Shamil Abdurakhimov rose out of a former Soviet territory in March 2011, when he defeated Marcos Oliveira to win an Abu Dhabi Fighting Championship open weight grand prix in the United Arab Emirates. Still, his road to the Ultimate Fighting Championship was a long one, as he had already posted previous victories over Jeff Monson and Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou.
Abdurakhimov made his Octagon debut at a UFC Fight Night event on April 4, succumbing to first-round punches from Timothy Johnson. The organization will give him another look at UFC Fight Night “Cerrone vs.