UFC 280: Oliveira vs. Makhachev PPV Pay Per View 10/22/22 October 22nd 2022
Watch Full UFC 280 HD
EarlyPrelims Prelims Part 1 Part 2
Watch Full UFC 280 HD
EarlyPrelims Prelims Part 1 Part 2
Match Card ~ Timing ~ Channel List.
Charles Oliveira and Islam Makhachev square off before UFC 280. (Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
Islam Makhachev and the Real Winners and Losers from UFC 280
Full Card Results
Armen Petrosyan (right) was more active across 15 minutes in winning a competitive but unanimous decision over AJ Dobson (Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)Main Card
Islam Makhachev def. Charles Oliveira by submission (head and arm choke), 3:16, Round 2
Aljamain Sterling def. TJ Dillashaw by TKO (punches), 3:44, Round 2
Sean O'Malley def. Petr Yan by split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)
Beneil Dariush def. Mateusz Gamrot by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Manon Fiorot def. Katlyn Chookagian by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Preliminary Card
Belal Muhammad def. Sean Brady by TKO (punches), 4:47, Round 2
Caio Borralho def. Makhmud Muradov by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Nikita Krylov def. Volkan Oezdemir by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
Abubakar Nurmagomedov def. Gadzhi Omargadzhiev by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
Armen Petrosyan def. AJ Dobson by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Muhammad Mokaev def. Malcolm Gordon by submission (armbar), 4:26, Round 3
Karol Rosa def. Lina Lansberg by majority decision (29-27, 29-27, 28-28)
Main Card
Islam Makhachev def. Charles Oliveira by submission (head and arm choke), 3:16, Round 2
Aljamain Sterling def. TJ Dillashaw by TKO (punches), 3:44, Round 2
Sean O'Malley def. Petr Yan by split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)
Beneil Dariush def. Mateusz Gamrot by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Manon Fiorot def. Katlyn Chookagian by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Preliminary Card
Belal Muhammad def. Sean Brady by TKO (punches), 4:47, Round 2
Caio Borralho def. Makhmud Muradov by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Nikita Krylov def. Volkan Oezdemir by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
Abubakar Nurmagomedov def. Gadzhi Omargadzhiev by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
Armen Petrosyan def. AJ Dobson by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Muhammad Mokaev def. Malcolm Gordon by submission (armbar), 4:26, Round 3
Karol Rosa def. Lina Lansberg by majority decision (29-27, 29-27, 28-28)
Winner: Keeping a Promise
Islam Makhachev landed a right hand that dropped Charles Oliveira and set up a fight-ending submission (Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)Go ahead and call it Khabib 2.0.
Khabib Nurmagomedov protégé and training partner Islam Makhachev told anyone who’d listen during a 10-fight win streak that he’d be the next lightweight champion from the Dagestan region of Russia.
On Saturday, in less than 10 minutes, he delivered on his promise.
The 31-year-old walked through the fire that was Charles Oliveira’s striking and jiu-jitsu and emerged victorious after he submitted the streaking Brazilian with a head-and-arm choke at 3:16 of the second round of Saturday’s main event.
“I always ask God for everything, and he gives me more than what I asked,” Makhachev said. “I trained so hard for this minute. All my life, when I was a kid, I was preparing for that moment.”
Makhachev stood up well to Oliveira’s striking and countered well before getting the fight to the mat in the first minute of the first round. Then kept his foe there for nearly four minutes while running up a 51-10 margin in strikes.
In the second round, he countered a knee strike with a right hand that dropped Oliveira to the floor, and he immediately pounced, locking up Oliveira’s left arm as part of a head-and-arm choke that prompted a quick tapout and an intervention from referee Jason Herzog.
“I always figured this was not going to be an easy fight,” Makhachev said. “But I knew he was going to care about my wrestling skills. That’s why he pushed so much.”
Makhachev was emotional upon receiving the belt and immediately draping it over the shoulder of Nurmagomedov, with whom he’s trained, along with the Hall of Famer’s late father, for most of his life.
“This my belt is for my coach,” he said. “Many years ago, he told me ‘Train hard and you’ll be champion.’”
