Hasanov isn’t the signing I wanted for the UFC Baku card, but it’s one I’m fine with. He’s a name I wasn’t expecting to hear sign with the UFC. He’s only 5-0, and although he went 3-0 in LFA, all of those fights were on the prelims. The Contender Series probably would’ve made more sense. Still, I understand the move. He’s from the region, you can always expect him to bring it, and at 30 years old, there’s no reason to waste more time.
There isn’t a ton to his striking. He’s not bad on the feet, just limited. With Hasanov, you can almost always expect a jab, lead left hook, and either an overhand right or a looping right hook. Early in fights, he’ll pressure heavily and blitz forward with a barrage of punches. It’s messy, but it’s a freight train style that’s difficult to prepare for.
Hasanov comes from a freestyle wrestling background, and while it shows, it hasn’t been as dominant as you’d expect. His entries aren’t great because he stands too upright to consistently get good angles. At times, it feels like he abandons attempts if the first step doesn’t work out. When he does commit to working along the cage, though, he can secure takedowns from the body lock while mixing in singles and ankle picks.
If the rear-naked choke is there, Hasanov can capitalize on it, but he’d much rather maul opponents with ground and pound. He’s constantly looking to do damage, even from inside full guard. Control isn’t really his strength, but he’s at his best when he stays active in position and transitions once openings present themselves.
The fight with Luke Roberts answered a lot of questions about Hasanov. He slowed down significantly and was forced onto the back foot. On the positive side, while he faded, he didn’t completely gas out. He relied more on his jab and fought conservatively to manage his energy. Even late in the fight, he was still defending takedowns well and fighting with strength. Moving forward, I could see kicks being an issue for him. Roberts exposed some vulnerability to leg kicks, and the body kicks are there as well because Hasanov often fails to tuck his elbow in.
Overall, at 30 years old, there probably isn’t going to be a massive improvement. He’s also not going to run through many UFC welterweights the way he has on the regional scene. To go further, Hasanov needs to use more feints, set things up better, and improve the technical side of his game. Still, I’d pick him to beat at least twenty of the seventy-one welterweights currently on the UFC roster.
Hasanov will make his UFC debut on June 27th at UFC Baku. He takes on Eric Nolan (8-4, 0-1 UFC)
