Lightweights
Nurullo Aliev (10-0; 2-0 UFC) vs. Shaqueme Rock (11-1-1; 0-0 UFC)Undefeated Tajik prospect Aliev faces the charismatic “Shem” Rock in this exciting lightweight feature.
It is a measure of how good the UFC lightweight division is that Aliev can continue to fly under the radar as he has. In just about any other weight class, except perhaps the ones immediately above and below his own, a 26-year-old with a 10-0 record and the skills and physical talents of the “Tajik Eagle” would be getting a lot more attention. He is a rangy 155-pounder, fast and fluid on the feet, with a sharp jab and right cross. He throws good volume but doesn’t deliver much power, perhaps in part due to his age, but mostly due to his commitment to mobility.
Aliev is an excellent wrestler, equally dangerous with a fast shot from the outside or an upper-body throw. While he is adept at securing takedowns and very active on top, looking to advance position while throwing strikes, he is not much of a finisher on the ground either. His ground-and-pound, like his standup, is busy but relatively low in power, but it is surprising that he has no submissions yet, considering how skilled his grappling is.
Rock will be a whole lot of fun for however long he sticks around in the UFC. In personality if not skill, he is almost like a bunch of the biggest UK and Irish MMA stars forming up like Voltron: a bit of Paddy Pimblett’s joyful goofiness, Michael Bisping’s megaton one-liners, Conor McGregor’s outrageousness and even some outlaw cachet a la Lee Murray—with the notable and extremely important distinction that Rock was innocent.
As a fighter, Rock is a lanky southpaw striker who uses his natural gifts well, working an outside kickboxing approach that takes full advantage of his long arms and legs. His right jab is a weapon, and he throws a bewildering array of kicks from both sides, targeting the legs, body and head of his opponents with dexterity and power. While his lanky frame doesn’t scream “wrestler,” especially in a British kickboxer, he has good timing and leverage for securing takedowns from the clinch, and uses that as a deterrent for shorter fighters who try and crash the pocket.
Rock’s defensive wrestling is not as good as his offensive wrestling, and while he is a serious submission threat, that threat is far greater when he is not starting from his back. That being the case, much of this fight hinges on the clash between Aliev’s offensive wrestling and Rock’s takedown defense. It feels as though the line should be much closer than it is; Rock is much more likely to hurt Aliev on the feet than vice versa, and while Aliev can and probably will take Rock down more than once, his difficulty in finding the finish there means he might be struggling against his opponent as well as the possibility of being stood back up. Nonetheless, the pick here is for Aliev to hold his own on the feet, secure takedowns in at least two of the rounds, and do enough work there to pick up a well-deserved decision win.
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