After his controversial TKO win at UFC Atlantic City last night, Nursulton Ruziboev said he’s looking for ‘revenge’ over a veteran who bested his countryman.
Despite being just 30 years old, Uzbekistan middleweight Nursulton Ruziboev now has a whopping 44 professional fights under his belt, following his first-round stoppage of Sedriques Dumas last night on the main card of UFC Atlantic City.
Nursulton Ruziboev earns controversial TKO win at UFC Atlantic City
Heading into UFC Atlantic City, Ruziboev was the clear favorite over Dumas and never really looked in danger after the opening bell sounded, earning a TKO finish over the American three minutes into the very first round.
Yet the finishing sequence had more than its fair share of controversy, a theme of the UFC Atlantic City card, with it appearing as though Dumas had just suffered a nasty eye-poke from the outstretched hand of the Uzbek.
However, the referee didn’t intervene and Ruziboev took the opportunity to land a vicious uppercut to drop Dumas, before following up with ground and pound in what is now the 12th KO/TKO stoppage of his career.
Ruziboev wants ‘revenge’ fight against Gerald Meerschaert
Whilst there is speculation that the result could be overturned on appeal, Ruziboev likely isn’t interested in taking an immediate rematch and instead called out fan-favorite middleweight veteran Gerald Meerschaert.
Speaking at the post-fight press conference, Ruziboev revealed that he wants “revenge” for his fellow Uzbek fighter Makhmud Muradov, who was submitted in the second round by Meerschaert back in 2021:
“There are only three Uzbek fighters in the UFC and one of them was beaten by Gerald Meerschaert, so I want revenge [for] that loss and I want to show that Uzbek fighters are not weak.”
The incredibly talented Ruziboev also noted that training with the likes of Andre Petroski and Joe Pyfer will give him key advantages over ‘GM3’, given that both fighters have already faced the submission specialist in the UFC:
“Only Allah knows what will happen in the octagon, but I am training with Petroski, I am training with Pyfer, and those guys have been in there with him so I have them as sparring partners and books of knowledge that I can read before I go into that fight.”
“It’s really just sportsmanship, it’s all about who’s the best athlete, so it’s respect but I want to see who the better athlete is,” said the UFC Atlantic City winner via a post-fight interview with Full Send MMA.
“Hey, Gerald Meerschaert should get ready, I’m coming for him and I’m going to show everyone else that if you don’t know who I am, you will know.”
The Uzbek warrior eyes a return fight in June
Ruziboev trains out of Marquez Mixed Martial Arts in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and noted after the TKO win that he would love a quick turnaround to fight on the upcoming Newark, New Jersey, card on June 1.
“When I’m walking around Philadelphia, it’s as if I’m walking around Uzbekistan, it’s like I’m home,” he said.
“Yes, let’s go – there’s lots of Uzbeks in New York and New Jersey and Philadelphia. This is where I want to fight because if I fight around the tri-state area then they’re all going to come here, they’re all going to see me and support me.”
With the victory at UFC Atlantic City, Ruziboev now moves to 34-8-2 as a professional MMA athlete.