Jeremiah WellsW vs. Myktybek Orolbai
UFC 330 · August 15, 2026 · Xfinity Mobile Arena · Early Prelims 5:30 PM ET
The brief
- The result
- Jeremiah Wells by Submission (guillotine choke), R3
- What kind of fight
- Wrestler-versus-wrestler pace battle
- Finish likelihood
- Medium
- The line
- Wells +725 · Orolbai -1200Consensus
- The stakes
- Welterweight · Early Prelims
The result
Jeremiah Wells def. Myktybek Orolbai — Submission (guillotine choke), R3 1:24
Jeremiah Wells pulled off a stunning hometown comeback, choking out heavy favorite Myktybek Orolbai to open UFC 330.
Orolbai took the first round on all three cards behind a takedown and top control, but Wells hurt him with a big punch, and the scramble that followed saw Orolbai wrestle himself directly into a guillotine that put him to sleep 1:24 into round three.
The breakdown below was written before the fight.
The read
The math favors the younger man.
Orolbai's takedown volume against Wells's 50 percent takedown defense is a recipe for long stretches of control time, and Wells has historically faded when forced to wrestle for three rounds. The Philly crowd will give Wells energy, and his early-round power is a real threat — but Orolbai has eaten clean shots from Hermansson-level strikers and kept marching.
The pick is Orolbai by grinding decision or a late submission once Wells's gas tank empties.
The matchup
A hometown story runs into a rising wave.
Wells gets his Philadelphia moment at 39, but the UFC didn't give him a soft landing — Orolbai is eleven years younger, on a four-fight tear, and attempts more takedowns than almost anyone in the sport. The stylistic problem for Wells is that his own game is built on wrestling and physicality, and Orolbai simply does more of both, at a much higher pace.
Wells's equalizer is power: he hits harder than anyone Orolbai has faced at welterweight, and his 74-inch reach matches up evenly. If Wells can keep his back off the fence early, one clean shot changes everything.
Tale of the tape
| 13-4-1 | Record | 16-2-1 |
| 39 | Age | 28 |
| 5'9" | Height | 5'10" |
| 74" | Reach | 74" |
| Switch | Stance | Orthodox |
| United States | Country | Kyrgyzstan |
| Renzo Gracie Philly | Team | Team Alpha Male |
The numbers
Career UFC averages. Red bar = statistical edge.
The fighters
Jeremiah Wells 13-4-1
Jeremiah Wells is a 39-year-old Philadelphia native who gets the rare privilege of fighting on a pay-per-view main card in his hometown. Training out of Renzo Gracie Philly, he's a compact, explosive wrestler with sneaky one-punch power — he opened his UFC run with three straight finishes, including a knockout of the ultra-durable Court McGee. A two-fight skid and a long injury layoff stalled his momentum, but he returned in November 2025 to outwork Themba Gorimbo over three rounds. He's a low-output, high-impact fighter: he doesn't throw much, but everything he throws means something. This is likely his biggest stage ever.
- WThemba Gorimbo · Decision (unanimous)UFC Fight Night: Garcia vs. Onama · November 1, 2025
- LMax Griffin · Decision (split)UFC Fight Night: Hermansson vs. Pyfer · February 10, 2024
- LCarlston Harris · Submission (anaconda choke)UFC Fight Night: Sandhagen vs. Font · August 5, 2023
Myktybek Orolbai 16-2-1
Myktybek Orolbai is a 28-year-old wrestler from Kyrgyzstan who has quickly become one of the welterweight division's most suffocating problems. His takedown numbers are absurd — nearly nine attempts landed per fifteen minutes, one of the highest rates in the UFC. After starting his UFC run at lightweight, he moved up and got even better, riding a four-fight win streak that includes a first-round knockout of longtime contender Jack Hermansson and a decision over veteran Chris Curtis. Thirteen of his sixteen wins are finishes, split almost evenly between knockouts and submissions. He trains with Team Alpha Male in Sacramento.
- WChris Curtis · Decision (unanimous)UFC Fight Night: Emmett vs. Vallejos · March 14, 2026
- WJack Hermansson · KO/TKO (punch)UFC Fight Night: Tsarukyan vs. Hooker · November 22, 2025
- WTofiq Musayev · Submission (kimura)UFC Fight Night: Hill vs. Rountree Jr. · June 21, 2025