Poatan comes under fire from 'responsible' for Malhadinho's dismissal from the UFC; find out why.

Alex Poatan at a UFC event. Photo: Reproduction/Facebook/UFC

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Alex Poatan emerges as one of the possible targets for Rizvan Kuniev 's next move in the UFC, after the Russian's dominant performance at the event held in Abu Dhabi. Responsible for the defeat that culminated in Jailton Malhadinho 's departure from the organization, Kuniev returned to action last Saturday (25) and made short work of Tyrell Fortune , securing the victory with a convincing performance that earned him the Fight of the Night bonus. With the result, the giant of the heavyweight division (up to 120,2 kg) is now aiming for the top of the division.

In an interview with UFC News, Rizvan Kuniev made it clear that he intends to face elite names in the division in his next fight. The Russian stated that he is looking for a matchup against fighters in the top 5 or even the top 3, citing possible opponents such as Sergei Pavlovich , Alex Poatan , and Ciryl Gane.

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“I’m really looking for a fight against a top 5 or even a top 3 fighter, like Pavlovich, Pereira, Cyril Gane. I don’t care, I want to be a champion in this division, but the main goal is to have at least one guy from the top 5 and the rest doesn’t matter,” said Rizvan Kuniev.

Rizvan Kuniev defeated Malhadinho at UFC Vegas 113.

Kuniev defeated Malhadinho in the UFC. Photo: Reproduction/Facebook/UFC

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Although he was coming off a loss to Curtis Blaydes , Rizvan Kuniev received a big opportunity at UFC Vegas 113, held in February. The Russian, still outside the heavyweight rankings, faced the then number seven in the division, Jailton Malhadinho , who accepted the fight with little preparation time.

After a fight with few thrills, in which Kuniev managed to neutralize the Brazilian's takedown attempts and gained the upper hand in the striking exchanges, the Russian had his arm raised and secured an important victory. The result propelled the fighter into the top 10 of the category's ranking, while Malhadinho ended up having his contract terminated by the UFC and subsequently signed with ACA.

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