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In case you didn’t listen when Ruziboev was mentioned in this space ahead of his Atlantic City clash with Sedriques Dumas at the end of March, the talent from Uzbekistan is making a relatively quick turnaround by moving up to the men’s division. welterweight, jumping straight into a Top 15 match against Joaquin Buckley in the co-main event.
All the things that made Ruziboev a person of interest at middleweight: his height (six-foot-five), his reach (76 inches), his experience (46 career fights, 34 wins) and his finishing abilities (32 wins by stoppage) – make him an even more intriguing offer now that he’s moving down a division. He’s fought at welterweight several times in the past, and in chatting with him before this fight, he suggested that he wasn’t cutting much weight to compete in 1985, which ups the ante even more.
FREE FIGHT: Joaquin Buckley vs. Vicente Luque
Through two UFC starts, the Philadelphia-based fighter is 2-0 with two first-round stoppage victories; first by knocking out Brunno Ferreira last July, then finishing Dumas in a fight where there were a few unfortunate glances that played a part in things. He has won 10 straight overall, is training with a great team led by John Marquez and has the chance to make an immediate impact in his new surroundings on Saturday.
A St. Louis native, Buckley has been pushing for a chance to appear on this card and is now making the same quick turnaround as Ruziboev, having scored the biggest win of his career in two fights after his new opponent beat Dumas in Atlantic City by stopping Vicente Luque in the second round. The 30-year-old is 3-0 since returning to welterweight. His dynamic moves and unquestioned athleticism have helped him become a person of interest in the division, and a second win this year would certainly push him higher in the rankings.
This is a potential moment for Ruziboev – a co-main event assignment in his third UFC appearance, against a hometown favorite, no less, and if he can make the transition to welterweight transparently, he will head into the second half of 2024 with a number next to his name and plenty of options for his next fight.
Mateusz Rebecki
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