Middleweight, Murtaza Talha (7-1) Vs. Baysangur Susurkaev (8-0)
Notable Notes
- Susurkaev is taking this fight on short notice
- Talha fought on the CS in 2023 and lost to Rodolfo Bellato
- Talha has twelve more fights than Susurkaev
- Both have a combined twelve first-round finishes
- Talha has never been the distance
- Susurkaev has four wins in under a minute
- Talha has an amateur win over former UFC fighter Anton Turkalj
Murtaza Talha
Pros:
-Excellent wrestling
-Strikes to wrestle well
-Strong positional grappling
-Submission threat
-Aggressive wrestling attack
-Heavy ground and pound
-Solid Jiu-Jitsu
-Excellent ground control
Cons:
-Struggles against the cage
-Questionable durability
Talha made his Contender Series debut in 2023 as arguably the most hyped prospect of the season. But things didn’t go as planned. He lost, and some critics were quick to label him a fraud. To be fair, there was important context: Talha was coming off a year-long layoff and had undergone ACL surgery just seven months prior. On top of that, he was fighting Rodolfo Bellato, who is now undefeated in the UFC, and doing so up a weight class at 205, where he was clearly at a physical disadvantage.
Now back at middleweight, Talha hasn’t exactly earned his way back to the spotlight. He’s fought just once since the Bellato bout, and that came against an 0-4 opponent— a clear case of record padding.
Despite the questions, Talha is still a talented fighter. He’s a capable striker, but it’s his wrestling that stands out. Outside of the Bellato fight, he’s had no trouble closing the distance and muscling opponents to the mat. On the ground, he brings heavy pressure, strong ground-and-pound, and a knack for snatching the neck during transitions. His relentless pace and control can overwhelm opponents and break their will.
The loss to Bellato exposed some holes and raised valid concerns, but now that he’s fighting at his proper weight class, we may see the best version of Talha yet.
Baysangur Susurkaev
Pros:
-Composed
-Good defensive wrestling
-Good vision
-Athletic
-Good counter striker
-A lot of feints
-Excellent timing
-Good one-twos
-Nice bodywork
-Explosive
Cons:
-Hands low
-Position control needs work
Susurkaev began his career in his native Russia, where he went 4-0 while competing under the ACA Young Eagles banner. After a brief layoff, he relocated to the U.S. and started training at Kill Cliff FC in Miami, Florida.
In the cage, Susurkaev is a composed and deceptive striker. His relaxed posture, often with his hands low and a seemingly disinterested demeanor, can lull opponents into a false sense of security before he explodes with sudden, fight-ending offense. While he can be low volume, that’s more by design than flaw. He uses a heavy diet of feints and subtle movements to set traps and create openings.
His timing is one of his standout traits, particularly with his knees: three of his wins have come via perfectly timed shots up the middle. His vision and reaction time allow him to excel as a counter striker, and he hides dynamic weapons like head kicks, flying knees, and spinning attacks with no tell or load-up. When he does let his hands go, he’s sharp in combination, mixing up his targets well, especially with clean one-twos and body shots.
Susurkaev breaks down opponents methodically, applying steady pressure and gradually forcing mistakes that lead to finishes. While there were once questions about his takedown defense, he’s shown notable improvement, demonstrating solid balance, strong hips, and good use of the whizzer. His offensive wrestling and positional grappling could still use polish, but there’s nothing overly concerning at this stage. Overall, Susurkaev is a legit prospect and a strong short-notice addition.
Prediction: If not for his loss to Bellato on the Contender Series in 2023, Talha would likely be the favorite here. That said, Talha’s original match-up came against a more favorable style matchup in Pinas, who struggled with takedown defense. Susurkaev presents a much tougher test— he’s difficult to take down and rarely makes big mistakes.
I expect Talha to start aggressively, looking to chain takedowns against the fence. However, Susurkaev should defend well, stay composed, and work back to his feet. As the top control begins to fade in effectiveness, Talha is likely to slow down. That’s when Susurkaev takes over, attacking the body, picking his shots, and steadily breaking Talha down en route to a late TKO finish.
