Damir Ismagulov: Guram Kutateladze a good opponent, but I deserve someone with a bigger name, from top 15

AUSTIN, Texas – Damir Ismagulov expected different kind of matchmaking for his next fight.

Currently riding a 15-fight winning streak, Ismagulov (23-1 MMA, 4-0 UFC) is unbeaten in the UFC. He holds wins over the likes of Joel Alvarez and Thiago Moises, which he expected to catapult him to ranked opposition.

Instead he meets dangerous prospect Guram Kutateladze (12-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC), who’s only competed once in the UFC in October 2020. The pair square off on Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 37 main card.

“I’m sure he’s a good opponent, but also I believe that I deserve someone with a bigger name, someone from the top 15,” Ismagulov said at Wednesday’s media day in Austin, Texas.

“I just want to enter top 15, top-10 rankings. I believe I can compete with these guys. I believe I can beat them. So most guys that are right now at the top, I believe I can beat them.”

If Ismagulov gets past Kutateladze, he plans on letting the UFC know that he wants a top-ranked opponent next.

“If everything goes smoothly on Saturday and I get the win because I have a very good opponent in front of me, after that, I believe I deserve someone from the top because I want to fight the best and I want to fight more often.”

Check out Ismagulov’s full interview in the video above.

UFC on ESPN 37 takes place Saturday at Moody Center in Austin, Texas. The card airs on ESPN and streams on ESPN+.