SAN ANTONIO – Albert Duraev aims to prove he’s more than just a wrestler at UFC on ESPN 43.
Duraev (15-4 MMA, 1-1 UFC) faces Chidi Njokuani (22-8 MMA, 2-1 UFC) on Saturday’s main card opener at AT&T Center in San Antonio. The main card airs on ESPN following prelims on ESPN+.
Duraev will be facing another knockout artist in Njokuani, but vows to show off a well-rounded game in the fight.
“My opponent is tall, which makes him a little inconvenient for me, but I’ve been working and I’ve been preparing for that,” Duraev told MMA Junkie and other reporters through an interpreter at a pre-fight news conference Wednesday. “Honestly, he cannot do anything with me. I’m the dangerous one.
“You only see me as a wrestler. But trust me: I can hit, I can work standing up, and I can beat everyone in my division. My opponent is not an excuse, but if I get a chance to use my wrestling, of course I will do that.”
Duraev will look to rebound from a doctor’s stoppage TKO loss to Joaquin Buckley, which snapped a 10-fight winning streak.
“During my last fight, a lot of mistakes were done, and that was not a surprise to me that I lost that fight,” Duraev said. “But getting ready for this fight, I worked a lot on my defense. I worked a lot in general.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 43.
