With only three Muslim fighters in the TUF house —Alibi Idiris, Furkatbek Yokubov, and Arishyan Memon —early morning prayer circles are shared among them. Episode 5 of The Ultimate Fighter 33 features a matchup between two of these fighters, Idiris and Yokubov. This topic is immediately addressed at the start of the episode, with the three shown praying together and embracing after their session.
Team Cormier’s guest coach for Episode 5 is revealed: top UFC flyweight contender, former champ, and TUF alumni Brandon Moreno. Moreno is the only fighter in TUF history to win a title despite never winning on the show. The former flyweight champion gave some motivational words of wisdom before taking control of training for the day.
Family Motivation Driving Both Athletes
Alibi Idiris and his hometown of Aktobe, Kazakhstan, are up first, where his family is heavily showcased as his root of motivation. Idiris lives in a house with his parents, wife, kids, and siblings. This close relationship between family is what motivates Idiris’ push to the next level. Much like UFC fighter Shavkat Rakhmonov, Idiris also loves horses and uses them as a key part of his diet and free time.
Moving on to Team Sonnen’s Uzbekistan native Furkatbek Yokubov, we’re shown big knockouts on recognizable UFC Fight Pass promotions. Sonnen says that conversations with Yokubov reveal past training sessions between him and Idiris. Yokubov feels his striking is better, but Idiris’s advantages on the ground are not enough to get him down.
Traveling to Dubai, we see Yokubov’s family and his emphasis on safety for them, with Dubai being the perfect location. Yokubov’s emotion is on full display when discussing the 2015 death of his mother, Karima, after whom his daughter is named.
Back at Team Cormier’s training, Alibi Idiris gifted Daniel Cormier a cream-colored robe from Kazakhstan. A better look at Idiris’ past is shown, with a devastating highlight reel showing the trail of dominance he left in Kazakhstan with a 10-0 record. Cormier seems focused on weaponizing Idiris’ strong cardio ahead of this matchup.
Unlike our previous episode, there is no controversy on the scales, and both fighters make the flyweight mark. Right before walkouts, former NFL safety and podcast host partner of DC, Ryan Clark, delivers a motivational speech to Idiris.
The Ultimate Fighter 33: Alibi Idiris vs. Furkatbek Yokubov
The speed of both men is apparent from the jump, with Idiris using kicks to fend off the pressuring Yokubov. The Uzbek fighter closed the gap and landed solid punches in the pocket after taking some stabbing body kicks. Idiris then started using knees anytime Yokubov entered the pocket, causing him to eat a big right hand before clinching. A low blow in this clinch caused a brief break in the action. As soon as the fight resumed, Idiris shot a beautiful takedown that wrapped Yokubov up before taking the back. The Kazakh managed to land heavy ground and pound from back mount before the end of the round.
Round two continued much of the same way as the first on the feet, with both fighters trading a high volume of powerful punches and kicks. A beautiful flying knee into a 2-3 combination showed the unique striking flow of Idiris, cracking Yokubov with the follow-up strikes. Idiris’s pressure seemed to start getting to Yokubov, as he started teeing off with boxing combinations on the fence. A finish feels on the horizon, but an eye poke mid-combination pauses the action. Despite the limited effect of the poke, referee Jason Herzog deducts a point from Idiris, frustrating Team Cormier.
Idiris comes out swinging when action resumes, but is coaxed into fighting for the decision following the deduction. The Kazakh fighter attempts another successful takedown and works straight into mount, locking up an arm triangle in seconds. Yokubov’s will to survive showed, as he escaped the choke but was caught on bottom mount. The intense top control of Idiris caused serious problems for the Uzbek. Yokubov managed to work back to his feet with 90 seconds left in the round, but was subsequently dragged back down and controlled until the final bell.
A New Star from Kazakhstan?
Daniel Cormier was in awe of the performance, marking Idiris as a potential future champion. As the bell rang, Idiris walked over to Dana White, shouting a reminder to the boss, “Remember my name, I am Alibi!”
After two rounds, a decision was ready, and the fight was declared a Unanimous Decision win for the Kazakh, Alibi Idiris. Matt Dixon vs. Alex Sanchez was decided as the matchup for Episode 6.
That wraps up an exciting episode of The Ultimate Fighter 33. We’ll recap each episode from the season as the show unfolds.
