Lightweights
Abdul-Kareem Al-Selwady (15-3, 0-0 UFC) vs. Loik Radzhabov (17-5-1, 1-1 UFC)Al-Selwady’s performance on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2023 was one of the more pleasant surprises of the season. Faced with a hyped prospect in George Hardwick, Al-Selwady’s path to success figured to be the same as in his previous few fights, weaponizing his pace to try and swamp his opponent with wrestling. Instead, Al-Selwady suddenly broke out an effective range striking game that consistently outquicked Hardwick while still showing off the impressive cardio that marked his regional career. Given that shockingly complete performance, it will be fascinating to see how Al-Selwady fares going forward on the UFC roster, particularly since he gets a tough test off the bat. Radzhabov was a seasoned veteran who enjoyed a ton of success in the Professional Fighters League before getting the UFC call about a year ago, and the Tajik fighter has picked up where he left off inside the Octagon. His game centers around the consistent application of pressure striking to lead into some powerful wrestling, and while he might flag at points, he does a solid job of fighting through exhaustion to get his fights to the final horn. That was the name of the game in his debut win over Esteban Ribovics, though Radzhabov then turned around to suffer the first finish of his career against Mateusz Rebecki, who has been surging through the lightweight division in his own right. Radzhabov could wind up being powerful and dogged enough to grind this out, but given Al-Selwady’s last showing, the UFC newcomer gets the benefit of the doubt between his versatility and excellent gas tank. The pick is Al-Selwady via decision.
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