Tofiq Musayev
Azerbaijan
Takes decision for first UFC win
Musayev defeated Ignacio Bahamondes via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-27, 30-27) at UFC Fight Night on Saturday in Seattle.
ANALYSIS
A former Rizin standout and Bellator competitor, Musayev made his UFC debut last June, suffering a first-round submission loss to the supremely underrated Myktybek Orolbai. He looked much better here, although it took him a round-plus to find his range. Everything changed when Musayev was able to land a brutal elbow to the face of Bahamondes from top position early in Round 2. A massive cut was opened up on the spot, and it wouldn't stop bleeding the rest of the way. From there, Musayev simply stuck to his opponent in an effort to grind him into submission, He didn't get the stoppage, but the decision victory was a formality once the final bell rang. It would ultimately earn both men $100,000 Fight of the Night bonuses. Based on what we saw tonight, Musayev is worth keeping an eye on at 155 pounds. The main issue is that he'll be 37 years old in December.
A former Rizin standout and Bellator competitor, Musayev made his UFC debut last June, suffering a first-round submission loss to the supremely underrated Myktybek Orolbai. He looked much better here, although it took him a round-plus to find his range. Everything changed when Musayev was able to land a brutal elbow to the face of Bahamondes from top position early in Round 2. A massive cut was opened up on the spot, and it wouldn't stop bleeding the rest of the way. From there, Musayev simply stuck to his opponent in an effort to grind him into submission, He didn't get the stoppage, but the decision victory was a formality once the final bell rang. It would ultimately earn both men $100,000 Fight of the Night bonuses. Based on what we saw tonight, Musayev is worth keeping an eye on at 155 pounds. The main issue is that he'll be 37 years old in December.
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Fighting new opponent
Musayev will now face off against Ignacio Bahamondes at UFC Seattle on Mar. 28, Marcel Dorff of Eurosport.nl reports.
ANALYSIS
Musayev will face off against 28-year-old Chilean fighter, Ignacio Bahamondes who will have a significant UFC experience gap on the 36-year-old Azerbaijanian. Musayev will look to bounce back after dropping his UFC debut against Myktybek Orolbai last June.
Musayev will face off against 28-year-old Chilean fighter, Ignacio Bahamondes who will have a significant UFC experience gap on the 36-year-old Azerbaijanian. Musayev will look to bounce back after dropping his UFC debut against Myktybek Orolbai last June.
Fight moved to Seattle
Musayev will now fight Samuel Sanches at UFC Seattle on March 28, Nolan King of USA Today reports.
ANALYSIS
Originally scheduled for April 4, Musayev's fight against Sanches will now occur a week earlier. Musayev will be seeking redemption after losing his UFC debut against Myktybek Orolbai in June.
Originally scheduled for April 4, Musayev's fight against Sanches will now occur a week earlier. Musayev will be seeking redemption after losing his UFC debut against Myktybek Orolbai in June.
Next fight lined up
Musayev will face off against Samuel Sanches on April 4 at UFC Las Vegas, Nolan King of MMA Junkie reports.
ANALYSIS
Musayev fell in his UFC debut in June of 2025 to Myktybek Orolbai via submission, so he's on the hunt for redemption. Musayev will face a fighter in Sanches who also has limited UFC experience, as the 23-year-old recently earned a contract after impressing on Dana White's Contender Series.
Musayev fell in his UFC debut in June of 2025 to Myktybek Orolbai via submission, so he's on the hunt for redemption. Musayev will face a fighter in Sanches who also has limited UFC experience, as the 23-year-old recently earned a contract after impressing on Dana White's Contender Series.
Drops UFC debut in hometown
Musayev lost to Myktybek Orolbai via submission (kimura) at 4:35 of Round 1 at UFC Fight Night on Saturday in Baku, Azerbaijan.
ANALYSIS
A former Rizin standout, Musayev made his UFC debut here in his native Azerbaijan. He hadn't fought since November 2023 and is now 35 years old. Not surprisingly, Tofiq was never able to get out of the starting block. He gave up three takedowns and 3:40 worth of control time to Orolbai, eliminating any chance he had of getting to his difference-making power. Orolbai is not an easy debut opponent, and that must be taken into account, but there are real questions regarding how much gas Musayev has left in the tank in what is clearly the latter stages of his career.
A former Rizin standout, Musayev made his UFC debut here in his native Azerbaijan. He hadn't fought since November 2023 and is now 35 years old. Not surprisingly, Tofiq was never able to get out of the starting block. He gave up three takedowns and 3:40 worth of control time to Orolbai, eliminating any chance he had of getting to his difference-making power. Orolbai is not an easy debut opponent, and that must be taken into account, but there are real questions regarding how much gas Musayev has left in the tank in what is clearly the latter stages of his career.
Orolbai fight at 165
Musayev is scheduled to compete against Myktybek Orolbai in a 165-pound catchweight fight at UFC Baku on Saturday, per Nolan King of MMA Junkie.
ANALYSIS
It is unclear why Musayev and Orolbai's upcoming fight has their weights 10 pounds above the UFC's lightweight limit, but that will be the case. At the very least, Musayev's promotion debut is kept intact.
It is unclear why Musayev and Orolbai's upcoming fight has their weights 10 pounds above the UFC's lightweight limit, but that will be the case. At the very least, Musayev's promotion debut is kept intact.