Nasrat Haqparast is eyeing a shot at the lightweight rankings after UFC on ABC 6.
Haqparast (17-5 MMA, 9-4 UFC) edged out Jared Gordon (20-7 MMA, 8-6 UFC) by split decision in Saturday’s featured prelim at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The 28-year-old extended his winning streak to four, and is ready to start facing higher-ranked opposition again. He has one name in particular that he’s interested in.
“I called out the top 15, Renato Moicano, you are next brother,” Haqparast told reporters at the UFC on ABC 6 post-fight press conference. “Let’s go. …I’m sure he’s going to try and take me down. Look what Drew Dober did with him. Maybe with 10 punches he smashed his head.
“Look what Jalin Turner did with him. Arguably he knocked him out, but it was Jalin Turner’s fault, and I think he’s going to try and take me down, just hold me on the ground. This is his game, but my game is violence and I’m coming for the top 15 now with violence.”
A frustrated Gordon is confident he did enough to win. However, Haqparast thinks he inflicted more damage.
“Honestly not (surprised),” Haqparast said on getting his hand raised. “I landed the more significant strikes, I hurt him. He had a good game plan. He tried to push me back, maybe that’s why one judge gave him the fight, but I think I did enough to win.
“I think it was a good experience. Jared Gordon is a tough guy. He has 14 fights in the UFC, he fought some of the best guys in the world. He fought Charles Oliveira, Bobby Green, Grant Dawson. Like, top 15 guys. He has the quality of a top 15 guy, and I’m entering my prime slowly.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ABC 6.
