UAE Warriors is one of the best promotions in the world. In fact, it should be more of a feeder league to the UFC, considering the talent they have. Also, the promotion being on UFC Fight Pass should be more of a pipeline to the UFC for their athletes. They constantly put on great cards. The production is solid, and their matchmaking and ability to find fighters from all over the world is top-notch.
I could be wrong, but I believe the main event is, for the first time, a women’s fight. A damn good one at that, being Lany Silva (7-2) and Michele Oliveira (5-1). This is in the strawweight division for the UAE Warriors 115-pound title. This will be only the second time the promotion has crowned a strawweight champion, as Jacinta Austin won it last year.
Lany Silva is coming off a loss, unfortunately losing her LFA title. When you see that Aieza Bertolso is who she lost to, that’s completely fine. Silva is a national kickboxing champion turned MMA fighter. Silva overwhelms opponents with elite striking, high volume, punishing body shots, and relentless pressure. She excels in the clinch and maintains a relentless pace throughout her fights. Silva’s ground game is coming along, slowly but surely. With time, Silva is gonna fill out in the division and be a force.
A BJJ black belt and former IMMAF world champion (2017), Michele Oliveira was once seen as one of Brazil’s top rising prospects. She suffered a narrow split decision loss to current UFC fighter Stephanie Luciano in 2021, then stepped away to recover from knee surgery and other health setbacks. Oliveira’s wrestling is strong, and her grappling remains a clear strength, but questions remain about where she currently stands. Still, her pedigree and past performances suggest she’s still a name worth keeping an eye on.
Silva has to be the side here. She’s younger, has beaten and fought a higher level of competition, and is more proven. Oliveira’s path is to utilize her grappling, where Silva has struggled the most. Silva’s two losses come from a physicality disadvantage, but Oliveira doesn’t bring that in this fight. She’s more of Silva’s size, and her wrestling isn’t great. When she can’t get takedowns, Silva should be able to take the bull by the horns in the stand-up.
Another fight that could push the winner to the next level is a middleweight bout between Abdurakhman Alimagomedov (12-1) and Anvarbek Daniyalbekov (11-0). I scouted Alimagomedov over three years ago, but he’s only fought once since then. I first noticed Daniyalbekov when he was scheduled to fight on the Contender Series last year, but he pulled out.
Akimagomedov is a classic Dagestani wrestler with strong cardio and top control. He times his shots well, can wrestle from range or against the cage, and stays busy advancing position—often moving to mount or crucifix. On top, he’s heavy, active, and dangerous with both ground-and-pound and submissions. The issue is that his skill set is limited—he’s great on the ground but offers little beyond that. His striking is basic, his footwork inconsistent, and he sometimes hesitates after closing distance.
I wasn’t impressed with Daniyalbekov heading into his Contender Series fight, but he turned out to be better than I expected. A forward-moving power puncher, Daniyalbekov fights with clear urgency to end things fast. His explosive combinations and precise, heavy hands often decide fights within the first few minutes. He sets the pace immediately, managing range well and timing entries to create finishing openings. His defensive wrestling holds up under pressure, and when grounded, he stays calm and works efficiently to reverse position.
For Akimagomedov to win this, he has to be so dominant in the wrestling and ground game. He’s too limited to compete with Daniyalbekov on the feet, so he’ll need to rely on his wrestling and grappling. Daniyalbekov can be taken down, but he stays composed and works well to get back to his feet. I do strongly favor Daniyalbekov because he is the better martial artist by a good margin.
At 31 years old, Furkatbek Yokubov (15-4) has a chance to earn a UFC contract with an impressive win. He competed on the last season of TUF, falling short in a stacked flyweight field, but there’s no shame in that. Since then, he’s bounced back with a victory and now faces Ruel Pañales (6-3, 1 NC) this week.
Yokubov brings vast combat sports experience, with nineteen MMA bouts, plus kickboxing and boxing bouts. A decorated athlete, he’s a three-time kickboxing world champion and multi-time Asian, international, and national champion. A dynamic striker with knockout power, he’s equally dangerous on the mat. One of the more explosive 125ers that you will see outside the UFC.
