‘I Promise To Get Better’

UFC Vegas 87 went down this past weekend (Sat., March 2, 2024) inside UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada, leaving several fighters feeling the post-fight blues. Among them was Jamie Pickett, who suffered his fifth straight loss inside the Octagon, prompting him to retire from the sport.

And Alex Perez, who suffered his third straight defeat after coming up short against Muhammad Mokaev. But, which fighter is suffering from the worst post-fight hangover, now a few days removed from the show?

Shamil Gaziev.

Coming into his first-ever UFC headlining opportunity, Gaziev was riding high with 12 straight wins, which included an impressive second round knockout win over Martin Buday in his Octagon debut in Dec. 2023. Still, not everyone was pleased that this fight was actually a main event.

And after 25 minutes of “action,” it was easy to see the reason(s).

The bout was lacking in all facets, and it was in large part because Gaziev was exhausted after the first round. And that’s where the problem lies, most big men are not conditioned to go 25 minutes. Indeed, the majority of Heavyweight bouts end via spectacular knockout in the first couple of rounds, and if it goes the distance — more often than not — it’s a lackadaisical affair. After all, not every 265-pound athlete has that infamous sea-level Cain Velasquez cardio.

Of Gaziev’s 12 wins, 11 of them have come via stoppage, so that’s where he shines.

In the end, the fight was waived off before the fifth round after the referee on duty put an end to the action between rounds. It didn’t look as if Gaziev wanted to go out there, anyway.

Despite the poor outing, Gaziev is determined to bounce back.

“First of all congratulations Jair Rozenstruik, good job today,” Gaziev wrote on Twitter. “Got eye and nose damage in 2nd round and couldn’t follow fight plan. If anyone thinks it will break me, I will disappoint you, I’m going to return gym in the coming days and I promise my fans to get better.”

As far as what’s next for the Bahraini, perhaps a fight against the loser of the upcoming Heavyweight fight between Mohammed Usman vs. Mick Parkin is in order. The two big men are set to collide at the upcoming UFC Vegas 89 event on March 23, 2024.

Sure, neither of those men will be giving Gaziev another chance to headline a card, but did he really deserve this one after just one fight inside the Octagon? Gaziev will probably head back to the “Prelims,” but if he can get back to his head-hunting ways he can get back into a better spot on the card in no time.

Just no more main events … please.

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For complete UFC Vegas 87 results, coverage and highlights, click HERE.