Nurmagomedov took the microphone, credited his charge for the victory and on Makhachev’s behalf called out featherweight king Alexander Volkanovski for a pound-for-pound showdown in Australia.
Volkanovski was in the crowd and went into the cage to accept the challenge and shake the new champion’s hand.
Oliveira, clearly devastated by his first loss since 2017, called for a rematch.
“Sometimes we’re here and it’s not our day,” he said.
“But I promise you I’m gonna get this back. Dana [White], [UFC executive] Hunter [Campbell], I’ve always been there for you guys. Give me the chance to be the next guy.”
Go ahead and call it Khabib 2.0.
Khabib Nurmagomedov protégé and training partner Islam Makhachev told anyone who’d listen during a 10-fight win streak that he’d be the next lightweight champion from the Dagestan region of Russia.
On Saturday, in less than 10 minutes, he delivered on his promise.
The 31-year-old walked through the fire that was Charles Oliveira’s striking and jiu-jitsu and emerged victorious after he submitted the streaking Brazilian with a head-and-arm choke at 3:16 of the second round of Saturday’s main event.
“I always ask God for everything, and he gives me more than what I asked,” Makhachev said. “I trained so hard for this minute. All my life, when I was a kid, I was preparing for that moment.”
Makhachev stood up well to Oliveira’s striking and countered well before getting the fight to the mat in the first minute of the first round. Then kept his foe there for nearly four minutes while running up a 51-10 margin in strikes.
In the second round, he countered a knee strike with a right hand that dropped Oliveira to the floor, and he immediately pounced, locking up Oliveira’s left arm as part of a head-and-arm choke that prompted a quick tapout and an intervention from referee Jason Herzog.
“I always figured this was not going to be an easy fight,” Makhachev said. “But I knew he was going to care about my wrestling skills. That’s why he pushed so much.”
Makhachev was emotional upon receiving the belt and immediately draping it over the shoulder of Nurmagomedov, with whom he’s trained, along with the Hall of Famer’s late father, for most of his life.
“This my belt is for my coach,” he said. “Many years ago, he told me ‘Train hard and you’ll be champion.’”
Nurmagomedov took the microphone, credited his charge for the victory and on Makhachev’s behalf called out featherweight king Alexander Volkanovski for a pound-for-pound showdown in Australia.
Volkanovski was in the crowd and went into the cage to accept the challenge and shake the new champion’s hand.
Oliveira, clearly devastated by his first loss since 2017, called for a rematch.
“Sometimes we’re here and it’s not our day,” he said.
“But I promise you I’m gonna get this back. Dana [White], [UFC executive] Hunter [Campbell], I’ve always been there for you guys. Give me the chance to be the next guy.”
Loser: Making It Definitive
Matched with an opponent compromised by injury, Aljamain Sterling was quick to defend his bantamweight title (GIUSEPPE CACACE/AFP via Getty Images)One of these days, Aljamain Sterling will avoid the chaos.
The self-proclaimed “Funkmaster” won his bantamweight title with a disqualification when he was hit by an illegal knee from Petr Yan and then defended the belt against Yan with a split decision that more than a few people thought the ex-champion deserved.
This time, against former two-time champ TJ Dillashaw, it was something else.
Dillashaw followed an injury-riddled training camp with a first round in which he dislocated a left shoulder upon falling to the ground. He was unable to keep Sterling off him with any effectiveness on the way to a second-round TKO win for the champ in Saturday’s co-main event.
Dillashaw said afterward that he separated the shoulder several times during training camp and told referee Marc Goddard in the dressing room beforehand that it might come out again during the fight.
Sterling kept his rival on the ground once it did and chased submissions while mixing in punishing strikes until the final horn.
The champion said he was unaware of Dillashaw’s compromised condition until his corner team told him after the round. He quickly pursued another takedown and landed it after just 45 seconds of the second frame.
Dillashaw had no way to escape once in a controlled position, and Sterling simply continued with heavy strikes to his shelled-up and flattened-out opponent until Goddard intervened at 3:44.
“The guys pointed it out to me. I had no idea because I was just in the zone,” Sterling said. “I made sure and kept on the pressure. Anaconda. Human Backpack. I take you down and it’s a wrap wrap.”
