After ‘Nerd’ Jiri Prochazka, UFC Baku Star Myktybek Orolbai Wins Internet As Law Buff

UFC Baku star and 155-pounder Myktybek Orolbai has a plan to snag undisputed title and then pursue his career as a lawyer.

After ‘Nerd’ Jiri Prochazka, UFC Baku Star Myktybek Orolbai Wins Internet As Law Buff

UFC lightweight Myktybek Orolbai has a law degree from Kyrgyzstan University (Source: X)

Kyrgyz UFC 155-pounder Myktybek Orolbai welcomed Tofiq Musayev, a former Bellator fighter and RIZIN tournament fighter, at UFC on ABC 8 from Baku Crystal Hall in Baku, Azerbaijan, this weekend. Turns out, though, the stoic faced scrapper is ready to don suits of a law buff (litigator) as well.

It’s never not a good idea to stabilize a fighter’s outside life, outside the scope of fighting. Former champ Aljamain Sterling is a licensed REALTOR ® with Vylla Home and a Lic. RE Salesperson for Iaquinta Real Estate and has a teaching degree.

Ex-UFC heavyweight Stipe Miocic was a firefighter. Matt Frevola and Benoit Saint-Denis were army veterans. Many others have had many other experiences and kept other sources of revenue open as well. Recently, it went viral that Jiri Procahzka was pursuing a master’s in Security and Strategic Studies at Masaryk University. Now, Myktybek Orolbai stirred up MMA enthusiasts with the fact that he has a law background and put it on hold for his UFC tenure.

I have a law degree, but I haven’t worked even one day as a lawyer, …[though] I have a goal right now, and my mission is to get a UFC title. Once I get that UFC title, then I’m going to pursue my career as a lawyer…

Myktybek Orolbai during Wednesday’s UFC on ABC 8 Media Day fighter interviews

When it comes to aura farming, there are some fighters who just win public perception with their silence and grind. Team Alpha Male lightweight Orolbai followed the suit of those like silent and stoic warrior-esque Shavkat Rakhmonov, to say less and do more.

The Kyrgyz fighter started his tenure strong with a submission win at UFC Fight Night: Allen vs. Craig. Then, he punctuated a UD at UFC 301: Pantoja vs. Erceg. At UFC 308 PPV prelims, Myktybek Orolbai was part of a proper strike-to-strike barnburner that the promotion even had up on their Official YT and social media channels. Even so, his catchweight fight vs. Mateusz Rebecki ended in a split decision and left him bloodied.

At Baku, even though at catch weight again, Orolbai played spoiler to native Tofiq Musayev’s homecoming. He defeated Musayev via. over-shoulder submission (kimura) – 4:35 mark (i.e., 25 seconds) into the very first round! However, the weight disparity failed to earn him a bonus.

UFC CEO and headman Dana White detailed why Myktybek Orolbai didn’t receive a post-fight bonus

The UFC handed out two bonuses after Saturday’s event in Azerbaijan – and two recipients received double the usual dough. Of the 12 fights at UFC on ABC 8, only two ended in a finish. The rest were decided by judges’ digits.

Myktybek Orolbai didn't get a post-fight bonus at UFC Baku
Myktybek Orolbai didn’t get a post-fight bonus at UFC Baku (Source: X)

Nazim Sadykhov rallied back and had the sluggish afternoon Baku crowd going with his highlight pace. Before the second-round victory, his opponent, Nikolas Motta, logged some 70+ wild strikes in the frame! Finisher-hunting UFC CEO Dana White billed in the post-fight presser that both would get $100,000 in post-fight bonuses instead of the customary set-in-stone $50k.

Myktybek Orolbai cranked his opponent to a first-round stylistic kimura worthy of a post-fight bonus. However, he needed 10 extra pounds during the official weigh-in, making this a 165-pound catchweight affair. As far as athletic commissions are concerned, that does not merit a bonus even if he did not miss.

In the lead-up to the fight, Orolbai said he was planning a surprising strategy against Musayev. That strategy may have manifested as three TDs in the opening minutes that made him sticky for a kimura easily. That was ultimately his perfect path to victory and something worth a SOTY listing for this year..

His previous loss snapped an eight-fight streak, but he is now back in the win column. It’s only one way up for the fighter, which perhaps houses him for more successful UFC post-fight bonuses.

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