Umar
Nurmagomedov put the
Ultimate Fighting Championship bantamweight division on notice
and cemented himself as a legitimate title contender with perhaps
his most complete bell-to-bell performance to date.
Efficient standup, tactical takedowns and doggedness in the
scrambles carried the undefeated Russian to a unanimous decision
over Elevation Fight Team’s Cory
Sandhagen in their five-round
UFC on ABC 7 headliner on Saturday at Etihad Arena in Abu
Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. All three judges sided with
Nurmagomedov (18-0, 6-0 UFC): 50-45, 49-46 and 49-46.
Advertisement
Sandhagen (17-5, 10-4 UFC) competed from start to finish but failed
to shake the American Kickboxing Academy star’s steely resolve.
Nurmagomedov excelled, on the feet and on the ground. He routinely
dragged Sandhagen down from behind, putting him in potentially
compromising situations and forcing him to burn energy through
intricate, drawn-out scrambles. Nurmagomedov also proved superior
in a majority of the standup exchanges, relying on a potent jab and
crisp, well-timed combinations.
Meanwhile, ballyhooed GOR MMA export Sharaputdin Magomedov kept his
perfect professional record intact, as he took a clear-cut
unanimous decision from Michal
Oleksiejczuk in their three-round middleweight co-main event.
Scores were 30-27, 30-27 and 29-28—all for Magomedov (14-0, 3-0
UFC).
Oleksiejczuk (19-9, 7-7 UFC) marched forward throughout the
15-minute encounter but mostly just walked into the Russian’s wide
range of offensive toys. Magomedov called upon the hyperactive
kicking game for which he has become known and connected with
purpose at all levels; his side kicks to the head drew oohs and
aahs from the crowd more than once. He also mixed in clinch knees,
Superman punches, hooks from both hands and short-range elbows, one
of which opened a cut on his opponent’s forehead. Oleksiejczuk
never stopped trying to crowd the former Arena Global champion, but
outside of a few takedowns, his efforts were largely
ineffective.
The 29-year-old Oleksiejczuk has lost three fights in a row.
Further down the card, Pitbull Brothers rep Deiveson
Figueiredo established himself as a potential title contender
at 135 pounds with a unanimous decision over Marlon Vera
in their three-round bantamweight attraction. Figueiredo (24-3-1,
13-3-1 UFC), a two-time UFC flyweight champion, swept the
scorecards with 29-28, 29-28 and 30-27 marks from the cageside
judiciary.
Vera (23-10-1, 15-9 UFC) was slow out of the gate and failed to
keep pace with his Brazilian adversary in the first round before he
found another gear in the middle stanza. There, he paired crushing
leg kicks with punishing body blows and seemed to alter the
trajectory of the bout. However, Figueiredo answered. He upped his
pace in Round 3, sat down “Chito” with a sharp right hand and
managed to stay a step ahead down the stretch through bursts of
aggression and elusive movement.
Figueiredo, 36, will ride into his next assignment on the strength
of three straight wins.
Elsewhere, Sikjitsu mainstay Michael
Chiesa dispatched “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 13 winner
Tony
Ferguson with a rear-naked choke in the first round of their
welterweight feature. Now on an eight-fight losing streak,
Ferguson (25-11, 15-9 UFC) raised the white flag of surrender 3:44
into Round 1.
Chiesa (17-7, 12-7 UFC) bided his time, closed the distance on a
takedown and maneuvered behind the Californian, securing his
position with a body triangle. Soon after, his arms were in place
for the choke. Ferguson did all he could to release the pressure
around his neck, only to have his seasoned opponent calmly readjust
his grip, tighten his squeeze and force the tapout.
The victory was Chiesa’s first since Jan. 20, 2021.
Deeper into the main draw, 2015 Abu Dhabi Combat Club Submission
Fighting World Championships gold medalist Mackenzie
Dern rebounded from back-to-back losses to Jessica
Andrade and Amanda
Lemos with a unanimous decision over Lupita
Godinez in a three-round women’s strawweight showdown. All
three cageside judges scored it the same: 29-28 for Dern (14-5, 9-5
UFC).
Godinez (12-5, 7-5 UFC) too often relied on throwing single
strikes, mostly jabs and left hooks. Dern answered with basic
one-twos, sporadic leg kicks and occasional punching combinations.
The Jason Parillo protégé executed takedowns in the first and third
rounds, and while she failed to consolidate them with control or
damage, they allowed her to check off another box in a closely
contested confrontation at 115 pounds.
A former Legacy Fighting Alliance titleholder, the 30-year-old
Godinez has suffered back-to-back defeats for the first time in her
17-fight career.
Finally, Bandog Fight Club standout Joel
Alvarez put away Elves
Brener with a sustained volley of knees and punches in the
third round of their lightweight appetizer. In his first outing in
more than a year,
Alvarez (21-3, 6-2 UFC) brought it to an emphatic close 3:36 into
Round 3.
Brener (16-5, 3-2 UFC) was simply outgunned, and while he enjoyed
some success with inside leg kicks, he lacked the weaponry
necessary to give the Spaniard true pause. Alvarez almost finished
it with a brabo choke near the end of the first round and otherwise
picked apart the Chute Boxe rep with a stinging jab, hooks to the
body from both hands and the occasional head kick. He set Brener on
skates with a counter left hook in Round 3 and gave chase with a
relentless barrage of knee strikes and punches. Alvarez eventually
forced the battered Brazilian to retreat to the ground, where he
was met with additional punishment that prompted the stoppage.
All 21 of Alvarez’s victories have resulted in finishes.
Continue Reading »
UFC on ABC 7 Prelims: Fernandes Registers First Octagon Win