Nazim Sadykhov says Matheus Camilo won’t be able to make a name off him when the two meet on Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 280 main card at Crystal Palace in Baku, Azerbaijan. Sadykhov, returning from a setback that followed a loss to Fares Ziam, frames the fight
When Nazim Sadykhov talks about Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 280 main card, he doesn’t sound like a man measuring risk. He sounds like a man setting traps.
Sadykhov takes on Matheus Camilo at Crystal Palace in Baku, Azerbaijan, on Saturday’s Paramount+ main card. Sadykhov arrives with an 11-2-1 MMA record and a 4-1-1 UFC run. Camilo enters at 10-3 in MMA and 1-1 in the UFC.
Sadykhov insists the matchup won’t play the way Camilo wants it to. “Hard-nose. powerful guy. size. likes to throw heavy. wrestle heavy. grapple heavy – but I’m going to have puzzles for him he won’t be able to solve. ” Sadykhov told MMA Junkie of Camilo. “It’s simple: I’m more skilled. I’m more experienced. I’m the veteran in this one.”.
He’s not just confident—he’s specific about how he plans to use that label. “I think this is the first time in the UFC where I’m actually going to be the veteran. and I’m going to take full advantage. ” he said. “I feel great. I had an amazing camp with amazing people. I surrounded myself with purely professionals. the best of the best. so I’m more ready than ever before. I’m hungrier and angrier to get back and show everybody who I am.”.
Sadykhov’s hunger comes with a clear timeline. His loss to Fares Ziam marked his first loss in the UFC and his first since 2018. That stoppage loss set him back after he had been on the brink of becoming a ranked lightweight.
Since then, he says he has rebuilt the foundation, not just the fight plan. He opened a gym with friends Charlie and George Quinn in Las Vegas. and he vows to turn the work into results. “I didn’t make excuses then, I won’t tell you excuses now,” Sadykhov said. “I did not show up that night. There was many reasons for that, but (Saturday) – or, forget (Saturday). That could never happen again. Physically, that could never happen again. I won’t allow it. We changed the whole scenario since then. We changed everything. so the version of me that’s showing up (Saturday) is going to be the version you see show up better and better every time going forward.”.
Nazim Sadykhov Matheus Camilo UFC Fight Night 280 Crystal Palace Baku Paramount+ MMA Las Vegas gym Fares Ziam Charlie Quinn George Quinn