The Ultimate Fighter 33 will kick off later this year with coaches Daniel Cormier and Chael Sonnen. That combination should make for some interesting television, though don’t expect a coaches’ fight at the end of it all. What you can expect is some decent action, with flyweights and welterweights on board for the upcoming season.
The entire cast assembled recently in Las Vegas, and we’ve broken it all down for you. Read on!
Alibi Idiris
Kazakhstan
30-years-old
10-0
55% finish rate (4 KO/TKOs, 1 Submission)
Naiza flyweight champion (two title defenses)
Combined opponents’ record: 66-21-2
Pros
-Good vision
-Scrambles really well
-Useful teep
-Good bodywork
-Diverse
-Good shot selection (never throws repetitive strikes)
-Excellent timing on takedown entries
-Good knees
-Durable/Tough
-Good cardio
Cons
-Rushes in on straight lines
-Offensive jiu-jitsu lacks
-Sloopy striking at times
-Questionable takedown defense
Idiris is primarily a striker, though he can mix in takedowns to keep opponents guessing. However, his limited jiu-jitsu prevents him from being too comfortable on the ground. He excels at timing takedowns under punches and intercepting kicks but lacks effectiveness as a grappler. Defensively, he scrambles well, though his takedown defense is questionable—mainly due to his tendency to rush in recklessly on the feet. In open space and against the cage, he sprawls well and shows solid defensive awareness.
On the feet, Idiris isn’t the most refined striker. His technique is wild, often throwing with reckless abandon, keeping his hands too low and wide, and moving in straight lines. While he isn’t a combination striker, he stays busy and attacks from various angles, targeting the head, body, and legs with punches and kicks. He utilizes teeps and hooks to the body. Kees and overhands effectively mixing it up. A lot of it is his activity attacking from everywhere.
The biggest concern is his pacing. His style seems better suited for three- to five-round fights, but in TUF where bouts can end in two rounds, his tendency to start slow could be a major disadvantage. He’ll be up against opponents who are harder-hitting, faster, and more explosive. While Idiris is a talented fighter, his skill set may not translate well to the TUF format.
“I think the hardest part is being apart from my family, and not having them to connect [with], but the rest is fine,” Idiris said when asked about what he’ll face on TUF 33 during a recent introduction to the media. Later, he added that “I want to prove to our young generation that just a random, simple guy from a small village who used to work in construction made it, so you can made it as well.”
