One aspect of the UFC’s debut event in Baku has irked an 11-fight veteran.
The UFC Octagon has touched down in Azerbaijan, where a 12-fight card will play out inside the Baku Crystal Hall on Saturday.
Prior to Jamahal Hill vs. Khalil Rountree headlining UFC Baku, home favorite Rafael Fiziev will compete in front of his compatriots, and the likes of Curtis Blaydes and Oban Elliott also have their next assignments.
But even before a fighter stepped foot inside the cage, the event already had a talking point for one UFC veteran.
UFC criticized for Tagir Ulanbekov vs. Azat Maksum card placement
Card placement is frequently a debated subject prior to events, with the UFC often accused of questionable decisions when placing ranked contenders on the prelims.
While some suggest that’s to ensure high viewership throughout the entirety of cards, that explanation doesn’t satisfy everyone.
And among those frustrated by the latest lineup is flyweight veteran Charles Johnson. A key fight in his division took place in Baku between the No. 12-ranked Tagir Ulanbekov and highly touted prospect Azat Maksum.
Taking to X, Johnson accused the organization of ‘disrespecting’ Islam Makhachev’s teammate by having him compete in just the second fight on the UFC Baku card.
“The disrespect,” Johnson wrote. “Ranked flyweight. Second fight of the night is wild.”
Charles Johnson beat Azat Maksum in his UFC debut
Johnson will have had a vested interest in that bout, which was won on the scorecards by Ulanbekov, as his former opponent returned for the first time since their showdown.
The former LFA champion welcomed Maksum to the promotion at UFC Vegas 85 in February 2024. The Kazakh fighter was 15-0 at the time and entered as a heavy favorite.
As he often has in the UFC, though, Johnson upset those odds by having his hand raised on fight night.
While Maksum’s Baku return marked his first since that loss, the American has competed a further four times, winning another three straight before a decision defeat to Ramazan Temirov this past March.
To the surprise of many, while Maksum was put up against ranked opposition, ‘InnerG’ is being made to share the cage with another highly regarded prospect outside the top 15 next.
Johnson will fight Lone’er Kavanagh at UFC Shanghai on August 23.