The champion from Kazakhstan has moved to the USA. He’s now facing a top competitor and is determined to make his mark in the UFC.
The Kazakh fighter (16-3-0-1) has officially joined the American league. In just three weeks, he will make his debut overseas, headlining the main event of the evening. A correspondent reports on this new chapter in the career of the 31-year-old fighter.
Sabit Jusupov Legacy Fighting Alliance (LFA) Vesti.kzThe athlete from Astana represents the club. He is a three-time world champion in pankration (2019, 2021, 2023). In October 2022, he became the champion of a well-known Russian league in the featherweight division, winning by unanimous decision, and in November 2023, he successfully defended his title in the second round.
Tobet Top Team Fight Nights defeating Vladimir Ehoian by knocking out Wanderlei da Silva FerreiraCurrently, the Kazakh fighter is on a seven-fight winning streak. His last defeat dates back to December 2019 when he lost by technical knockout to a Brazilian opponent in the league. In 2022, he achieved an impressive feat, winning three fights in three different leagues within 20 days!
GFC delivered an unbelievable seriesFor the second time in a row, Jusupov is facing a situation with over a year of inactivity. He did not fight for 13 months between winning the Fight Nights title and his first defense. Now, he hasn't fought for 14 months, and in January of the new year, he will debut in the USA.
In May, he was supposed to have his second defense in Fight Nights, but due to an injury, he withdrew from the match against a fighter from Azerbaijan. Overall, this decision can be understood, as just a few weeks earlier, Sabit lost to another professional fighter (9-2) at the Kazakhstan Pankration Championship.
Magerram Gasanov was unexpectedly knocked out by Nurbolat AbuThis was a pankration match, part of the national championship, and it has no relation to his MMA career. However, a knockout is still a knockout, and its consequences are felt. Therefore, stepping into a title fight after a recent setback was very risky.
As a result, Sabit no longer defended the champion's title in the Russian organization. Initially, he considered either having one more defense or heading to the USA since he already had a visa.
"There was talk of a second defense against Gasanov. But I haven't received a contract yet, and the previous one has expired. So now we will think about what to do: accept a fight or go abroad and fight there. Of course, if they offer a good fee for the second defense, I will agree. For now, I don't see the point. It's better to fight abroad," he said in an interview in January.
Legalbet.kzAfter that, he spoke again about his plans. In particular, Sabit stated that he wants to go through a full training camp in Los Angeles (California, USA) or Miami (Florida, USA). He was able to predict the future, as in the summer he went to Los Angeles to prepare for a new chapter in his career, this time in America.
"I currently have a tourist visa. But soon I will convert it to a work visa - for that, I need to travel to America. Yes, I was thinking of training there and fighting in LFA if possible. They say you can get into the UFC very quickly through the LFA league, so I have set my sights on this organization. But those are just rumors - we'll see when I get there," he shared in February.
LegalbetIt turns out Sabit originally knew what he needed. He had already picked out places where he would like to train in the USA and where he wanted to compete. And all of this has become a reality. As for the canceled fight with Gasanov, it was the right decision. Why risk stepping into the cage with a dangerous opponent just weeks after a knockout? After all, he already has an American visa and big ambitions. Any setback in the Russian league could have cost Sabit his future across the ocean.
On January 10, he will headline the tournament in Lemoore (California, USA). His opponent will be the experienced Brazilian - the 35-year-old Ari Farias (14-4), who won the vacant championship belt of a well-known Brazilian league in the bantamweight division this past May.
LFA 199 Ari Farias Shooto BrazilWhile Sabit is primarily a striker, boasting seven knockout victories, Farias, on the other hand, prefers to impose his grappling game. He has a high-level Brazilian jiu-jitsu background, as evidenced by his title as a seven-time world champion in this discipline. He has submitted his opponents eight times in MMA.
Farias already has a history in the LFA league, where he has fought four times (2-2). Notably, in his last two bouts under this league's banner, he headlined the event. Therefore, this won't be his first time as the main event of the tournament.
Thus, fans can look forward to a clash between champions from Fight Nights and Shooto Brazil, a battle between a three-time world champion in pankration and a seven-time world champion in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. A battle of styles.
As for the LFA league, it was established in 2016. Many fighters who have found success here have moved on to the UFC. A prime example is the Mexican Brandon Moreno , who was a champion in the LFA and later became a UFC champion. Other notable fighters such as Brandon Royval , Charles Johnson , Muin Gafurov , Gabriel Bonfim , and Ryan Spann have also been in the LFA before making their way to the UFC.
UFC Brandon Moreno Brandon Royval Charles Johnson Muin Gafurov Gabriel Bonfim Ryan SpannA significant advantage is that the LFA is broadcast on the platform UFC Fight Pass . This provides the league with additional recognition and popularity. The fight between Jusupov and Farias can be watched with the same subscription as the UFC tournaments (if you are watching them on UFC Fight Pass).
Sabit is an experienced fighter with a champion's mindset. He is now pursuing his dream of entering the UFC. However, to achieve that, he first needs to become the best in the LFA. By the way, there are currently two champions in his division. On January 25, at the tournament LFA 200 in Prior Lake (Minnesota, USA), a unification bout in the featherweight division will take place: the champion from the USA (10-2-0-1) will face the interim champion from Brazil (11-5). Both are on three-fight winning streaks. Who knows, perhaps one of them will soon become Jusupov's opponent? One can only hope.
LFA 200 Elijah Jones Lerrion DouglasIt’s worth noting that another Kazakh fighter, Nikolai Veretennikov , previously fought in the LFA. He achieved three victories in three bouts but never reached the championship title, eventually moving to another organization. He is now competing in the UFC and is set for his second fight in the promotion in February.