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.
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