One of several newcomers on the UFC Vegas 82 card on Saturday was Myktybek Orolbai. Having made the move from Kyrgyzstan to the U.S. to train with Urijah Faber’s Team Alpha Male, Orolbai was paired up with Uros Medic in his debut, on the main card no less.
Myktybek Orolbai
Standing at five-foot-ten
Fighting at 170 lbs (welterweight)
25-years-old
Fighting out of Osh, Kyrgyzstan
Training out of Team Alpha Male
A pro record of 11-1
6 KO/TKOs, 4 Submissions
How Orolbai will fare in the UFC:
Orolbai started off fighting in Kyrgyzstan, where he’s originally from, but he has since moved to the US and trains out of Team Alpha Male. Orolbai’s last three fights have been in the LFA cage and he’s gone 3-0. What’s helped his case is he’s coming off a highlight-reel knockout. It’s a good thing he landed that because his prior tape isn’t all too exciting.
I like the signing of Orolbai especially on short notice. Some may say he’s some sort of striker but he’s a serious wrestler. Orolbai is a strong wrestler who could just muscle guys around. I don’t rate his grappling all too high but he’s mauling with ground and pound and is heavy on top. Once he gets on the inside with his hands locked he’s a problem to get away from. It seems like he can fight at a hard wrestling pace for three rounds.
Striking, he’s limited. Orolbai throws a one-two and has a dangerous overhand. He’s not out-striking anyone from a technical standpoint. He will overwhelm guys with his pressure and his power. He can put the lights out with one punch. I’ll say everyone he’s beaten is low-level. The only truly good fighter Orolbai has fought, he lost to. Orolbai is good but there is no proof he’s UFC-level. I can see him as mid-tier right in the division. I don’t think his striking and other fundamentals are good enough to reach a top 15 or anything.
How he matches up with Medic:
I like Medic a lot more than I thought I would when he came to the UFC. Orolbai has the potential to catch Medic but he has to wrestle this fight. Medic isn’t bad on the mat but it’s a grey area as he’s not as confident.
On the feet though Medic is nasty. Orolbai is basic at striking whereas Medic is throwing a ton of output giving a lot of different looks. Medic throws in straights, volume, power, goes to the body, and mixes in a lot of kicks. He should be too much to handle for Orolbai. Orolbai could bring in a heavy wrestling pace but I can’t be sure he does that nor do I believe he can close the distance effectively. I like Medic by TKO.
