Merseyside’s Shaqueme ‘Shem’ Rock and Luke Riley take to the Octagon for the first time as UFC heads to Qatar.
The Liverpudlian duo both train out of Next Generation MMA alongside hometown heroes Paddy Pimblett and ‘Meatball’ Molly McCann.
Riley’s unbeaten record will be put to the test for the first time in the organisation after earning himself a fight on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2024 that fell victim to visa issues.
Featherweight Riley (11-0, 8KO) has been touted as one of Merseyside’s premier MMA prospects after impressing consistently in his undefeated stint for Cage Warriors.
@merseysportlive Unbeaten Luke Riley makes his UFC debut in Qatar this Saturday against Bogdan Grad | How far can the featherweight go in the UFC? #ufc #lukeriley #mma #merseyside #news
The 26-year-old will face Bogdan Grad (15-3-0,9KO) who is 1-1 in the UFC, coming off a loss to Muhammed Naimov in June.
Grad is primarily known as a striker and the 30-year-old has a background in karate.
Rock (12-1-1, 2KO) is unbeaten in the last seven, winning six across regional European promotions, notably nine of his victories have been first round submissions as he’s known for dominating the early rounds of a fight.
However his opponent Nurullo Aliev (10-0, 2KO) has settled into the UFC with back-to-back wins since his debut in 2023.
Aliev is a wrestler who has amassed nearly 20 minutes of ground control time within just two UFC fights. Rock has won the majority of his fights by submission, implying the contest will be a ground-based affair.
Rock’s rise through the ranks hasn’t come without a bump, the 32 year-old spent six years in the run in Asia for a crime he didn’t commit and his UFC debut can be seen as the culmination of his dedication.
Arman Tsarukyan takes on Dan Hooker in a number one contenders fight at lightweight, with Tsarukyan making his first appearance since UFC 300 in April 2024.
Ian Garry will take on former welterweight champion Belal Muhammad in the co-main event with both aiming to cement themselves as first in line for the next shot at new champion Islam Makhachev.
