Elf Brenner and Miktibek Olorubai, UFC 301 ceremonial weigh-in Credit: Dylan Bowker/Cageside Press
Elf Brenner welcomes Miktibek Olorubai to Brazil at UFC 301, with two 26-year-old prospects looking to put their winning streak on the line.
Olorubai of Kyrgyzstan suddenly appeared and overwhelmed Uros Medici in wrestling. On the trip to Brazil, it was thought that he would try to do the same with Brenner, teammate of Charles Oliveira, who pulled off the biggest comeback and upset of last year by defeating Gulam Kutateladze. In the end, Myktibek’s wrestling won an entertaining match, but a late mistake from the Kyrgyzstan meant the scorecards remained tight.
Olorubai chased a circling Brenner from the start of the match. The calm movements of the Kyrgyzstan contrasted with the explosive movements of the Brazilians. In the first minute, Miktibek crushed the elf with his right hand, and although he may have been injured, he quickly defeated his opponent. Olorubai established strong top control from full guard before landing big ground attacks, especially elbows. Elf Brenner uses Omoplata to wipe out Ororubai and surprises him by getting on top in side control. Miktibek turned his back to stand up, but turned to face his opponent and got to his feet and grappled. He landed some good punches in a combo, then went for another takedown and finally succeeded after some chain wrestling. His control continued until the end of the round, clinching a 10-9 round victory.
Olorubai’s wrestling wasn’t the only factor. In the second round, he again won with a good jab, then changed levels and defeated Brenner. Olorubai quickly passed to the mount, raining down endless ground and pound. He tries to set up an arm triangle, but when he can’t, he goes back to an elbow. However, Brenner managed to escape from the most dire situation. He had a hard time moving his feet even when attacked, which was somewhat unusual. Olorubai’s constant half-steps and feints made it difficult to time his entries. Olorubai showed up at the end of the round, but Brenner came on top in full mount and landed strikes in the final 10 seconds.
Despite showing signs of life, Elf-Brenner almost certainly needed a finish heading into the third round. He first started grappling in the third round, scoring a surprise takedown against Olorubai. Miktibek turned his back to get to his feet, but was backed away when Brenner landed both hooks. However, Brenner fell as sweat made him slippery. Elf goes for another takedown and Olorubai grabs the fence. As a result, the referee took the point away from Myktybek, and although Myktybek may not have known it, he scored a takedown of his own to turn things around. He made a cross pass, but Brenner put his foot on the wall and reversed, getting on Olorubai’s back. Olorubai struggled out of position and moved into striking, but that didn’t last long before he attempted another takedown. In fact, both men looked extremely tired as the final moments occurred. Their attack was a bit sloppy, with Olorubai getting the best shot in the form of a clean 1-2 combo. That was Olorubai’s best shot until he landed another straight right that knocked Brenner on his butt in the final moments of the fight.
A 28-28 tie could have been possible due to the point penalty, but Miktibek Olorubayi could have saved the winnings with a final two-point tie. Fans held their breath as the result of one of the best matches on the card was announced. In fact, it was Olorubai who went 2-0 in the UFC and avoided paying for a big, costly mistake in the form of a last-minute knockdown.
Official Results: Miktibek Olorubai def. Elf Brenner unanimous decision (29-27, 29-27, 29-27)
