LAS VEGAS – Mehemmedeli Osmanli is oozing confidence ahead of his UFC debut.
Osmanli (12-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) meets Akylbek Uulu (10-3 MMA, 0-0 UFC) in the Season 34 "Ultimate Fighter" bantamweight final Saturday at UFC Fight Night 289 from Meta APEX.
Osmanli has drawn early comparisons to Conor McGregor's striking style and has shown off his slick submission game by choking out both Artem Belakh and Christian Strong to punch his ticket to the "TUF 34" finals. Osmanli and Uulu had a spat during the show, and the brash 22-year-old vows to make him pay.
"He has just wrestling," Osmanli told MMA Junkie and other reporters Wednesday of Uulu. "He can't do nothing. He'll try wrestling, take me down, but I will beat him. He knows he will lose. When I trained
at Syndicate MMA, his manager, his team, his friends came and tried to look at my training, tried to look at my sparring. I don't care. I know I will beat him so easy, maybe first-round KO, maybe submission. It doesn't matter, but I finish him, I know that. I will try to break his face because he tried to injure me, this is disrespect, and I need to break his face. I (will make him) pay this."
Osmanli has big aspirations of breaking Jon Jones' record for youngest champion in UFC history. That's why if he can make good on his predication vs. Uulu, he is eyeing a very quick turnaround.
"I want a finish, a knockout," Osmanli said. "Dana (White) loves that. I have plans. I hope I finish him easy and then I want to fight in Abu Dhabi card, Oct. 24. I want this card, maybe top 15 or someone. ... I can beat easy Sean O'Malley, maybe."
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Mehemmedeli Osmanli wants to finish Akylbek Uulu 'easy' then fight at UFC 333
