England’s Shem Rock (Shaqueme Rock) should be no stranger to MMA fans. He’s been competing of late for Oktagon MMA, has won multiple regional titles, and has been fighting professional for almost a decade. He’s one of several debuting fighters at UFC Qatar on Saturday, taking on Nurullo Aliev.
Shem Rock
Standing at five-foot
Fighting at 155 lbs (lightweight)
32-years-old
Fighting out of Dublin, Ireland
Training out of Next Gen MMA Liverpool
A pro record of 12-1-1
2 KO/TKOs, 9 Submissions
Rock is a seasoned veteran of the sport, competing professionally since 2016. As an amateur, he captured titles in Malaysia before continuing his success in the UK, where he also claimed multiple championships. Since suffering his lone professional defeat, Rock has bounced back impressively with six consecutive wins. Over the past two years, he’s fought under the Oktagon banner—Europe’s premier promotion—amassing a 4-0-1 record.
A grappling specialist, Rock has secured nine of his career victories by submission. He’s particularly dangerous when he takes the back, where his control, grip transitions, and relentless neck attacks shine. While he doesn’t rely heavily on ground-and-pound, he stays active in pursuit of submissions, constantly adjusting and working to finish. His grappling is fundamentally sound, with very few mistakes, and he’s capable of riding top control until the bell or forcing a tap. Early in fights, his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is a serious threat.
On the feet, Rock operates primarily as a kickboxer. He controls range with a steady flow of kicks, frequently throwing teeps, leg kicks, and powerful body kicks while mixing in feints to keep opponents guessing. However, he would benefit from having more confidence in his hands and allowing his striking to open up further, especially since his grappling threat helps create those openings.
Rock’s wrestling is effective, especially when he can blend it into his overall game. He times his entries well, often shooting low and circling to take the back or hit a mat return. He’s also adept at using the cage for takedowns and has shown solid judo skills in the clinch.
The main concern is his cardio. After the opening round, his pace noticeably slows—he becomes more flat-footed, and his output dips. While he remains competitive throughout, the later rounds become more of a grind, where he’s fighting on increasingly narrow margins.
I don’t see Rock as a top 15 fighter, but I do see him as a fixture in the lightweight division for years to come.
Rock has a tough debut against Nurullo Alive, who is a dominant wrestler and grappler. Rock is gonna get a chance to showcase his jiu-jitsu, but it will be off his back. I was never high on Aliev heading into his Contender Series fight in 2022. He’s one-dimensional and can be pretty boring. With that said, his wrestling and ground control are pretty high-level. Rock throws a lot of kicks and that’s gonna open up lanes to get the takedowns. In a fight I believe will mostly take place on the mat I’ll go with wrestling and control over jiu-jitsu.
