Preview: UFC Baku Prelims

Middleweights

Jun Yong Park (18-6, 8-3 UFC) vs. Ismail Naurdiev (24-7, 3-2 UFC)

ODDS: Park (-180), Naurdiev (+150)

Naurdiev’s return to the UFC in October was a bit of a surprise, but at least “The Austrian Wonderboy” made good on the opportunity. Naurdiev initially came to the UFC in 2019 while still in his early 20s, and he had a four-fight run that was hard to parse. He announced himself with a massive upset of Michel Prazeres in which he looked every bit the sharp striker as advertised, then lost what appeared to be a clear showcase fight against Chance Rencountre before splitting his last two fights and leaving the promotion. It was assumed that Naurdiev would eventually work his way back to a major stage given his youth and talent, but that looked unlikely by the end of 2022, as his offensively focused approach walked him into two straight finishes. However, Naurdiev’s lone fight of 2023 saw him score a quick win of his own, and that was apparently enough to put him back on the UFC’s radar, as he was a surprising addition to the UFC 308 undercard opposite Bruno Silva. Naurdiev looked decent enough in winning a clear decision over “Blindado,” though most of the talk coming out of the fight was about the mental struggles Silva has gone through late in his career. Naurdiev now looks for a much more meaningful win against Park. South Korea’s Park has been a welcome addition to the UFC roster in his nearly six years with the promotion, as “The Iron Turtle” has done well to adjust his approach and maximize his success over the years. Initially a dedicated counterstriker, Park eventually built out a solid wrestling game that has made him a perennially tough out, allowing him to march forward and hold his own in exchanges while constantly threatening his opponents with a takedown. Park has hit a ceiling enough times—usually against standout grapplers, though Gregory Rodrigues did beat him in an all-out striking war—that he seems destined to top out just outside of the UFC’s middleweight rankings. However, every step back from that level of competition has seen Park gut his way to victory in impressive fashion. This figures to be a frustrating fight for Park given how much Naurdiev fashions himself as an elusive striker, but the Korean should be able to track him down at some point and get the ball rolling towards a victory. The pick is Park via decision.

Jump To »
Ko vs. Elliott
Park vs. Naurdiev
Mullins vs. Zheleznyakova
Alekseeva vs. Sygula
Ulanbekov vs. Maksum
Abdelwahab vs. Usman