Credit: Gabriel Gonzalez/Cageside Press
4. Shamil Musaev vs Murad Ramazanov (PFL 6)
Two top tier, undefeated fighters facing off would usually get more fanfare than this fight has, but the low card placement by PFL makes it seem less important. The perception by some fans of all undefeated Russians as boring can crushers does not help, either. The truth is that in this fight Musaev is an electric striker with a litany of highlight reel knockouts on his resume.
Across from him is the more traditional Dagestani fighter, Murad Ramazanov, MMA wrestler extraordinaire. Ramazanov has beaten talented fighters like Zebastian Kadestam and Laureano Starapoli, but Shamil will be the best fighter he has ever fought. Musaev should be well-prepared given that his last fight pitted him against a tough wrestler, who he knocked out, and given his amateur wrestling history. However, Ramazanov has the potential to be one of the best in the world and could be a whole new level compared to Logan Storley. Still, the ease with which Shamil stifled and dispatched a wrestler of Storley’s caliber is surely present in Murad’s mind as he prepared for this fight.
Either way, both men are two of the best welterweights in the world, in or out of the UFC, making this one of the best fights of the week. They could step into the UFC’s 170lb division tomorrow and be competitive with just about anyone. There is always room for an explosive and fun striker with a wrestling pedigree, and there should be for one of the best fighters to be labeled “the next Khabib.” Though Murad may be that one day, for now his undefeated aura does not even outshine that of Musaev. The odds are razor thin, with Ramazanov as a -145 favorite, showing that either man has multiple paths to victory in this intriguing clash of undefeated records. At the moment, neither man may be drawing the attention that they would command if they were in the UFC, but this fight may be one that we look back on one day as being the one that propelled the winner to the next level of competition on their path to greatness. The skill level and potential of these two is why this bout is ranked so highly on this list.
-Val Dewar
Murad Ramazanov (9-0) resumes Dagestan's ONE invasion, debuting with a manhandling of the well-traveled Myung Ho Bae! A first-round TKO marks his seventh finish. #ONEChampionship #KingOfTheJungle pic.twitter.com/TOK4vgXIhF
— Kyle Johnson (@VonPreux) February 28, 2020
