Baysangur Susurkaev took his Contender Series fight this past Tuesday on just four day’s notice.
Now, he’s set to fight again at this Saturday’s UFC 319. Talk about a busy schedule.
Susurkaev was the biggest star of Week 1 of Dana White’s Contender Series 2025, stopping Murtaza Talha with a body kick in the opening round to improve to 9-0. Dana White heaped praise on the middleweight, granting him a UFC contract and promising that he’d have a quick turnaround.
No one suspected just how quick, however. On Wednesday, Twitter personality and podcaster ZacLikesMMA was first to report that Susurkaev (9-0) had been added to UFC 319 in Chicago, where he’ll face Eric Nolan (8-3). Sources confirmed the booking to Cageside Press on Wednesday; Khamzat Chimaev, a teammate who is fighting for the middleweight title on Saturday’s card, also confirmed the news publicly. Meanwhile, Susurkaev stated on social media earlier in the day that the promotion was searching for an opponent for him.
“To everyone who was wondering what Dana and I were talking about, and why I showed 4 fingers, I asked him to give me a fight in one shot with Borz in 4 days, he agreed and then said that they are already looking for an opponent, so, tomorrow I will fly to Chicago, we will see,” he wrote in a brief posting.
They found one in Nolan, a CFFC champion who has won his last four fights, with his last three coming by finish. A solid talent, who will have to ignore the fact that most of the talk in the next few days will be about Baysangur Susurkaev’s quick turnaround.
UFC 319 takes place at the United Center on Saturday, August 16, 2025, with Dricus Du Plessis versus Khamzat Chimaev headlining for the UFC’s middleweight championship.
