Just when we thought there would be no other fighter quite like Carlos Ulberg, who’s a model besides being a UFC fighter, we got Islam Dulatov. The Russian-born German fighter made quite an impression on his debut at UFC 318, taking home an extra $50k for his knockout win over Adam Fugitt. And it seems Dana White and Co. have picked their next star, after a recent social media post caught fans’ attention.

There has hardly been a full fight video on the UFC’s YouTube channel of a fight taking place in Dana White’s Contender Series. However, the UFC recently shared Islam Dulatov’s only fight from that show, where he also earned a 1st-round KO win, and this, for a lot of people, was Dana White pushing Dulatov to become the next big star. Well, this should come as a surprise because the 26-year-old’s recent comments may have earned him this backing from the CEO.

Islam Dulatov had previously mentioned that his focus is more on his UFC career than modelling, even though he’s made a big name in that scene. He is fully confident about his capability to fill arenas, as he recently claimed that his name is big enough for the UFC to consider holding an event in Germany, where the promotion has not been since 2016.

“I would like to fight [in Dusseldorf]. I would like to bring the UFC one day to Germany… I don’t think the UFC has ever been to Spain, right? But they’ve already been to Germany… Maybe we can bring it a little bit earlier to Germany because it was 2016, I think, the last time in Germany,” Islam Dulatov told Home of Fight in a recent interview.“At that time, there were not so many fighters with big names… When they come now, believe me, even if they put only my name on the fight card, the arena will be sold out.”

Moreover, the German star made a wild bet on himself. Islam Dulatov claims that he’s willing to bet on himself to help Dana White and Co. sell out the entire arena in Dusseldorf, where he fights out of. And in case he’s not able to do that, the 26-year-old is willing to pay money out of his pocket for the promotion. “I will even make a deal with the UFC and say, ‘Hey, if you don’t sell out the arena, I’ll give you the money back,'” Dulatov added.

Islam Dulatov may have already claimed that he can fill out an arena despite having just one fight under the UFC banner, but he’s not calling for a title fight immediately. The 26-year-old is taking a very measured approach for an eventual title shot. Here’s what he had to say.

Islam Dulatov is focused more on growing than getting a title shot sooner.

Islam Dulatov has impressed with his recent performances, as he registered first-round finishes. But just because his performances have been good, it doesn’t mean he’s looking to land a title shot. Dulatov believes he needs to grow as a fighter. Claiming that waiting to get to the UFC was worth it, he believes something similar will happen in his run in the promotion, and he’ll eventually get to a title fight because he claims his “prime” years haven’t come yet.

“I’m going to be honest with you guys. I want to take my time with this. I grew up. I make big steps in each fight. It will take as long as it will take,” Islam Dulatov told the media at the UFC 318 post-fight presser. “I waited so long for this opportunity to fight in the UFC. Two years or something like that. It will not change anything. I want to fight for the title when I’m in my prime. We will get there soon.”

Well, there have been many fighters who’ve talked a big game about selling out arenas and winning championships, but not all of them have found success in the UFC. We’ll have to wait and see how the UFC run turns out for Islam Dulatov, who’s as confident as anyone can be. Let us know your thoughts in the comments down below.