Sterling suggested a handful of opponents for his next defense, including former champ Henry Cejudo, Sean O’Malley, Marlon Vera and Cory Sandhagen. Dillashaw, meanwhile, apologized to the rest of the contenders in the weight class for holding things up when he knew he was fighting injured.
“I couldn’t push up once he took me down,” Dillashaw said. “I was hoping I could come out in the second round and hopefully land some big shots, but hats off to Aljamain for doing what he does.”
One of these days, Aljamain Sterling will avoid the chaos.
The self-proclaimed “Funkmaster” won his bantamweight title with a disqualification when he was hit by an illegal knee from Petr Yan and then defended the belt against Yan with a split decision that more than a few people thought the ex-champion deserved.
This time, against former two-time champ TJ Dillashaw, it was something else.
Dillashaw followed an injury-riddled training camp with a first round in which he dislocated a left shoulder upon falling to the ground. He was unable to keep Sterling off him with any effectiveness on the way to a second-round TKO win for the champ in Saturday’s co-main event.
Dillashaw said afterward that he separated the shoulder several times during training camp and told referee Marc Goddard in the dressing room beforehand that it might come out again during the fight.
Sterling kept his rival on the ground once it did and chased submissions while mixing in punishing strikes until the final horn.
The champion said he was unaware of Dillashaw’s compromised condition until his corner team told him after the round. He quickly pursued another takedown and landed it after just 45 seconds of the second frame.
Dillashaw had no way to escape once in a controlled position, and Sterling simply continued with heavy strikes to his shelled-up and flattened-out opponent until Goddard intervened at 3:44.
“The guys pointed it out to me. I had no idea because I was just in the zone,” Sterling said. “I made sure and kept on the pressure. Anaconda. Human Backpack. I take you down and it’s a wrap wrap.”
Sterling suggested a handful of opponents for his next defense, including former champ Henry Cejudo, Sean O’Malley, Marlon Vera and Cory Sandhagen. Dillashaw, meanwhile, apologized to the rest of the contenders in the weight class for holding things up when he knew he was fighting injured.
“I couldn’t push up once he took me down,” Dillashaw said. “I was hoping I could come out in the second round and hopefully land some big shots, but hats off to Aljamain for doing what he does.”
Loser: Being Sweeter Than 'Suga'
Sean O'Malley (right) got the decision after a compelling scrap with ex-bantamweight champ Petr Yan (Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)Sean O’Malley didn’t look like a winner.
He walked to the center of the Octagon and hung his head and exhaled as Bruce Buffer prepared to make the verdict of O’Malley’s fight with ex-bantamweight champ Petr Yan official.
But then something unexpected happened. He won.
O’Malley came out on the high end of two scorecards that read 29-28, offsetting a third 29-28 count in Yan’s favor and giving him the high-profile win in one of the sport’s highest-profile careers.
“I didn’t know,” he said moments afterward. “I thought it could have gone either way.”
Frequently, that’s code for “I didn’t think I deserved it,” and it wouldn’t have been hard to find folks in the crowd at a Yan-friendly Etihad Arena who thought their man did. Yan didn’t give much of an initial reaction other than shaking his head and flicking his hand before exiting the cage.
“Fighting is the craziest sport in the world,” O’Malley said. “I had to go someplace I’d never been before. I was hurt more than I’ve ever been in a fight, considering I’ve never been hit.”
He was hit Saturday. And taken down. A lot.
Yan pressed forward consistently in the first round, landed 28 strikes to O’Malley’s 23 and scored the session’s lone takedown while racking up 70 seconds of control time. He was wobbled badly by a left hand from O’Malley in the second but rallied with a looping left of his own and got things back to the mat with three more takedowns and better than half a round of control time.
O’Malley landed a high knee that left Yan with a ghastly cut over his right eye in the opening minute of the final round and landed 40 significant strikes in the frame. Yan scored two more takedowns and finished six for the fight in addition to a 97-91 overall edge in total strikes, but it was O’Malley’s significance—both literal and figurative—that apparently mattered most.
Dana White said before the fight that the winner would get a title shot, and O’Malley showed little reservation in following that path rather than reencountering Yan again right away.
