Anik’s Triple C: One Compliment, One Critique, and One Conclusion from Rinat Fakhretdinov’s performance at UFC São Paulo

Before his fight last weekend, Rinat “Gladiator” Fakhretdinov (21-1-1 MMA, 3-0-1 UFC) was viewed as a future welterweight champion. He has beaten high-profile fighters, including The Ultimate Fighter: Season 29 winner Bryan Battle and former title challenger Kevin Lee. Brazilian Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos (24-7-1 MMA, 10-3-1 UFC) defeated middleweight champion Sean Strickland and gave Fakhretdinov the battle of his life in a fight that ended in a majority draw.

Many slammed the Russian for his performance, but the MMA community must remember that standards were extremely high going into this fight. Here is one compliment, one critique, and one conclusion for Fakhretdinov’s display of skills at UFC São Paulo:

Compliment: Pushing the pace almost guarantees Fakhretdinov round 1 against most fighters

The “Gladiator” opened the fight with a left hook that dropped dos Santos, leading to over 2 minutes of ground control. Throughout the first round, Fakhretdinov was on the offensive, and his takedown threat had his opponent guessing. After a dominant display of mixed martial arts in round 1, many were certain Fakhretdinov would be victorious.

Critique: Predictability on the feet

It is no secret that Fakhretdinov fell in love with his hands after his quick knockdown of dos Santos. Following that, he was throwing overhand rights so wild that he would fall the other way and go for a follow-up backhand. He did that repeatedly, and it was his only combination. This mistake led to him heaving his body wide open as a target, as he was touched up in the third round and nearly lost the fight by TKO. In the future, Fakhretdinov could use his long range to jab his way into setting up a more technical straight right hand. If not, his fatigue in the later stages of the fight will get him slept by any top striker.

Conclusion: Fakhretdinov’s next fight will show us his fate

Before this fight, Fakhretdinov looked unbeatable as he put on Khamzat Chimaev-esque performances in the UFC. After his war against dos Santos, it is clear his skill level allows him to be a threat, but he is miles away from the top 5. Perhaps it was an off night where the Russian fought for the fans and not on behalf of his coaches’ instructions? We will see if he can vary his striking when an opponent shows good takedown defense like dos Santos. If he can clean up his mistakes, the future remains bright for the 32-year-old.

Anik Subramanian

Anik Subramanian is an aspiring MMA journalist based in the United States. He discovered his passion for MMA when the sport was the first to return to live action during the pandemic. He is also a black belt in Tae Kwon Do and has been a lifelong sports fan.