs of Mulumba’s game, with multiple knockdowns and takedowns for the Congolese fighter. It also showed the lows, with weaker control on top and a questionable gas tank that led to being finished. Mulumba carries big power in his hands and switches stances well, with good footwork and pressure. He swings wild, wide hooks from odd angles to set up his takedowns, but gets caught when he crashes in recklessly.
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His takedowns are a big part of his game, with double legs against the cage being the most favored. He takes advantage of slips and mistakes and defends takedowns well. Ground and pound is a strong suit, with big punches and massive elbows on top. His ground game lacks depth, and he struggles when unable to finish in dominant positions. Mulumba faces 23-8 veteran and former title challenger Ahmed Faress.

Ahmed Tarek (6-1) – Featherweight

A relentless grappler, “The Mental Rock” Ahmed Tarek has shown slick grappling skills. His early bodylock takedowns get the fight to the floor, with decent top control that leads to barrages of submission attempts. Tarek often loses control when chasing submissions, as he will aggressively attack a wide variety of them, especially off his back. His submission arsenal is impressive, with d’arce chokes transitioning into peruvian neckties and triangles being seamlessly worked into armbars. Tarek’s ground and pound is on the weaker side, but he can land some strong flurries of elbows when controlling. His submission defense is solid, staying calm while working out without panic.

It seems like Tarek could be more comfortable on his feet, as he looks for the takedown as soon as the bell rings. His chin may carry some questions, having been dropped by a partially blocked head kick in the past, which may be why he rushes the fight to the floor. Tarek is coming off a win over a 27-fight veteran and has only lost to Abdalrahman Alhyasat, who was dominating PFL Mena before a positive drug test. With Tarek’s experience there and a solid level of competition, his grappling could lead to more success. Tarek faces 2-0 Hamada Razzouk this Friday, a massive step down in terms of experienced opponents.

Khaled Amr (5-1) – Welterweight

Dating back to his first amateur fight, Khaled Amr has never seen the judges’ scorecards. In ten career fights, including his loss, all have been finished by TKO. That lone loss came in a war against Namo Fazil, who was just signed to compete on the MVP MMA card in May. Amr is an entertaining boxer, with quick combinations and a very active game plan. He has great boxing offense, featuring a sharp straight right hand and a clean, dictating jab. His pressure and volume are a joy to watch, breaking down opponents through constant engagement.

His biggest issue, as shown against Fazil, was his hands being down as he exited the pocket. He can get caught when moving out after landing, with his aggression also leading to him being taken down.  However, the Egyptian has strong reversals and getups on the mat. At just 22 years old, Amr is a very fun fighter with high upside if he can round out his game to pair with his slick boxing. Amr faces 3-1 Adel Ibrahim, who comes off a loss to Eliezer Kubanza almost 2.5 years ago.

Maysara Mohamed (9-2-1) – Flyweight

Coming into his fourth fight in UAE Warriors after a run in BRAVE, Maysara Mohamed is coming off a loss to Yamato Fujita. In that fight, Mohamed looked good with his dynamic kicking game and bouncy footwork, but was finished quickly once brought to the ground. Mohamed’s takedown defense is very good, with good balance and denials. However, his grappling issues once on the mat were evident, and he was trapped and subsequently submitted. Both of his career losses come via RNC, but if he can keep the fight on the feet, Mohamed is dangerous for any flyweight.

His quick hands and variety of kicks make him unpredictable, with nasty clinch work that leads to big strikes. Big knees and punches off the break define his dangerous clinch game, with spinning kicks and flying knees posing danger at range. Good head movement complements his striking game well, and he picks opponents apart from range with speed and fast footwork to skate out of the pocket. He targets the body well with both punches and kicks, and is very fun to watch on the feet. He looks to rebound from his loss against 5-1 Badr Attif in the Co-main Event.

UAE Warriors 69

Asaf Chopurov (9-0) – Flyweight

As the top prospect on our Top 25 Prospect Rankings, there may not be a fighter with higher expectations fighting this weekend. Asaf Chopurov is a machine, with a well-rounded style and great finishing instinct. He is an aggressive fighter, switching stances constantly while punching his way into grappling range. His hands are sharp at firing counters, although it would be nice to see him use his boxing more. Timing and accuracy when striking are both strengths as well, with fluid combinations and unpredictable elbows. He does, however, manage to chop away at the lead leg consistently, weakening the base of opponents before shooting in.

His takedowns come quickly and in multiple ways, followed by big ground and pound and heavy control. Chopurov excels in the bodylock position, where he can toss or just pull opponents to the floor. He slices through opponents’ guard with ease, moving to dominant positions where finishes come consistently. All four of his submission wins come by rear-naked choke, as Chopurov excels at taking the back and making opponents tap. He also scrambles out of bad positions fluently, making it tough to hold him down for long periods of time.

Chopurov’s last seven opponents combine for an insane 80-23 record. Five of those fighters had twice as much (or more) experience than him. Six of those wins have come by finish, including former ARES champion Demarte Pena, and the only decision against Bellator vet Nikita Mikhailov. His last two opponents, including Pena, have simply quit in the fight against Chopurov. Doing that against high-level opponents, and in back-to-back fights, is extremely impressive. After originally being scheduled against ONE FC veteran Reece McLaren, Chopurov will now be facing 14-6 Adriano Ramos. This marks Chopurov’s first title defense and first main event since joining UAE Warriors.

