Fighters from around the globe dream of the day they’ll step into the UFC octagon for the first time. For four athletes, Saturday’s UFC on ESPN+ 30 event marked that special moment in their respective careers.
Check out this week’s rookie report to see what kind of first impression they made on the sport’s biggest stage from Flash Forum on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi.
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Carlos Felipe
Division: Heavyweight
Result: Serghei Spivac def. Carlos Felipe via majority decision (28-28, 29-27, 29-27)
Record: (8-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
Grade: D
Carlos Felipe bounded out of his corner for his UFC debut with bags of enthusiasm. But, despite an encouraging start, the Brazilian ended up on the wrong end of a majority decision against Moldovan Serghei Spivak.
Felipe looked full of energy at the start of the first round as he looked to establish his boxing straight away. He enjoyed some success with it, too, as he connected with a number of fast punches.
But as the fight wore on and Felipe’s pace started to ease off, Spivak got a foothold in the matchup and, when the Moldovan switched from striking to wrestling in the final round, the Brazilian had no answer as he lost an ill-tempered matchup on the scorecards.
The pair looked ready for a fourth round after the decision was read, but the damage had already been done and Felipe had suffered his first professional loss.
Next up: Nightmare debut for former TKO champ
Malcolm Gordon
Division: Flyweight
Result: Amir Albazi def. Malcolm Gordon via submission (triangle choke) – Round 1, 4:42
Record: (12-4 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
Grade: D-
Malcolm Gordon’s UFC debut proved to be a night to forget for the Canadian as he suffered a first-round submission defeat to fellow debutant Amir Albazi.
Gordon looked to establish his leg kicks early, but found himself pushed onto the back foot by Albazi’s forward pressure and high-output boxing.
The former TKO athlete struggled to make much of an impression with his striking, then he was taken to the mat, where he was dominated by the London Shootfighters man, who worked his way into position to lock up a triangle choke for the win.
All in all, it was a frustrating night for Gordon, who didn’t get to show us the form that took him to the TKO flyweight championship.
Next up: “The Prince” reigns on “UFC Fight Island”
Amir Albazi
Division: Flyweight
Result: Amir Albazi def. Malcolm Gordon via submission (triangle choke) – Round 1, 4:42
Record: (13-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC)
Grade: A
London Shootfighters-trained flyweight Amir Albazi had already tasted life in a big promotion from his time with Bellator and Brave CF, and that big-stage experience proved more than useful as he stepped into the UFC octagon for the first time on remarkably short notice at UFC Fight Island.
Albazi looked like a man destined for big things at 125 pounds as he dominated fellow debutant Malcolm Gordon to earn an attention-grabbing first-round submission.
Albazi looked by far the more relaxed of the two debutants and immediately established his striking with some solid boxing in the early exchanges. Then, when he switched gears and took the action to the floor, he looked the superior athlete in the grappling exchanges, too.
After keeping Gordon on the mat, Albazi used his opponent’s attempt to improve position to switch from top position to his back as he locked up a triangle choke and forced the tap. To give up a dominant position on top to chase a submission from the bottom showed just how confident Albazi felt in the fight, and on the ground, as he scored one of the most impressive wins of the night.
The Swede’s performance was even more impressive when you consider the fact that he got the call to fight just three hours before he needed to enter pre-travel quarantine. It meant he had virtually no time to prepare for the matchup, but “The Price” proved that he was more than good enough to prevail on his octagon debut.
Next up: Georgian 205er claims highlight-reel KO
Roman Dolidze
Division: Light heavyweight
Result: Roman Dolidze def. Khadis Ibragimov via TKO (strikes) – Round 1, 4:15
Record: (7-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC)
Grade: B
Georgia’s Roman Dolidze arrived in the UFC and showed the sort of calmness and composure you’d expect from an undefeated prospect as he worked out the striking cadence of his opponent, then connected with a thumping knee to the chin that saw him claim a highlight-reel knockout on his octagon debut.
Dolidze started slowly, but calmly, as he kept out of Khadis Ibragimov’s striking range, while assessing the Russian’s style. There was a brief moment of concern when he was swept to the mat. But while he seemed more than willing to allow Ibragimov to join him on the canvas, his opponent wanted things back on the feet.
That proved to be a benefit for Dolidze, who stepped up his striking and caught Ibragimov with a roundhouse knee that kicked off his UFC career in spectacular fashion.
The UFC are looking for new contenders to help pack out the 205-pound division, and if Dolidze can stay active and string together a few stoppage wins, it won’t be long before he finds himself in there with one of the division’s bigger names.
