Said Nurmagomedov vs Muin Gafurov – Fight Preview & Analysis

UFC 294: Makhachev vs. Oliveira 2 is scheduled to take place on Saturday, October 21, 2023, in Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. In one of the matchups on the fight card, Said Nurmagomedov will take on Muin “Tajik” Gafurov in the Bantamweight Bout. You can view the full UFC 294 card.

Nurmagomedov brings a unique orthodox fighting stance with an 70″ reach. In contrast, Gafurov, an southpaw fighter, stands with a 68″ reach. These variations in their styles can have a significant impact inside the Octagon.

With a 47% striking accuracy, Nurmagomedov has shown his precision in landing significant strikes, averaging around 3.54 per minute. On the other hand, Gafurov boasts a 41% striking accuracy, landing approximately 3.07 significant strikes per minute.

In this post, we will break down Said Nurmagomedov vs. Muin Gafurov matchup. Let’s take a look at the fighter’s ages, their height, records, reach, fight stats, and more below ⤵

The 32-year-old, Said Nurmagomedov is coming in with a 17-3-0 record. Nurmagomedov will be fighting for the first time since a loss via unanimous decision against Jonathan Martinez at UFC Fight Night: Yan vs. Dvalishvili in March.

Gafurov, meanwhile, is coming off a unanimous decision loss against John Castaneda on March 11, 2023, at UFC Fight Night: Kara-France vs. Albazi and holds a 18-5-0 record.

Said Nurmagomedov has a orthodox fighting stance with an 70″ reach. The 27-year-old Muin Gafurov is an southpaw fighter with a 68″ reach. An orthodox fighter stands with their left side forward and jabs with their left hand. The southpaw fighter is the opposite. Southpaw stands with their right side forward and jabs with their right hand. In most cases, orthodox fighters are right-handed; if you are left-handed, you fight southpaw.

Said Nurmagomedov stats

→ Nurmagomedov’s striking accuracy is 47%.
→ Nurmagomedov lands 3.54 significant strikes per minute.
→ Nurmagomedov’s takedown accuracy is 16%.
→ Nurmagomedov’s takedown average is 1.03 per 15 minutes.
→ Nurmagomedov’s takedown defense is 65%.

Nurmagomedov comes in with 47% striking accuracy, typically landing about 3.54 significant strikes every minute. Conversely, Gafurov fires at 41% accuracy, landing about 3.07 significant strikes per minute. Said Nurmagomedov also has a 16% takedown accuracy and, on average, gets around 1.03 takedowns every 15 minutes, compared to Gafurov’s 2.5 takedowns and 62% takedown accuracy.

Muin Gafurov stats

→ Gafurov’s striking accuracy is 41%.
→ Gafurov lands 3.07 significant strikes per minute.
→ Gafurov’s takedown accuracy is 27%.
→ Gafurov’s takedown average is 2.5 per 15 minutes.
→ Gafurov’s takedown defense is 62%.

Muin spent, on average, 15:00 minutes in the Octagon, and Said has an average fight time of 9:07 minutes.

Considering their records, fighting styles, and recent performances, this matchup looks to be an interesting clash of skills and strategies. Who will come out victorious, Said or Muin? Sound off in the comments.

You can view the scheduled UFC 294 fight card, upcoming UFC schedule 2023, and latest MMA news.