Coming into UFC’s first event in Azarbaijan, Team Khabib was looking to stamp another victory for their flyweight contender Tagir Ulanbekov. The opponent? Japanese MMA and UFC legend Kyoji Horiguchi. Alas, this fight wasn’t to be as Horiguchi had to pull out of the bout due to an injury. But the ever present UFC head honcho Dana White has come up with a solution to Ulanbekov’s dilemma, now just weeks before UFC Baku.

So who does the head honcho brought as a replacement for the Japanese phenom? The 15-1 Kazakh fighter Azat Maksum, who suffered his first career loss to Charles Johnson at UFC Fight Night 253.

The event is set to be headlined by a heavyweight clash between Jamahal Hill and Khalil Rountree Jr. Horiguchi had vacated his Rizin flyweight championship belt and re-signed under UFC, where he was on the roster from 2013 to 2016. The 19-2-0 star has won 7 out of 9 fights in UFC and was supposed to come back for his 10th promotional outing against the Team Khabib alumni.

According to a post by Knockoutalerts, “Kyoji Horiguchi is out of #UFCBaku. Azat Maksum steps in on short notice to face Tagir Ulanbekov on June 21.” The 34-year-old Japanese fighter out of American Top Team has had a 14-1 record under the Rizin banner with notable victories over Manel Kape, Ian McCall, Darrion Caldwell, Kai Asakura, and Sergio Pettis.

On the other hand, Ulanbekov is 5-1 in UFC and has a three-fight winning streak as of now. The 33-year-old is a part of Team Khabib and recently won against Clayton Carpenter at UFC 311. Kazakhstan’s Maksum began his professional career with 15 back-to-back wins. The 15-1-0 star had a win against Tyson Nam in his promotional debut at UFC on ESPN 49, and in his last outing, he lost against Charles Johnson. He is an expert in Zhekpe-Zhek, a martial arts form in Kazakhstan. On top of that, the Kazakh fighter is also a good grappler and jiu-jitsu fighter. 

Thankfully, Dana White saved another UFC event and a debut in Azerbaijan in the nick of time. He assured that the event will be a blockbuster affair with ‘guaranteed violence’ in the Land of Fire. So, in this mega event, what is Khabib Nurmagomedov planning for his pupil?

Khabib Nurmagomedov’s pressure for a replacement for Tagir Ulanbekov

Nurmagomedov confirmed that he would be present at UFC Baku and posted via Instagram, “We will fly to hospitable Azerbaijan together with @tagir_ulanbekov. Only victory.” The Hall of Famer and undefeated star had previously revealed the pressure of being a coach.

Speaking to ESPN, he opened up about the mental stress: “I didn’t know it was going to be so hard, because when I was fighting, it was easier for me. I was preparing myself, and when I stepped into the cage, I controlled everything that happened. But this coaching life is completely different. I can only talk—I can’t do anything. I can only give my brothers advice and stand outside the cage. That’s not what I’ve done all my life. That’s why it’s a little bit of a headache.”

Nurmagomedov has already faced the pressure of having his fighter face A replacement at UFC 311, where Arman Tsarukyan was replaced by Renato Moicano in the main event against Islam Makhachev. As per UFC.com, he said, “Honestly, it can happen with anybody. If you guys remember March 2017, it happened with me too.” So, do you think the short-notice replacement will affect Team Khabib? Tell us in the comments below.