ISLAM DULATOV | NO PRESSURE, ONLY EXCITEMENT

But, at the moment, Dulatov isn’t thinking about returning to the runway; he’s fixated on finally making his first appearance in the UFC after this weekend’s contest was forced to be pushed back from February after he suffered an injury during his initial training camp.

“After I signed my contract and came back to Germany, the country was going crazy, and (there was) a lot of support from outside of Germany — from Europe, big support from America also; a lot of people were writing me, following on Instagram and all of this stuff,” said the Dana White’s Contender Series grad, detailing his experiences over the 11 months since he earned his contract. “It was a great feeling to come back; the first step for my dream, which actually came true.

 Order UFC 318: Holloway vs Poirier 3

“When I had set the fight, I was very happy,” continued the promising welterweight prospect. “I was thinking it was the perfect time — a short time after the first fight, I can show the people — but then I had this injury and I had to withdraw.

“It was a hard time for me then because I was doing a lot of physio stuff, a lot of stuff to be back in shape again, but we did a very good job. I’m back, better than ever, and I’m ready to go on Saturday.”

The idea of an athlete garnering a tremendous amount of support after punching their ticket to the UFC may sound like an exaggeration to North American audiences that have watched competitors from throughout the United States and Canada frequently make the jump to MMA’s major league, but the sport is experiencing tremendous growth and a massive surge in popularity and attention abroad. 

And in countries that have historically had little representation on the largest platforms in the sport, a fighter simply touching down in the UFC is massive news, and brings a massive influx of attention for the new signee.

 FOLLOW @UFCNEWS: On Facebook | On Instagram | On X | On Threads

“In Germany, I would say I was always a very big star; I’m one of the most known fighters in Germany,” began Dulatov when asked about the increased recognition that accompanied his contract-winning effort last summer. “In Germany, it was normal for me, but (globally) — I was in Paris and people came to me like, ‘I know you! You’re Islam Dulatov!’ 

“I was in Spain and people came to me; it was a very good feeling. Last couple months, a lot of people have come to me and said, ‘Islam Dulatov — I watch all your fights!’ It’s a great feeling. I love it.”

Increased attention can also mean increased pressure, but the 26-year-old freshman doesn’t see things that way.

“To be honest, I have nothing to lose,” Dulatov said with a smile. “I came here with nothing, so I have nothing to lose. I just go forward and do my stuff.

“I have no big pressure — just the regular pressure you have always before a fight; a healthy pressure,” he added. “You need a little pressure because — what do they say, ‘Under pressure you make diamonds.’”

One of the things that has helped Dulatov reach New Orleans ahead of his promotional debut this weekend feeling only the standard amount of pre-fight pressure is the fact that he completed his preparations for Saturday’s fight at American Top Team.
 

After first venturing to the South Florida outpost ahead of his initial booking, the streaking welterweight returned to ATT after getting healthy and rebooked for this weekend’s pay-per-view at Smoothie King Center. Walking in wide-eyed and fully aware of the elite collection of talent he was going to be sharing the mats with, Dulatov came away from the experience feeling very good about what he brings to the table, both this weekend and overall.

“When I was there, I looked around and it was a room full of killers — very good fighters, very tough fighters,” he said of the Coconut Creek gym. “There are no bad people there, and I trained with the best fighters in the world at middleweight and welterweight. I had some great sparring rounds, and it was a great opportunity for me to learn new stuff, to see how strong I am actually.

“When I went there, I was like, ‘These are big names, big people here,’ but when I made sparring rounds, I was like, ‘Okay.’”

The smile on his face grew wide as he nodded his head, silently acknowledging that he held his own alongside more seasoned, more established competitors.

 “The experience I had was that I’m much better than I thought before, I’m much better than I thought,” he added. “I sparred mostly middleweights like Marvin Vettori, Johnny Eblen; a lot of great guys, great people. I’m very happy for this opportunity.”

He’s also extremely eager for people to see him competing at full strength, as, like a great deal of fighters competing outside of the UFC, a lot of Dulatov’s previous assignments have offered limited prep time, constant changes in opponents, and inadequate training.

 Canelo vs Crawford Presale Begins July 17. Sign Up Now!

Now, the surging welterweight is firing on all cylinders, ready to put on a show and extend his winning streak to an even dozen by delivering a memorable performance in his maiden voyage into the UFC cage. 

“The last fights I had were always short preparation, bad preparation; a few weeks preparation,” he said. “As I said after my Contender Series fight, that was 25-30 percent of my body because I was not in shape there; I had a lot of injuries at the time.

“I’m happy I had a full camp and that everything went the right way, with great people around us, great coaches. You will see, inshallah, the best version of my life, the best performance. The people that have never seen my fights before, they will be happy.” 

And if everything goes as planned, Dulatov will be, as well.

 MORE UFC 318: Fight by Fight Preview | Fighters On The Rise | Prospect To Watch: Vinicius Oliveira | Poirier and Holloway: Journey To The Trilogy | BMF Title Lineage | How To Watch UFC 318

“I think this will be one of the best feelings of my life, for sure,” he said when asked about hearing Bruce Buffer declare him the winner in his promotional debut this weekend, the ever-present smile on his face growing wider. “This is a dream that is coming true for me. 

“They say the first step in the hardest, and I went the hard way — went to the Contender Series; had a hard fight with a good guy there — and now it’s my first step in the UFC. I’m happy and this feeling I will never forget in my life again.”