The UFC announced that it will hold an event for the first time in the country of Azerbaijan. The event will feature Jamahal Hill taking on a Khalil Rountree in the main event.
The event will be held June 21st at the Baku Crystal Hall. It will be the second straight year that the promotion will visit the Middle East as it made its first trip to Saudi Arabia last year.
In addition, Moroccan MMA fighter Ismail Nardiev will fight South Korean Junyoung Park. Also, Hamdy Abdelwahab will fight Mohammed Usman.
The card will have a Middle Easter and Russian flavor as many of the fighters on the card will be from the region. Notably, not on the card as of now is Rafael Fiziev, an Azerbaijani fighter that dropped a unanimous decision to Justin Gaethje at UFC 313 last month.
Payout Perspective:
The announcement is not a surprise that the UFC was going to make inroads in the middle east but perhaps going to Azerbaijan was a surprise. The move to do cards in other areas of the world other than the traditional tour spots shows that the company is willing to extend its reach and popularity is growing.
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