Athletes
Amir Albazi Out To Stamp His Position In Flyweight Ranks
Matchup With Brandon Moreno Offers Huge Opportunity For Returning Standout
Every fighter relishes arriving at fight week and the final days before they get to step into the Octagon, knowing that the weeks and months of hard work are behind them and the payoff for those efforts is on the horizon.
But this week feels extra special for Amir Albazi, as the highly-ranked flyweight ends a 16-month hiatus that featured some serious health scares on Saturday when he takes on Brandon Moreno in the main event of this weekend’s UFC Fight Night card at Rogers Place in Edmonton.
“Man, it feels really good to be back,” he said with a wide smile, radiating excitement. “Just sitting in the car on the way to the hotel, thinking, ‘It’s finally fight week! It’s been a long wait.’ It feels so good to be back after so many obstacles.”
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The first major obstacle the Iraqi standout had to clear was a previously undetected heart issue, supraventricular tachycardia, which, if left untreated, could have been life-threatening. Once cleared from that surgery and readying to face Moreno in February in Mexico City, another problem came up, as neck issues led to Albazi being unable to move his left arm, necessitating his withdrawal from the contest and another trip under the knife.
“It’s always hard mentally,” admitted the now 31-year-old, who celebrated his birthday on Sunday and has delayed cake until after this weekend. “This was the first time ever in my athletic career that I have taken such a long time off; I’ve had bruises, injuries for a few weeks, but never had to take five months, complete months off from training or exercise. That was the toughest part; I didn’t know how I was gonna react to it.
"Just actually jumping on a bike and cycling was a milestone. Starting to lift weights was a milestone. Being able to shadowbox and move around was a milestone, and then going into hitting pads, drilling, sparring — each one of them has been a milestone, and I always tried to focus on each piece by itself without thinking about ‘When do I get back to fighting?’
“All that time, I used it for my own benefit,” continued Albazi, who earned a split decision win over Kai Kara-France last time out and carries a 5-0 mark inside the Octagon into his second consecutive main event assignment on Saturday. "I didn’t see it as a waste of time; I improved other parts of my game that I wouldn’t have been able to think about without this injury. I tried to use it to my benefit as much as I could.
"It was tough, but I’m a big believer in God. I have faith in my religion that everything is meant to happen, everything is written, and I kind of kept that attitude all the way through. Here I am, I made it; thanks God.”
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And he’s returning at an exciting time in the flyweight division.
A few weeks ago, Brandon Royval and Tatsuro Taira clashed in an outstanding five-round battle where the American came out on top, while Asu Almabayev picked up his fourth straight UFC victory seven days later to force his way into the Top 10. Most importantly of all, champion Alexandre Pantoja will defend his title against incoming standout Kai Asakura in a few weeks’ time at UFC 310.
It’s been an action-packed year in the 125-pound ranks, and watching things unfold at home, unsure of when he was going to be able to step back into the fray, was a major challenge for Albazi, but now that he’s cleared and ready to compete, he’s eager to show exactly where he fits in the division this weekend when he locks up with the two-time former champion.
Full Fight | Amir Albazi vs Alessandro Costa
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Full Fight | Amir Albazi vs Alessandro Costa
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“That was probably the hardest part of being away (was) when I see these guys fighting each other, the rankings change, people go up, people go down; that guy gets a title shot, that guy gets a title shot, and I feel I can’t do nothing about it,” he admitted. “I’m not even back to training yet, and these guys are fighting for a title.
“Especially seeing Steve Erceg. Nothing but respect to him, but he was ranked No. 9 when he got the title shot, so I’m thinking, ‘They must really miss me in the weight class. I’ve really got to get back to show what I can do.’ He put up a good fight against the champion, and I feel there were many other guys in line, but Pantoja beat them all; same thing with Brandon Royval.
“But these guys haven’t fought me yet,” he added with a smile. “Brandon hasn’t fought me yet. I’m just happy to be back here on fight week, to show what I’ve got, to put my stamp on this division.”
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Saturday’s main event marks a return for Moreno, as well, as the former titleholder opted to take a slightly longer than normal break following his loss to Royval in Mexico City in February.
It was his second consecutive split decision loss after dropping the title to Pantoja the previous summer, and after logging eight appearances, the final seven of which were either championship bouts or five-round main events, since his UFC 255 win over Royval, “The Assassin Baby” chose to press pause, reset, and get himself refocused to make another run at the title.
After being forced to withdraw from the matchup when it was originally proposed in February, Albazi couldn’t have selected a better pairing to return to than this weekend’s headlining clash with Moreno.
“When I got Brandon’s name, I was thinking, ‘This is a perfect test for me,’ and it’s a perfect time to silence the doubters,” said the third-ranked flyweight, who faced a lot of criticism following his debated win over Kara-France. “This guy has been champion, he’s one of the toughest guys in the division, so it’s a perfect matchup for me and a perfect time to show that I belong in the top.
“Brandon Moreno is a durable guy, a tough guy — he’s been through I don’t even know how many five-rounders. For me to come out here and fight him and to finish him — that’s the most important thing; he doesn’t get finished easily, so to come out here and actually finish him, that will put my stamp on the division.”
Moreno has never been finished, and when that fact was clarified for the returning flyweight standout, he was quick to point to what transpired last weekend in Abu Dhabi between Ilia Topuria and Max Holloway as an inspiration and indication of what could play out on Saturday night.
“Everyone saw last weekend’s fight; it’s always ‘that guy has never been finished,’” he said. “Nothing is impossible; everyone can get finished. It’s all about the mentality you bring to the table, and I think my mentality is very different, and I’m gonna show it on Saturday.”
If that’s how things transpire, he’ll certainly be paying close attention to the clash between Pantoja and Asakura in December, ready for whatever may come next.
But for now, the only thing on his mind is Moreno, and then after that, he’ll take whatever comes his way.
“That would be the next fight to watch, but right now, I want to focus on Brandon Moreno on Saturday, and then whatever happens after, happens after,” he said. “If it’s Kai Asakura or Alexandre Pantoja, it doesn’t matter to me. I’m looking to be the best, and if it’s either of them, I’ll be ready.”
UFC Fight Night: Moreno vs Albazi took place live from Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada on November 2, 2024. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!
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