Athletes
Baisangur Susurkaev Is Hunting Down The Middleweight Elite
Exciting Middleweight Talent Plans On Scoring Another Eye-Catching Win At UFC 328, Then Calling For A Shot At Top 15 Opposition Later This Year
From the moment he landed at the Meta APEX for Dana White’s Contender Series, Russian middleweight Baisangur Susurkaev has looked like a fighter who’s going places. And after earning his UFC contract with a first-round body-kick KO, his momentum has only increased since.
Susurkaev made a record-breaking turnaround after his Tuesday night win at Meta APEX as he jetted to Chicago to fight just four days later at UFC 319, where he submitted Eric Nolan on his Octagon debut to get his UFC career off to a flying start.
UFC 328 Full Fight Card Preview
It didn’t take Susurkaev long to return to action, as he featured at UFC 322 the following November and knocked out Eric McConico in the third round. It extended his perfect professional record to 11-0. Now he’s set for his third UFC fight, on his third numbered UFC card, as he prepares to take on Brazil’s Djorden Santos at UFC 328 in Newark, New Jersey.
“I’m really happy,” he told UFC.com. “It’s the third one when I fight on a big card – two times with Khamzat, one time with Islam, and I think it means something because every fight, it’s a good future for me… We made the new record, with two fights in four days, and (was) the first guy after Dana White’s Contender Series to go to a (numbered event) press conference. I think that was a big moment for me, and I was happy to be there”
Baisangur Susurkaev Fight Week Interview | UFC 328
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Baisangur Susurkaev Fight Week Interview | UFC 328
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Susurkaev’s debut may have delivered a submission finish, but when we asked him about his submission game, he just laughed.
“I choose every time a knockout,” he said. “I have only finished one submission. I like knockouts, but I don’t know. I never did a submission in training, but in fights, I have one! My brother said, ‘How did you submit him?’ I said, ‘I don’t know!’ I like knockouts, and every time, I’m going (in there) to get a knockout.”
Your UFC 328 Full Fight Week Guide
For a fighter who arrived so quickly on the big stage, Susurkaev has had to deal with the immediate pressure of fighting under the bright lights of big-arena numbered events, and he’s taken to it like a duck to water. He admitted there were some nerves on his UFC debut, but by the time his sophomore showing rolled around, he felt much more at home.
“(There was) big pressure in my first fight, my debut,” he said. “It was the first time I fought with many people watching me. Second fight, I felt a little better. Now I think I feel even better, and I don’t think the pressure will be a problem.”
Susurkaev’s latest test comes against Santos, who arrives in New Jersey with an 11-2 record. The Brazilian earned his UFC roster spot with a win over England’s Will Currie on Dana White’s Contender Series, and while he found himself on the wrong end of a judges’ decision on his UFC debut, he rebounded last time out to score his maiden UFC victory with a unanimous decision win over Danny Barlow at UFC Vancouver last October.
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“I think he’s a good fighter,” said Susurkaev. “He has a good chin, good cardio. He has the best cardio of all of my opponents, and I think maybe the best chin. But I have different surprises for him … and I will find something to finish him. I don’t want to say (how), but you will see. I want to finish him in the first or second round.
“I think this will be a very interesting fight for the fans, because this guy wants to fight. He likes to fight. I like to fight. Every minute, I’m looking for the finish. He’s also looking for the finish. It will be a great fight, and that’s gonna be a very cool fight for the fans. Just watch!”
Now he’s in the UFC, Susurkaev doesn’t plan on resting on his laurels. He wants to get another eye-catching victory on Saturday night, and hopes the matchmakers will grant his wish for a shot at one of the middleweight division’s ranked contenders later this year.
“Just be ready. I’m coming,” he warned the rest of the 185-pound division. “After this finish, I’ll have three finishes in the UFC, one finish in Contender Series, and I’m gonna call out someone who is in the top 15 – maybe Roman Dolidze, Marvin Vettori, someone like these guys. I need a big name. I need a big check. I need something like this. I’m ready for it.”
UFC 328: Chimaev vs Strickland took place live from Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey on May 9, 2026. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!
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