“I think the people would love to see me be the bantamweight champ,” O’Malley said. “We’ll give the people what they want.”
Sean O’Malley didn’t look like a winner.
He walked to the center of the Octagon and hung his head and exhaled as Bruce Buffer prepared to make the verdict of O’Malley’s fight with ex-bantamweight champ Petr Yan official.
But then something unexpected happened. He won.
O’Malley came out on the high end of two scorecards that read 29-28, offsetting a third 29-28 count in Yan’s favor and giving him the high-profile win in one of the sport’s highest-profile careers.
“I didn’t know,” he said moments afterward. “I thought it could have gone either way.”
Frequently, that’s code for “I didn’t think I deserved it,” and it wouldn’t have been hard to find folks in the crowd at a Yan-friendly Etihad Arena who thought their man did. Yan didn’t give much of an initial reaction other than shaking his head and flicking his hand before exiting the cage.
“Fighting is the craziest sport in the world,” O’Malley said. “I had to go someplace I’d never been before. I was hurt more than I’ve ever been in a fight, considering I’ve never been hit.”
He was hit Saturday. And taken down. A lot.
Yan pressed forward consistently in the first round, landed 28 strikes to O’Malley’s 23 and scored the session’s lone takedown while racking up 70 seconds of control time. He was wobbled badly by a left hand from O’Malley in the second but rallied with a looping left of his own and got things back to the mat with three more takedowns and better than half a round of control time.
O’Malley landed a high knee that left Yan with a ghastly cut over his right eye in the opening minute of the final round and landed 40 significant strikes in the frame. Yan scored two more takedowns and finished six for the fight in addition to a 97-91 overall edge in total strikes, but it was O’Malley’s significance—both literal and figurative—that apparently mattered most.
Dana White said before the fight that the winner would get a title shot, and O’Malley showed little reservation in following that path rather than reencountering Yan again right away.
“I think the people would love to see me be the bantamweight champ,” O’Malley said. “We’ll give the people what they want.”
Loser: Finding a Foil
Manon Fiorot (right) defeated the No. 1 flyweight contender in Katlyn Chookagian but it wasn't a dominant performance (Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)Valentina Shevchenko is an undisputed UFC superstar.
She’s been a flyweight champion for nearly four years, has defended her title seven times and has lost just three times in her 19-year pro career—avenging an early TKO by Liz Carmouche and dropping two narrow, debatable decisions to consensus GOAT Amanda Nunes.
But she’s having a hard time finding a rival worthy of her skills.
Shevchenko has already beaten the first-, second-, third-, fourth- and eighth-ranked contenders at 125 pounds, so it’s a fair bet she was hoping for an impressive performance from unbeaten No. 6 Manon Fiorot to create a new threat and fuel her competitive motivation.
Didn’t happen.
Though Fiorot was indeed successful in handing incumbent No. 1 Katlyn Chookagian a defeat by unanimous decision, the 15 minutes were rarely more than tedious as the fighters exchanged tactical strikes from a distance, never engaged in a prolonged volley and went to the floor just once.
“While it feels like she’s winning,” Cormier said midway through the third round, “it hasn’t been anything spectacular that’s going to stick in anyone’s mind.”
The lone takedown attempt came about 90 seconds later, but Chookagian quickly got back to her feet and the intermittently violent dance continued without drama through the last minute.
All three judges gave Fiorot the nod by 29-28 verdicts, bumping her record to 10-1 overall and 5-0 in the UFC.
“I really wanted to fight up to my standard and win by KO, but it is what it is,” she said. “I really think she wanted to wrestle me, but perhaps I should have wrestled her some more because I had one attempt and one takedown. I’ll take everyone in the division and then after that we’ll talk about Valentina.”
Valentina Shevchenko is an undisputed UFC superstar.
She’s been a flyweight champion for nearly four years, has defended her title seven times and has lost just three times in her 19-year pro career—avenging an early TKO by Liz Carmouche and dropping two narrow, debatable decisions to consensus GOAT Amanda Nunes.
But she’s having a hard time finding a rival worthy of her skills.
