Jeff Molina vs Zhalgas Zhumagulov will go down at this weekend’s UFC Fight Night. The event will feature Alexander Volkov and Jairzinho Rozenstruik as the headlining bout. The flyweight bout will take place on the preliminary card of the event. While Zhalgas is 4 fights deep in his UFC career, Molina will only have his third bout in the promotion.
Nicknamed “El Jefe,” Jeff Molina made his way into the UFC win a win at Dana White’s Contender Series. He defeated Jacob Silva via unanimous decision. Molina made his successful UFC debut against Aoriqileng at UFC 261. He then followed it up with a TKO victory over Daniel da Silva.
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Zhalgas Zhumagulov came into the UFC with a record of 13-3. He spent the majority of his career in the lesser-known MMA promotions. He had a stint over at Fight Nights Global from 2016 to 2019. In that period, the Kazakh had a record of 7-1. But he has not enjoyed the same kind of success in the UFC so far. Zhalgas has lost 3 of his 4 bouts so far.
UFC Fight Night Prelims, Jeff Molina vs Zhalgas Zhumagulov: Stats
Stats | Jeff Molina | Zhalgas Zhumagulov |
---|---|---|
Wins | 10 | 14 |
Losses | 2 | 6 |
Height | 1.68 m | 1.63 m |
Division |
Flyweight |
Flyweight |
Reach | 175.3 cm | 168.9 cm |
Age | 24 | 33 |
Fight Breakdown
Zhalgas Zhumagulov will be in a do or die situation heading into this fight. He lost to Raulian Paiva and Amir Albazi in his first two bouts in the UFC. Although the 33-year-old bounced back against Jerome Rivera with a submission win, he lost to Manel Kape in the following fight. Hence another loss may result in him getting cut from the promotion.
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Jeff Molina is a very athletic and well-rounded fighter. He has a finishing rate of 80% with 8 finishes in his 10 victories. Amongst his finishes, Jeff has 3 knockouts and 5 submissions. Molina averages 1.5 knockdowns in his 2 UFC fights so far. He lands at a rate of 8.72 shots per minute. The 24-year-old also has a striking defence of 50%.
In comparison, Zhumagulov has a negative strike differential. He lands 4.60 shots per minute and absorbs 5.10 shots during the same period. He also suffered two knockdowns in his last fights against Manel Kape. Hence, he will have to be careful of Molina’s striking.
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Neither fighter really prefer taking the fight to the ground until they have to. Hence, fans can expect a very entertaining brawl between Molina and Zhalgas. Although there is a possibility of a finish, it will not be surprising if the bout goes the full distance.