Another former TUF competitor fighting on this card is Shamidkhan Magomedov (10-1). He did end up losing on TUF, but to his credit, he was fighting up at middleweight. He’s fighting for the UAE Warriors, but he’s the current LFA reigning welterweight champion. His style, by many, was considered boring, but in his last two performances, he’s leveled up and shown more urgency.
Magomedov throws a good jab and is an excellent counterstriker. I do wish he’d strike more because it’s looked good in moments. His wrestling is good, and he’s a grinder on top. Although he can move slowly, Magomedov is a good positional grappler. He never rushes anything; he’s always patient. A fight this week against a 36-year-old can crush should continue to build his momentum.
This Mehemmedeli Osmanli (11-0) vs. Bakhtovar Yunusov (10-0-1) matchup looks intriguing on paper, but to me, it’s more about one fighter than the fight itself. Yunusov once carried some buzz as a rising prospect, but his recent draw against a journeyman really took the shine off his momentum. The 21-year-old Osmanli is one of the more interesting prospects on this card.
Osmanli started pro-MMA with no amateur experience at 16. He did start off fighting cans, but it was expected, and he did become a double champ at 125 and 135. A win over Faeez Jacobs earlier this year suggests he is a top prospect to watch for. Osmanli is a relentless pressure grappler with elite cardio and a deep submission game. His win over veteran Faeez Jacobs showed he can sustain his wrestling pace for three rounds. While his striking continues to improve, he’s gonna be a force more than he already is.
Arguably, the best prospect on the entire card is Basir Saraliev (7-1). Saraliev has fought at various weight classes, starting at 135 to 145 to 155, and now fighting at welterweight. He’s fought his career through the ACA promotion and has fought stern competition along the way. He’s now out of his ACA contract and with the UAE Warriors, so the UFC or another big promotion could be on the horizon.
Saraliev is a legitimate prospect, as many hardcore fans would agree. I’m not fully sold yet, but a big win here could change that. He’s got a stiff jab that he’ll double up on and rely on more as the fight progresses. In the pocket, he’s nasty—ripping combinations to the body before coming up the middle or over the top with sharp, dirty boxing. Though hittable at times, he manages range well, darting in and out to attack in bursts.
Defensively, his takedown defense isn’t great, but he scrambles well off his back and is difficult to hold down—plus, he’s dangerous with three guillotine finishes to his name. Offensively, Saraliev is a strong wrestler with a slick single-leg dump. He shoots deep, sits his weight to break the base, then wraps over the far shoulder and drives his hips to lift and turn his opponent before dumping them to the mat and landing on top to control or finish.
Saraliev faces Shakhban Alkhasov (7-2), a stylistic matchup unlike most of his previous opponents. Alkhasov is a skilled submission grappler, but he tends to unravel when pressured. If Saraliev stays composed and applies his usual pace, he should be able to take over and secure the finish.
If you were to tell me there would be one world champion to come from this card, my immediate thought would be Pavel Andrusca (6-0). Andrusca is a 23-year-old bantamweight from Moldova who’s looked fantastic so far. The young man is a two-time European Bronze Medalist in the Freestyle Wrestling Championship. Andrusca won the Vandetta FN belt and defended it twice, and is now making his UAE Warriors debut.
Andrusca is an absolutely serious wrestler. He does a great job of setting up his takedowns and executing in space or against the cage. If needed, he can chain-wrestle at a high level. Andrusca throws ferocious ground and pound from either wrist rides, or smashing his way into guard passes. Grappling is also a great tool of his, as he’s only got one sub win, but he’s controlling and improving his position.
Andrusca doesn’t have any glaring holes. He hasn’t spent much time striking, but he hasn’t had to because his wrestling comes so naturally. He does at least look confident. Andrusca punches his way into takedowns well, using nice feints, and has displayed knockout power before. Andrusca fights Daermisi Zhawupasi, who is an RTU alum and by far his toughest test to date.
Honorable Mentions
• Middleweight, Khaled Laallam (7-0). Not sold on Laallam but he is a talented grappler and in a division that needs all the talent it can get.
• Flyweight, Yamato Fujita (14-5). A 33-year-old flyweight isn’t ideal but he’s a talented fighter and test for anyone.
• Light-heavyweight, Nutsalkhan Magomedov (2-0). Tape is bare but is a 205er and a Combat Sambo World Champ