Shevchenko has already beaten the first-, second-, third-, fourth- and eighth-ranked contenders at 125 pounds, so it’s a fair bet she was hoping for an impressive performance from unbeaten No. 6 Manon Fiorot to create a new threat and fuel her competitive motivation.
Didn’t happen.
Though Fiorot was indeed successful in handing incumbent No. 1 Katlyn Chookagian a defeat by unanimous decision, the 15 minutes were rarely more than tedious as the fighters exchanged tactical strikes from a distance, never engaged in a prolonged volley and went to the floor just once.
“While it feels like she’s winning,” Cormier said midway through the third round, “it hasn’t been anything spectacular that’s going to stick in anyone’s mind.”
The lone takedown attempt came about 90 seconds later, but Chookagian quickly got back to her feet and the intermittently violent dance continued without drama through the last minute.
All three judges gave Fiorot the nod by 29-28 verdicts, bumping her record to 10-1 overall and 5-0 in the UFC.
“I really wanted to fight up to my standard and win by KO, but it is what it is,” she said. “I really think she wanted to wrestle me, but perhaps I should have wrestled her some more because I had one attempt and one takedown. I’ll take everyone in the division and then after that we’ll talk about Valentina.”
Winner: Fighting Disrespect
Belal Muhammad finished Sean Brady with a frightening barrage of punches in a matchup of ranked welterweights (Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)Here's a tip: Don't disrespect Belal Muhammad.
The UFC's fifth-ranked welterweight felt slighted when he was called out by unbeaten No. 8 contender Sean Brady, so he felt especially eager to take his frustration out on his ambitious Philadelphia-based foe Saturday.
The first round of the preliminary card's final bout was perhaps more competitive than the 34-year-old wanted, leaving him with abrasions and a cut on his right cheekbone thanks to Brady's precise strikes, but it became academic in Round 2 when an unfettered, violent barrage of punches led to a TKO stoppage at 4:47.
"I felt disrespected that I had to fight down," Muhammad said.
He held a slim 26-25 edge in strikes through the first round, but between-rounds exhortation from training team member Khabib Nurmagomedov got the 16-fight UFC veteran in the mood to create a spectacular ending.
"He told me he had nothing for me. He told me I had to knock him out," Muhammad said. "He won the fight for me. He's the one who made me want to get the finish."
It was the first loss in 16 pro fights and came after five straight UFC wins for Brady, who'd called Muhammad's name following a decision over Michael Chiesa on a Fight Night show last November. Muhammad, meanwhile, had a streak of seven straight victories interrupted only by a bout with now-champ Leon Edwards that ended in a no-contest in March 2021.
"I'm going to be a champion in 2023. I can promise that," Muhammad said. "Go ahead and put that on my name."
Here's a tip: Don't disrespect Belal Muhammad.
The UFC's fifth-ranked welterweight felt slighted when he was called out by unbeaten No. 8 contender Sean Brady, so he felt especially eager to take his frustration out on his ambitious Philadelphia-based foe Saturday.
The first round of the preliminary card's final bout was perhaps more competitive than the 34-year-old wanted, leaving him with abrasions and a cut on his right cheekbone thanks to Brady's precise strikes, but it became academic in Round 2 when an unfettered, violent barrage of punches led to a TKO stoppage at 4:47.
"I felt disrespected that I had to fight down," Muhammad said.
He held a slim 26-25 edge in strikes through the first round, but between-rounds exhortation from training team member Khabib Nurmagomedov got the 16-fight UFC veteran in the mood to create a spectacular ending.
"He told me he had nothing for me. He told me I had to knock him out," Muhammad said. "He won the fight for me. He's the one who made me want to get the finish."
It was the first loss in 16 pro fights and came after five straight UFC wins for Brady, who'd called Muhammad's name following a decision over Michael Chiesa on a Fight Night show last November. Muhammad, meanwhile, had a streak of seven straight victories interrupted only by a bout with now-champ Leon Edwards that ended in a no-contest in March 2021.
"I'm going to be a champion in 2023. I can promise that," Muhammad said. "Go ahead and put that on my name."
Winner: Being a Star
Caio Borralho passed a difficult test in defeating middleweight foe Makhmud Muradov on Saturday (Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)Caio Borralho looks and acts the part of a UFC star.
