Farman Hasanov Looks To Extend Record-Breaking Takedown Run At UFC Vegas 123

Farman Hasanov Eyes Takedown Record at UFC Vegas 123© Instagram

Farman Hasanov made an impression in his UFC debut that is hard to forget. On June 27, the Azerbaijani welterweight landed 17 takedowns against Eric Nolan at UFC Fight Night in Baku, breaking the welterweight single-round takedown record and finishing with a dominant unanimous decision win. All three judges scored it 30-27. Tonight at UFC Vegas 123, he gets his second test inside the UFC APEX in Las Vegas, facing Jean-Paul Lebosnoyani on the undercard of Renato Moicano vs. Tom Nolan. The 17 takedowns placed him fourth all-time for takedowns in a single UFC fight, sitting behind only Khabib Nurmagomedov, Merab Dvalishvili, and Myktybek Orolbai across all weight classes. For a fighter making his debut in front of a home crowd in Azerbaijan, the performance announced him in a way that numbers rarely do.

What Hasanov Brings Into This Fight

Hasanov enters tonight at 6-0, still unbeaten as a professional. He completed 17 of 27 takedown attempts against Nolan, a 63 percent finish rate against a welterweight division average of around 34 percent. He controlled the fight for nearly 75 percent of the total time on the mat. The Cageside Press recap noted his wrestling was not always polished and that he tired in the second round, with Nolan landing clean jabs in the third. But he still took Nolan down in the final frame and controlled the finish. At 31, he is not a prospect being developed slowly. He needs to show he can handle a more experienced opponent.

Lebosnoyani Brings a 2-0 UFC Record Into This

Jean-Paul Lebosnoyani, who fights out of a switch stance and carries an 11-2 overall record, is 2-0 inside the UFC and represents a real step up. He throws at 4.14 significant strikes per minute and attempts nearly three takedowns per 15 minutes himself, which means Hasanov cannot simply impose his wrestling without resistance. Both fighters are unbeaten in the promotion, so whoever loses takes their first UFC setback. Hasanov's path forward is clear: keep it on the mat, stay active, and prove the Nolan performance was not a one-off built for a hometown crowd.