Umar Nurmagomedov shocked the Ultimate Fighting Championship bantamweight division with perhaps the most flawless finish to date, cementing his status as a legitimate title contender.
Efficient stand-up, strategic takedowns and tenacity in the scrambles gave the unbeaten Russian a unanimous decision victory over Elevation Fight Team’s Cory Sandhagen in the main event of UFC on ABC 7 on Saturday at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, in a five-round UFC victory. All three judges scored the decision in favor of Nurmagomedov (18-0, 6-0 UFC): 50-45, 49-46, 49-46.
Sandhagen (17-5 MMA, 10-4 UFC) fought from start to finish but was unable to shake the American Kickboxing Academy star’s steely resolve. Nurmagomedov was superior both in the standup and on the ground, regularly dragging Sandhagen down from behind, forcing him into dangerous situations and draining his energy in lengthy, complex scrambles. Nurmagomedov also dominated much of the standup action, relying on his powerful jab and crisp, well-timed combinations.
Meanwhile, GOR MMA standout Sharaptin Magomedov maintained his perfect professional record by defeating Michal Olekseychuk by unanimous decision in the three-round middleweight co-main event, with scores of 30-27, 30-27 and 29-28 all in favor of Magomedov (14-0, 3-0 UFC).
Oleksiejchuk (19-9 MMA, 7-7 UFC) kept moving forward throughout the 15-minute bout, only to be bludgeoned by the Russian’s varied attacking moves. Magomedov thrived on every level with purpose, unleashing the hyper-active kicks he’s become known for, including a side kick to the head that drew multiple cheers from the crowd. He also mixed in clinch knees, superman punches, two-handed hooks and short-range elbows, one of which created a cut on his opponent’s forehead. Oleksiejchuk continued to try to keep the former Arena Global champion at bay, but aside from a couple of takedowns, his efforts were largely ineffective.
The 29-year-old Oleksiejchuk has lost three straight fights.
Further down the card, Pit Bull Brothers representative Deiveson Figueiredo established himself as a 135-pound title contender with a unanimous decision victory over Marlon Vera in a three-round bantamweight bout. Figueiredo (24-3-1, 13-3-1), a two-time UFC flyweight champion, won a dominant cageside decision on scorecards of 29-28, 29-28, 30-27.
Vera (23-10-1 DQ, 15-9 UFC) started slowly and struggled to keep up with his Brazilian rival in the first round, but then stepped up another gear in the middle rounds, where he combined powerful leg kicks with brutal body blows to seemingly turn the tide of the fight. But Figueiredo fought back, picking up the pace in the third round, sinking “Tito” with a sharp right hand and using offensive bursts and evasive movement to stay ahead until the end.
The 36-year-old Figueiredo will approach his next assignment riding the momentum of three straight wins.
Meanwhile, Sikjitsu mainstay Michael Chiesa defeated “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 13 winner Tony Ferguson via rear-naked choke in the first round of their welterweight bout. Ferguson (25-11 MMA, 15-9 UFC), currently on an eight-fight losing streak, raised the white flag in surrender 3 minutes, 44 seconds into the first round.
Chiesa (17-7 MMA, 12-7 UFC) closed the distance with a well-timed takedown, then got behind the Californian and secured a body triangle position before quickly putting his arms into a choke position. Ferguson did his best to release the pressure around his neck, but his experienced opponent calmly adjusted his grip and tightened the grip, forcing the tapout.
The victory was Chiesa’s first since January 20, 2021.
Later in the main draw, 2015 Abu Dhabi Combat Club Submission Fighting World Championship gold medalist Mackenzie Dern bounced back from consecutive losses to Jessica Andrade and Amanda Lemos with a unanimous decision win over Lupita Godinez in a three-round women’s strawweight bout. The three cageside judges scored the win 29-28 in favor of Dern (14-5 MMA, 9-5 UFC).
Godinez (12-5 MMA, 7-5 UFC) relied too much on single-shot attacks, primarily jabs and left hooks. Dern responded with basic one-twos, sporadic leg kicks and the occasional punch combination. The Jason Parillo protégé scored takedowns in the first and third rounds, and while he couldn’t capitalize on them with control or damage, he accomplished another goal in a closely fought 115-pound contest.
The 30-year-old Godinez, a former Legacy Fighting Alliance champion, has suffered consecutive losses for the first time in his 17-fight career.
Finally, Bandog Fight Club star Joel Alvarez took down Elf Brenner with a flurry of knees and punches in the third round of the lightweight appetizer. Fighting for the first time in over a year, Alvarez (21-3 MMA, 6-2 UFC) dominated the match 3 minutes, 36 seconds into the third round.
Brenner (16-5 MMA, 3-2 UFC) was simply outgunned. Though he had some success with inside leg kicks, he didn’t have the tools to really stop the Spaniard. Alvarez nearly finished him off with a Bravo choke late in the first round, but otherwise picked apart his shoot-boxer opponent with brutal jabs, two-handed body hooks and the occasional head kick. He skated Brenner down with a counter left hook in the third round, then followed up with a relentless barrage of knees and punches. Alvarez eventually forced the battered Brazilian to retreat to the ground, where he received more blows and the bout was stopped.
All 21 of Alvarez’s wins have ended in finishes.
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