And given the "Natural" nickname he's hung on himself since turning pro in 2014, it's clear he's got the self-confidence that's typical of a star as well.
So when the 29-year-old Brazilian drew Uzbekistan middleweight Makhmud Muradov as an opponent in Saturday's penultimate preliminary bout, he had a chance to prove it.
Mission accomplished.
Though he was again unable to secure his first octagonal finish, Borralho nevertheless controlled matters on both the feet and on the ground on the way to winning a unanimous decision in an entertaining three-rounder.
Two judges scored it 30-27 and a third had it 29-28 for the training partner of Khamzat Chimaev among others, who'd scored a pair of wins on Dana White's Contender Series in 2021 before debuting in the promotion and defeating two others on Saturday's card, Gadzhi Omargadzhiev and Armen Petrosyan, on Fight Night shows in April and July.
Borralho connected on better than 50 percent of his significant-strike attempts, landed exactly half his takedown tries, racked up nearly six minutes of control time and attempted a pair of submissions in a victory that stretched his win streak to 10 and his record to 13-1.
Muradov, who's worked with Floyd Mayweather Jr.'s "Money Team" to hone his boxing skills, has dropped two straight after he won his first three UFC fights. He is 25-8 as a pro.
Caio Borralho looks and acts the part of a UFC star.
And given the "Natural" nickname he's hung on himself since turning pro in 2014, it's clear he's got the self-confidence that's typical of a star as well.
So when the 29-year-old Brazilian drew Uzbekistan middleweight Makhmud Muradov as an opponent in Saturday's penultimate preliminary bout, he had a chance to prove it.
Mission accomplished.
Though he was again unable to secure his first octagonal finish, Borralho nevertheless controlled matters on both the feet and on the ground on the way to winning a unanimous decision in an entertaining three-rounder.
Two judges scored it 30-27 and a third had it 29-28 for the training partner of Khamzat Chimaev among others, who'd scored a pair of wins on Dana White's Contender Series in 2021 before debuting in the promotion and defeating two others on Saturday's card, Gadzhi Omargadzhiev and Armen Petrosyan, on Fight Night shows in April and July.
Borralho connected on better than 50 percent of his significant-strike attempts, landed exactly half his takedown tries, racked up nearly six minutes of control time and attempted a pair of submissions in a victory that stretched his win streak to 10 and his record to 13-1.
Muradov, who's worked with Floyd Mayweather Jr.'s "Money Team" to hone his boxing skills, has dropped two straight after he won his first three UFC fights. He is 25-8 as a pro.
Loser: Unbeaten Impressiveness
Muhammad Mokaev maintained his unbeaten record against Malcolm Gordon, but it wasn't always easy (Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)It was hard to make a definitive call on Muhammad Mokaev.
The brash 22-year-old arrived for a preliminary card bout with fellow flyweight Malcolm Gordon while telling anyone who'd listen that he was ready for a top-15 contender and destined to become the youngest champion in the promotion's history.
So the bar was set high, and though Mokaev did end the bout with a sought-after finish, it was hardly the dominant performance the pre-fight words had suggested it would be.
"To be honest, I underestimated this guy," he said. "I can't do that anymore."
Whether he backs up that promise is unclear, but he did maintain his unbeaten record—3-0 in the UFC and 9-0 overall—and he quickly got back into tough-talking character when discussing how he'd secured a fight-ending, third-round armbar.
Mokaev controlled the majority of the first two rounds with repeated takedowns and position control but was reversed late in the second and nearly taken into submission territory as Gordon tried to lock in a rear-naked choke.
The third round was largely spent on the ground and in clinches as well, until Mokaev seized his right arm and ended things at 4:26.
"This guy's a black belt (in Brazilian jiu-jitsu). I just got my purple belt," he said. "I don't give a s--t about his belt."
Mokaev turned 22 in July and has plenty of time to win a title and eclipse the mark Jon Jones set when he became light heavyweight champion at 23 years, eight months in March 2011.
"While he has dominated at times, it's certainly not the fight he expected as a near -1200 favorite," Cormier said. "We're judging him harshly, but when you say the things this kid has said, the expectations are high."
