Turkish light heavyweight Ibo Aslan faced off against Billy Elekana as part of Saturday’s UFC Abu Dhabi preliminary card at the Etihad Arena.
Aslan was looking to bounce back from his first loss in the UFC, opposite Ion Cutelaba. Elekana had dropped his promotional debut, against Bogdan Guskov (fighting later in the night) last time out.
The pair exchanged kicks early, while both men looked to find their range. What played out from there was a tentative, low-action round where neither man really wanted to commit. Not much in the way of significant strikes, with kicks arguably the best weapon for both men. After a crazy, high-octane scrap between Steve Nguyen and Mohammad Yahya one bout earlier, it was very much like watching a fight play out in slow motion.
Round two played out in similar fashion. Little thrown, less landed by either Elekana or Aslan. Which was going to create a question when it came to scoring, assuming the fight went the distance. Which after ten full minutes felt very much in the cards.
A low blow landed on Elekana briefly halted the action early in round three, but only for a few seconds. From there the chess match continued, Elekana leaning into a counter then adding a leg kick. With just over 90 seconds remaining, Elekana landed his best shot of the fight, snapping Ibo Aslan’s head back. Still, the fight felt like two athletes trying not to lose, rather than two fighters going all out in an attempt to win. Elekana took another big swing in the final 30 seconds, and they’d head to the scorecards following a forgettable affair.
Official Result: Billy Elekana def. Ibo Aslan by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
