Ode Osbourne wants to show UFC debutant Asu Almabaev that there’s levels in this game.
Osbourne (12-5 MMA, 4-3 UFC) takes on Almabaev (17-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC) at UFC on ESPN 50 on Aug. 5 at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. Almabaev is on a 13-fight winning streak, with wins over former UFC fighters Chris Kelades and Zach Makovsky.
Osbourne has been training in Las Vegas with the likes of UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling, Bellator interim champ Patchy Mix, and top UFC flyweight contender Amir Albazi. He will look to put a halt to Kazakhstani fighter Almabaev’s momentum in statement-making fashion.
“My goal this fight is to – this guy is a (newcomer), he’s coming off I don’t even know how many wins, 17-2, but he’s not going to make a name off of me,” Osbourne told MMA Junkie Radio. “So, my goal is not just to win this fight, but to finish him because I’m not just somebody you can just make a name off of.
“So, I’m definitely looking to finish this guy and take it to him, just show what Ode Osbourne can do against a different kind of fighter because this guy is more of a grappler-wrestler type, so I’m interested in showing how dynamic of a fighter I am.”
If Osbourne gets past Almabaev, he will have won four of his past five fights which he thinks should be enough to land him a ranked opponent next.
“This fight, I haven’t really given it much thought other than that I want to face a top 15-ranked opponent in my next fight granted things go my way, which I believe it will,” Osbourne said.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 50.
UFC’s Ode Osbourne: Debuting Asu Almabaev ‘not going to make a name off of me’