It was hard to make a definitive call on Muhammad Mokaev.
The brash 22-year-old arrived for a preliminary card bout with fellow flyweight Malcolm Gordon while telling anyone who'd listen that he was ready for a top-15 contender and destined to become the youngest champion in the promotion's history.
So the bar was set high, and though Mokaev did end the bout with a sought-after finish, it was hardly the dominant performance the pre-fight words had suggested it would be.
"To be honest, I underestimated this guy," he said. "I can't do that anymore."
Whether he backs up that promise is unclear, but he did maintain his unbeaten record—3-0 in the UFC and 9-0 overall—and he quickly got back into tough-talking character when discussing how he'd secured a fight-ending, third-round armbar.
Mokaev controlled the majority of the first two rounds with repeated takedowns and position control but was reversed late in the second and nearly taken into submission territory as Gordon tried to lock in a rear-naked choke.
The third round was largely spent on the ground and in clinches as well, until Mokaev seized his right arm and ended things at 4:26.
"This guy's a black belt (in Brazilian jiu-jitsu). I just got my purple belt," he said. "I don't give a s--t about his belt."
Mokaev turned 22 in July and has plenty of time to win a title and eclipse the mark Jon Jones set when he became light heavyweight champion at 23 years, eight months in March 2011.
"While he has dominated at times, it's certainly not the fight he expected as a near -1200 favorite," Cormier said. "We're judging him harshly, but when you say the things this kid has said, the expectations are high."
Winner: Championship Pedigree
Abubakar Nurmagomedov showed the familiar family style while grinding down welterweight foe Gadzhi Omargadzhiev (Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)He may never be a champion or a UFC Hall of Famer.
But the familial ties that bind Abubakar Nurmagomedov and his celebrated cousin and training partner are evident when he's in the Octagon.
The gritty 32-year-old Dagestani pursued takedowns, established control time and essentially ground fellow Russian opponent Gadzhi Omargadzhiev into mulch while securing a unanimous decision in bout four of seven on Saturday's undercard.
Statistically, Nurmagomedov held a slim 40-38 advantage in significant strikes and converted just 25 percent of his takedown tries, but the gasping, bloody mess that Omargadzhiev was turned into over 15 minutes justified the 29-28, 29-28 and 30-27 scorecards.
B/R agreed with the dissenting numbers and gave Nurmagomedov all three rounds.
It was the second straight win for Nurmagomedov after a submission loss in his UFC debut in 2019. He'd spent time in multiple promotions before reaching the Octagon and was notoriously involved and was subsequently suspended for his role in a melee that erupted after cousin Khabib defeated Conor McGregor at UFC 229 in 2018.
Another member of Team Nurmagomedov, featherweight Zubaira Tukhugov, missed a chance at his own preliminary card appearance when a bout with Lucas Almeida was pulled due to “weight management issues.”
Tukhugov is 5-2-1 in the UFC since 2014.
He may never be a champion or a UFC Hall of Famer.
But the familial ties that bind Abubakar Nurmagomedov and his celebrated cousin and training partner are evident when he's in the Octagon.
The gritty 32-year-old Dagestani pursued takedowns, established control time and essentially ground fellow Russian opponent Gadzhi Omargadzhiev into mulch while securing a unanimous decision in bout four of seven on Saturday's undercard.
Statistically, Nurmagomedov held a slim 40-38 advantage in significant strikes and converted just 25 percent of his takedown tries, but the gasping, bloody mess that Omargadzhiev was turned into over 15 minutes justified the 29-28, 29-28 and 30-27 scorecards.
B/R agreed with the dissenting numbers and gave Nurmagomedov all three rounds.
It was the second straight win for Nurmagomedov after a submission loss in his UFC debut in 2019. He'd spent time in multiple promotions before reaching the Octagon and was notoriously involved and was subsequently suspended for his role in a melee that erupted after cousin Khabib defeated Conor McGregor at UFC 229 in 2018.
Another member of Team Nurmagomedov, featherweight Zubaira Tukhugov, missed a chance at his own preliminary card appearance when a bout with Lucas Almeida was pulled due to “weight management issues.”
Tukhugov is 5-2-1 in the UFC since 2014.
