Nursulton Ruziboev is on a mission. He’s got his sights set on Gerald Meerschaert, aiming to bring pride back to Uzbekistan after a recent UFC victory. It happened last Saturday, and boy, was it a match to remember.
He clinched a win against Sedriques Dumas. And not just any win – a technical knockout. That marked his second first-round finish in the UFC. Post-fight, inside the Octagon, he didn’t hesitate. He called out Meerschaert, and he wasn’t done there. Later, at a media scrum, he elaborated on his challenge.
So, here’s a fun fact: Ruziboev is one of just three Uzbek fighters throwing down in the UFC. The others? Bogdan Guskov and Makhmud Muradov. Muradov faced Meerschaert back in 2021 and, well, it didn’t go his way. Now, Ruziboev’s looking to even the score for his countryman against “GM3.”
Ruziboev’s got a bone to pick. “There’s only three of us Uzbeks in the UFC, and one got beaten by Meerschaert. I’m here to show we’re strong,” he declared. It’s personal, and it’s about national pride.
Timing might just be on their side. Meerschaert’s fresh off a win against Bryan Barberena. Could we be looking at a showdown brewing?
Despite being relatively new to the UFC, Ruziboev’s no rookie. His career spans nearly a decade with a whopping 32 finishes in 34 wins. He’s a big deal in Central Asia, not just in Uzbekistan.
“I’ve fought all over the continent,” Ruziboev shared. Fans from Kazakhstan to Kyrgyzstan and back home in Uzbekistan know his name. “It’s great knowing they’re all rooting for me,” he added.
But let’s not gloss over his latest victory. It came with a bit of controversy – an alleged eye poke on Dumas. The replay showed an uppercut from Ruziboev sent Dumas reeling, but there was a moment, a brush of the fingers across the eyes.
Ruziboev recalls the moment. “I hit him with an uppercut first,” he insists. According to him, Dumas was already signaling an eye injury by then. “Maybe there was a slight thing, but it wasn’t significant,” Ruziboev believes. He’s convinced the uppercut was the real game-changer.