Today, the UFC made its second promotional visit to Baku since the first one last year, and the card is already delivering on all fronts. Even before the main card began, several fighters on the prelims put on exceptional performances, scoring record-breaking victories and already making the event a historic one for the promotion.

The prelims kicked off with some vicious firepower, with most of the fights ending in brutal finishes. However, light heavyweight fighter Abdul Rakhman Yakhyaev delivered the standout moment of the night, earning a place in the UFC record books. The undefeated Turkish fighter faced America’s Julius Walker, and the contest turned out to be a quick encounter as Yakhyaev finished Walker in just eight seconds of the opening round with a right hook, improving his record to 10-0.

With that finish, Yakhyaev moved into a tie for the second-fastest finish in UFC light heavyweight history, sharing the spot with James Irvin, who knocked out Houston Alexander at UFC Fight Night: Florian vs. Lauzon in 2008. Still, the top spot belongs to Ryan Jimmo, who knocked out Anthony Perosh at UFC 149: Faber vs. Barao in 2012. Overall, Yakhyaev’s finish ranks fourth-fastest in UFC history, with the highest record still belonging to Jorge Masvidal, who knocked out Ben Askren in five seconds at UFC 239 with a flying knee.

This is definitely a noteworthy achievement for the Turkish powerhouse, as he can now claim a place in UFC history as well as a bonus tonight, if things go his way. But that was far from the only record-breaking performance of the night.

Following Abdul Rakhman Yakhyaev’s brilliance, another fighter also produced a remarkable feat. Farman Hasanov faced Eric Nolan in a highly anticipated welterweight bout on the featured prelims and broke the record for the most takedowns landed in a single round in the 170-pound division, recording 9 takedowns in the opening round of their fight.

Previously, the record belonged to Myktybek Orolbai, who landed 7 takedowns in his fight against Chris Curtis at UFC Fight Night: Emmett vs. Vallejos in March 2026. However, the overall record for most takedowns landed in a welterweight fight still belongs to Orolbai, as he took Curtis down a staggering 19 times in their fight.

Now, that’s certainly a strong start to the UFC Baku Fight Night event, and with the main card still to come, the audience can expect even more action. However, besides the two record-breaking performances that found a place in the UFC record books, another fighter also shattered a personal record.

UFC Baku fighter gets 26th first-round finish  

UFC Baku’s highly exhilarating night produced another groundbreaking performance, with Uzbekistan’s Nursulton Ruziboev pulling off one of the most impressive finishes of the event. The 32-year-old defeated Russia’s Andrey Pulyaev via a first-round rear-naked choke in their middleweight bout and made a statement in front of the Azerbaijani crowd. On the surface, Ruziboev’s finish might look like just another first-round victory, but it also created an unbelievable personal record for him.

After submitting Pulyaev, Ruziboev secured the 26th first-round finish of his career, with 10 coming by KO/TKO and 16 via submission. His overall finish count also climbed to a staggering 34, including 13 knockouts and 21 submission victories.

Following this win, Ruziboev improved his UFC record to an impressive 5-1 in six fights, with his lone loss coming against Joaquin Buckley in the welterweight division. However, at middleweight, he remains undefeated, and the Uzbekistani fighter knows it. That’s why he called for opponents from the top-15 rankings in the 185 lbs division.

“I’m 5-0 in the middleweight division,” Ruziboev said in his post-fight interview. “I’m ready for anybody. I want people from the rankings. I want people from the top of the rankings.”

That said, UFC Baku Fight Night has definitely delivered some exciting matchups. Even the fights that didn’t end in a finish turned into entertaining back-and-forth battles. With that, expectations for the main card continue to rise. And with fighters like Rafael Fiziev and Manuel Torres headlining the event, fans can expect even more fireworks.