Magomed Tuchalov (5-0) vs. Caio Machado (13-4-1) – Light Heavyweight Championship

A former UFC fighter who was cut after being on the wrong end of three close decisions, Caio Machado has rebounded with a hot run on the regional scene. Coming off five-straight first-round finishes, including his last over former UFC fighter Tom Breese, Machado has looked rejuvenated at 205 pounds. Machado has been extremely active as well, with this being his sixth fight in the calendar year and having headlined UAE Warriors 67 in January. Machado has put a big focus on striking as of late, with all of his recent wins coming by TKO in different ways. He landed a flying knee KO over Kevin Oumar in his UAE Warriors debut, a 13-second body kick in Demolidor Fight, then some big ground and pound elbows to finish Breese.

Machado does well punishing aggression in the pocket, with big hooks and quick hands for the division. The southpaw fires off rear kicks with speed and precision, using them along with a pawing jab to manage range. He also gets flashy with some spinning backfists and the aforementioned flying knees, adding a new layer to his striking. His takedown defense has some holes, but he has good reversals and weight distribution off his back. Machado has used his ground-and-pound effectively in recent fights, opening up more ways to finish.

Machado’s opponent, Magomed Tuchalov, fought on the same card as him at UAE Warriors 67. The undefeated Russian has managed finishes in all five of his wins, never seeing a third round. Tuchalov has impressed with his kicking game, picking apart opponents at range, then crashing in with knees and punches. From there, he wraps them up in the clinch and tosses them to the mat. Tuchalov advances his position quickly and lands massive ground and pound when opponents attempt to escape. If they do manage to get to their feet, he drags them right back down and uses his weight to keep them there. His positioning in the grappling is strong, and it’s hard to shake him off once he has a hold on you.

When he senses overaggression, Tuchalov pounces with precise knees and elbows. His takedown defense is creative and allows him to remain safe even when taken down. He can threaten submissions and reverse out of bad positions to work to the top, but focuses on damage over control. Balance is also a key part of his takedown defense, being able to stay on one leg and still defend well. Tuchalov’s patience and timing while still being a high % finisher should be applauded. However, he’s in for his toughest test to date against Caio Machado.

Ayissi Bessala (1-0) – Middleweight

With only one fight across his pro and amateur career at this point, it’s too early to know much about Ayissi Bessala. His debut was a spectacle, however, and definitely put his name on the map early. An insane frame stood out immediately, followed by a devastating sub-two-minute knockout. Bessala sits behind a dictating jab, launching big punches over the top once opponents close the distance. A nasty left hook sits behind that jab and does some serious damage. He rocked his opponent with it early and unleashed another for a spectacular finish.

His opponent briefly took him down with a trip in his debut, but he immediately worked back to his feet. He seemed to have great hips and strength, but lacked the necessary technique in the clinch to defend. While it’s too early to truly know what Bessala’s ceiling is, it could be very high, and he should have an eye kept on him.

Farida Abdueva (6-1) – Strawweight

Former Octagon Strawweight Champion Farida Abdueva has built an impressive résumé at just 21 years old. In her debut fight with UAE Warriors, she faces 3-1 Muay Thai Specialist Fernanda Silva. With stifling body kicks and pestering low kicks, Abdueva has a heavy switch stance that works around her kicking game. Abdueva does some of her best work in the clinch, with nasty knees and clean elbows. She can also reverse a clinch position and defend takedowns with strength from there. Her strength in the clinch also translates to takedown offense, leading to strong and smothering top control.

Once Abdueva senses fatigue in opponents after grappling, she opens up with her boxing and can land some really nice short shots in the pocket. For more information on Abdueva, check out our “She’s Next” preview that we did ahead of her last fight.

Sundet Aytkul (12-2) – Featherweight

Another Octagon signee, similar to Abdueva, Sundet Aytkul already has a win in UAE Warriors. After beating 17-3 Guido Santos, Aktul has high expectations in the promotion. He earned the hype by finishing 11 fights, with his only decision coming in his last outing. The southpaw uses a big left hand to punish aggression while creating his own, firing it with great speed. Big knees up the middle and lead body kicks help diversify his striking. He stays active on the cage with those knees even when unable to secure the takedown initially. Good footwork allows him to evade strikes well on the feet and initiate exchanges on his timing. Aytkul’s combinations string together better as the fight goes on.

Takedowns come easily for the Kazakh fighter, who looks for slicing elbows and strong hammerfists on top. Despite a powerful left hand, most of Atkul’s finishes come with his rear-naked choke. His control on the mat and against the cage is impressive, and only opens up his striking more. He does a good job of remaining calm against strong grapplers and slowly working his way out of bad positions. If he does end up on his back, a slick butterfly guard allows for quick reversals. Aytkul also possesses a slick anaconda choke that he isn’t shy to use, giving him finishing ability in multiple ways. Aytkul faces 10-2 Magomedgadzhi Sirazhudinov, who comes off a four-year layoff.