Athletes
Prospect To Watch | Myktybek Orolbai
Fresh Off A Submission Win This Summer, Myktybek Orolbai Makes The Move Back To Welterweight In Search Of Long-Term Success
Welterweight has quickly become one of the most talent-rich divisions in the entire UFC.
Just last week, Pound-for-Pound king Islam Makhachev took the throne from Jack Della Maddalena, while Carlos Prates and Michael Morales announced themselves as legitimate threats to the title. This Saturday, Belal Muhammad and Ian Machado Garry aim to make their mark with an impressive showing in UFC Qatar’s co-main event.
Two fights before the former champ meets the rising Irish contender, a returning 170-pound fighter will look to reestablish himself among the ever-growing list of elite talent.
Preview Every Fight On Saturday's Card
Enter 27-year-old Myktybek Orolbai, who made his debut at welterweight but has since competed once at lightweight and most recently in two catchweight bouts. The Team Alpha Male representative has won three of those four appearances, with his only loss coming in a Fight of the Year candidate at UFC 308 last October.
We’ll start with what on paper is his one blemish. On a card that featured then-featherweight champion Ilia Topuria knocking out Max Holloway, the most action-packed 15 minutes of the night came during the prelims when Orolbai faced Mateusz Rębecki. The fight was as back-and-forth as it gets, with Rębecki narrowly out-landing Orolbai 93-85. They each had just over two minutes of control time, but a third-round knockdown proved to be the difference-maker for Poland’s Rębecki.
While the defeat snapped an eight-fight win streak, it showcased a part of Orolbai’s game we hadn’t seen before and provided him with valuable lessons to carry forward in his career.
Main Event Spotlight | Arman Tsarukyan vs Dan Hooker
Looking back at his debut, Orolbai’s first trip to the Octagon has only aged better with time. At UFC Fight Night: Allen vs Craig, he battled welterweight knockout artist Uroš Medić, who has since finished three of his last four opponents. Orolbai was relentless in his grappling from start to finish, controlling Medić for over two and a half minutes in each of the first two rounds before locking in a rear-naked choke that forced the tap with a minute remaining in Round 2.
In 2024, Orolbai went 1-1 in the Octagon, starting the year with a unanimous decision win over Elves Brener, even after being deducted a point in the third round. He had already built a big enough lead that the foul didn’t impact the decision, taking the fight 29-27 on all three scorecards. He then closed out the year with the aforementioned clash with Rębecki.
Last time out, Orolbai faced UFC newcomer Tofiq Musayev at UFC’s inaugural event in Baku, Azerbaijan, in June. Fighting at a 165-pound catchweight, Orolbai wasted no time implementing his game plan, scoring his first takedown less than a minute into the first round. Musayev eventually got back to his feet, but the action was paused for a foul by the debutant. Orolbai immediately capitalized, taking his opponent back down and locking in a kimura roughly 30 seconds later, forcing the tap to claim his sixth submission win as a pro.
UFC QATAR FULL FIGHTS: Tsarukyan vs Oliveira | Hooker vs Gamrot | Muhammad vs Brady | Machado Garry vs Prates
At UFC Fight Night: Tsarukyan vs Hooker, Orolbai will collide with Jack Hermansson at 170 pounds. The perennial middleweight contender is looking to bounce back from a devastating defeat to Gregory Rodrigues at UFC 317. He, like Orolbai, believes entering a new division will allow him to produce his best work.
UFC Fight Night: Tsarukyan vs Hooker took place live from ABHA Arena in Doha, Qatar on November 22, 2025. 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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