Chicago — Two fights in five days. A Contender Series win that earned him a UFC contract, and his debut at UFC 319, where he submitted Eric Nolan. That’s what middleweight Baisangur Susurkaev has gone through in the past week.
“Five days. Five days. I feel very good. So happy,” Susurkaev (10-0) said following his win over Nolan at the United Center in Chicago, speaking with media outlets including Cageside Press. “I didn’t know he would be so good. I was a little tired. I need now I need a little more time to get ready. Four days is no good again.”
While he might need to slow down a little, Susurkaev is still hoping to compete twice more by the end of 2025. After that, he’s predicting big things. Teammate Khamzat Chimaev has sung Baisangur Susurkaev’s praises, claiming the prospect is better than “Borz” himself. Baisangur doesn’t agree — “I don’t think he really means it when he says it. Of course I’m not better than him, he is the best and he’s going to prove it today,” he told Cageside Press — but the 24-year old does believe he’s on the fast track to a UFC championship.
“Two more years, I’m going to be champion,” he predicted. “I don’t need these fights. I need time, one, two months, to get ready for next fight, and I’m ready. I’m going to be champion.”
As for his next fights, locations like Abu Dhabi and New York City appeal, though for the time being at least, one has been ruled out.
“I wish I could go to Abu Dhabi, but I don’t have documents right now and I’m not able to leave the United States. So I’m hoping for New York. I really would love to fight in September, but I do feel like I have an injury on my foot. As long as I’m physically ready, I’m ready to fight.”
The uptick in profile and newfound fame haven’t fully his Susurkaev just yet, but he has noticed more interest from fans. He’s also well aware, it seems, of the fickle nature of fame.
“I don’t think I had enough time to process all the fame. After my first bout and my first win, I got a lot of people reaching out to me,” he noted. “And I’m sure tomorrow, many more people are going to reach out. In the long run, I’m really just here to make money, I want to help my family. I know that today people are fans of and they love you, and tomorrow they will fall out of love with you and will say bad things about you.”
Watch the full UFC 319 post-fight press conference with Baisangur Susurkaev above.
