Saturday’s UFC Fight Night features an intriguing lightweight bout between Nasrat Haqparast and Jamie Mullarkey. This matchup is set to take place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada for the UFC Fight Night: Song vs. Gutiérrez.
Nasrat Haqparast
Nasrat Haqparast enters the octagon with a professional record of 15-5-0. At 28 years old, Haqparast has established himself as a dangerous striker with underrated grappling skills. Adept at landing significant strikes at a rate of 5.73 per minute with a 44% accuracy, he excels in technical kickboxing and has a potent left hand. Haqparast is also known for his strong takedown defence, boasting a 78% success rate. In his recent fight against Quinones, Haqparast showcased his striking skills, earning a TKO stoppage with precise counters and powerful left hands.
Jamie Mullarkey
Jamie Mullarkey, 29 years old with a record of 17-6-0, is another promising talent in the lightweight division. Mullarkey is known for his balanced approach, landing 4.46 significant strikes per minute at a 47% accuracy. While he’s competent in stand-up exchanges, Mullarkey also shines in grappling, averaging 2.46 takedowns per 15 minutes with a 34% success rate. In his last fight against Makdessi, Mullarkey used his grappling prowess to control the fight, leading to a decision victory. He also has 10KO/TKO finishes on his record, showing that he is not a man to be messed with on the feet.
Fight Analysis
This bout presents a hybrid striker versus grappler scenario. Haqparast’s striking ability, particularly his efficiency and power, will be pivotal in this matchup. Mullarkey, on the other hand, will likely look to implement his wrestling and grappling skills to control Haqparast and neutralize his striking. Mullarkey’s slight reach advantage and slightly better striking defence could also be factors in the stand-up exchanges, and lead to Mullarkey beating Haqparast to the punch. The fight could hinge on Haqparast’s ability to keep the fight standing by utilising his footwork and Mullarkey’s success in taking it to the ground.
Fight Result & Highlights
Round 1 – We have ANOTHER first round finish!!! Nasrat Haqparast takes out Jamie Mullarkey. The fight started with both men looking lively before a lovely left hook from Haqparast dropped Mullarkey and he just couldn’t recover. Mullarkey bravely attempted to climb back to his feet but was caught several times before another huge shot dropped him and the bout was waved off. Very impressive from Nasrat Haqparast.
Official Result: Nasrat Haqparast defeats Jamie Mullarkey via TKO in Round 1
Highlights:
Featured highlights credit to the UFC.
Featured image credit to Embed from Getty Images
