Central Asian flyweight standouts duke it out in the fifth episode of the UFC’s The Ultimate Fighter Season 33.
Heated Flyweight Collision on Episode 5 of The Ultimate Fighter 33
Despite going up against an opponent who missed weight by significant margin, Jeff Creighton managed to dominantly trounce Andreeas Binder to hand Team Cormier another crucial victory. Now firmly in the driver’s seat with the momentum of the competition on this season of The Ultimate Fighter, Team Cormier sought to extend their lead by assigning Kazakhstan’s Alibi Idiris against Team Sonnen’s Furkatbek Yokubov, who represents Uzbekistan.
Undefeated as a professional since making his debut back in 2019, Idiris has fought solely in Naiza Fighting Championships, which is a native organization of his home country of Kazakhstan. There, the Erkin Kush product has reached amazing heights, including scoring the company’s flyweight belt and defending it twice.
In the midst of a four-bout stoppage streak, Yokubov has not encountered defeat since late 2023. Recording 11 finishes across his 14 victories, “Iron Man” has proven without a doubt that he is a promising fighter to watch out for on the Eastern mixed martial arts regional scene.
Brandon Moreno Mentors Daniel Cormier’s Team on The Ultimate Fighter
Continuing to bring in top-level names to inspire his pupils, Cormier enlisted the assistance of two-time flyweight champion Brandon Moreno, who at one point himself competed on The Ultimate Fighter nearly a decade ago. Losing in the first round of said season to future pound-for-pound title-holder Alexandre Pantoja, Moreno would go on to capture UFC gold twice, becoming one of the best 125-lb athletes in the promotion’s history.
Idiris Pulls Off Thorough Beating Over Yokubov on The Ultimate Fighter
Pushing the action from the get-go, Yokubov advanced on Idiris. Landing at will early on, such as several hard knees to the body, the Uzbekistani seemed on track to secure the first round. That was until Idiris found his way onto his foe’s back and began delivering some strong punches of his own. Controlling his fellow Central Asia resident for almost two minutes, Idiris pummeled Yokubov, draining his gas tank before the horn sounded to end the round.
Things didn’t go nearly as well for “Iron Man” in the second either, with Idiris pressing the pace against the quickly tiring Yokubov, though the Kazakh fighter did suffer a point deduction for an unintentional eye poke, which had the potential to derail his onslaught. This didn’t end up being the case, however, as Idiris got the better of his adversary on the feet this time before he again took the Uzbekistani to the canvas, battering him with more severe ground-and-pound.
By the time it was over, Yokubov was left exhausted and beaten on the mat, leading to Idiris being proclaimed the winner by unanimous decision. Team Cormier now leads the season 4-1, putting Team Sonnen in a very precarious position as the quarterfinals of The Ultimate Fighter start to wrap up.
