Alexander Shabliy vs Tofiq Musayev Prediction: the Russian Fighter to Stay on the Top

On March 11, the big Bellator 292 tournament will be held in San Jose. In one of the main card bouts, Russian fighter Alexander Shabliy will share the cage with Azerbaijani Tofiq Musayev. The fight will take place in the quarterfinals of the light heavyweight Grand Prix. The winner will face the winner of the Patricky Freire - A.J. McKee battle in the semifinals.

Shabliy goes on a streak of seven straight wins, three in Bellator. But he never got a title shot - the organizers preferred Usman Nurmagomedov. Even Tofiq, who has only one win in the league, was ranked higher. It is a mystery, and there is no answer, but Alexander doesn't give up and believes he will still get his title.

Tofiq and I were one fight away from the title if you can be logical. They put us in the quarterfinals for a reason. They're interested in other fighters in their participation in the finals. Let's face it. We're not fighting at home. We don't have an army of fans there to support us. Bellator doesn't broadcast in Russia.

Alexander Shabliy

Shabliy had his last fight against Brent Primus and finished him off in cold blood. He gave up the initiative and defended himself. He had to answer each active bout with a destructive series of kicks (he did not fight to finish, but let him get up). The referee ran out of patience in the second round and stopped the beating.

Tofiq Musayev came to Bellator from the Japanese promotion Rizin, knocked out Sidney Outlaw in 27 seconds, and was immediately given second place in the official rankings.

The reason is that the Azerbaijani has a vast army of fans, an exciting league, and a new region. He is undoubtedly a top and bright fighter with sixteen knockout victories out of twenty wins.

Shabliy and Musayev are excellent standings, and we can expect that for most of the fight. The tension will spark from the first seconds, Tofiq will start aggressively, and Alexander will wait for the right moment and respond with counterattacks. They will fight on the parterre as a last resort - either to finish each other or to catch their breath. The experience and tranquility of the Russian fighter will play a key role in this fight. Shabliy should have enough arsenal and skill not to get involved in a reckless bout but to respond dangerously and accurately.

Although Tofik is a technical fighter, he has a very aggressive style. It's going to be a power versus technique confrontation. Alexander relies less on aggression and more on strategy so that it will be a very interesting bout.

Nazim Black Wolf Sadykhov, a Pro MMA Fighter out of Brooklyn