UFC Signs 11-0 Prospect Asaf Chopurov for UFC 333 in Abu Dhabi
Undefeated bantamweight Asaf Chopurov, training partner of Petr Yan, will debut at UFC 333 on October 24 against Colby Thicknesse.
The UFC just added one of the hottest unsigned bantamweights in the sport. Asaf Chopurov, an undefeated 24-year-old Azerbaijani fighter nicknamed "Honey Badger," has officially signed with the promotion and will debut at UFC 333 in Abu Dhabi on October 24, per Sherdog.
Chopurov brings a perfect 11-0 professional record with 10 finishes. His amateur resume is even more absurd: 34-1. He won the vacant UAE Warriors bantamweight championship last year and defended it twice before getting the call to the big show.
The connection to UFC bantamweight champion Petr Yan makes this signing even more interesting. Chopurov is a primary training partner of Yan, who headlines UFC 333 in a trilogy bout against Merab Dvalishvili. Putting the prospect on the same card as his mentor is a smart piece of matchmaking.
Chopurov will face Colby Thicknesse, who holds a 9-1 record, in what should be a meaningful test for his debut. In an Instagram post announcing the signing, Chopurov made his goals clear: he's coming for UFC gold.
The bantamweight division is already one of the deepest in the sport, but Chopurov's finishing rate and pedigree suggest he could fast-track his way through the ranks if the hype is real.
Eleven and oh with ten finishes. An amateur record of 34-1. Training every day with the bantamweight champion. This kid checks every box, and the UFC knows it. Putting him on the UFC 333 undercard in Abu Dhabi, right beneath Yan vs. Merab III, is the promotion telling the division to pay attention.
I'm not going to crown him yet because we've seen plenty of hyped prospects hit a wall once the competition jumps three levels overnight. But 10 finishes in 11 fights at 24 years old? That's not normal. If he starches Thicknesse in round one, the bantamweight top 15 better start studying tape. This is the kind of signing that makes a division nervous.
