Alexander Yakovlev‏ Not Interested in Paul Daley Rematch, Wants to Join UFC

Alexander Yakovlev‏ Not Interested in Paul Daley Rematch, Wants to Join UFC

by Chris Houten - @mrhouts

Alexander Yakovlev made his professional MMA debut in 2004, yet he will have only came to the attention of some UK MMA fans some 9 years later when he took on Paul Daley at Legends 2.

MMA fans in the UK could be forgiven for not too knowing much about the 29 year old Russian, after all, he has never fought outside of his homeland, but those will be the same fans who underestimated Yakovlev going into the fight with Daley.

After a nervy first round, Yakovlev used his background in sambo to take the fight to the ground, and out point Daley on the way to unanimous decision victory.

Daley has since questioned if he would have lost the fight, had the bout with Yakovlev took place in a cage rather than a ring and has expressed an interest in a rematch. Yakovlev has other plans however, and doesn't think the ring had any outcome on the result: 

"I am not interested in a rematch with Daley" said Yakovlev. 

"That evening I was in very good shape and I think that in this state, I would have won it anywhere, even on a football field."

A win over a former top 10 welterweight puts Yakovlev in a great position in the welterweight rankings. At 21-4 the Russian is a finisher with 16 finishes to his name - 8 by TKO & 8 by submission. Yakovlev has shown an array of striking and grappling exhibiting what a truly diverse, well rounded fighter he is. Having only lost once in 5 years and that loss came to fellow Russian and recent UFC signee Rashid Magomedov, Yakovlev is on the road to big things.

2013 has been a hugely successful year for Russian fighters in the UFC, with Khabib Nurmagomedov, Rustam Khabilov, Ali Bagautinov and Omari Akhmedov terrorising their respected weight divisions, not losing a single fight in the process. However, Yakovlev isn't surprised by the performance of his fellow countrymen:

'In Russia [there] have always been good fighters, but not always there were people who could show them to the world'

With a minimum 6 UFC events planed for Europe, the success of Nurmagomedov, Khabilov etc. has made Russian fighters hot property going into 2014, with the worlds biggest promotion signing 7 Russian fighters in recent months, and make no mistake about, Yakovlev wants a piece of the action too:

'All fighters dream of [being] in the UFC and I'm no exception. It's the best organisation in the world and there are gathered the best of the best.' 

'I am truly versatile fighter. My stand up as well as ground game are equally as good. I don't like to talk big, but I can say for sure if I'm selected, I will do my best to become the champion!'

With the rise of Russian fighters in the UFC in 2013, it won't be long before we see Yakovlev also in the worlds biggest promotion and as one of the most exciting prospect on the market, it couldn't come soon enough.... If you didn't know who Alexander Yakovlev was before the Paul Daley fight and you still don't, mark my words, you will do soon.