Main Event Delivers Knockout Finish
The main card of UFC Fight Night in Baku concluded with a significant victory for local fighter Rafael Fiziev, who secured a second-round knockout against Manuel Torres. The lightweight bout, held at the National Gymnastics Arena, saw Fiziev deliver a spinning wheel kick that preceded the finish. This marked Fiziev’s second win fighting on home soil and served as a rebound from a previous loss earlier in the year.
During the first round, both fighters engaged in striking exchanges. Fiziev utilized low kicks, while Torres landed a jab. As the second round commenced, Fiziev’s spinning wheel kick impacted Torres, leading to a swarm of follow-up strikes that ended the fight at 0:15 of Round 2. This performance was described as a brilliant showing from the experienced lightweight talent, who demonstrated his skill and danger as a fighter.
Prior to this fight, Fiziev had secured one win in his last five appearances, which was also in Baku against Ignacio Bahamondes. Torres, his opponent, had a strong record in the UFC, with his only loss also coming against Bahamondes. The fight began with Fiziev pushing the pace, landing kicks to the body and legs, and executing a takedown. Torres managed to get back to his feet quickly, but Fiziev continued to circle, making it difficult for Torres to find his rhythm. Another takedown by Fiziev occurred at the end of the first round, which concluded with Torres landing a punch to Fiziev’s head.
Co-Main Event and Notable Finishes
In the co-main event, Shara Magomedov defeated Michel Pereira by unanimous decision with scores of 29-28, 29-28, 29-28. The middleweight contest started intensely, with Pereira dropping Magomedov early in the first round with a right hand. Pereira maintained top position for a significant portion of the round. However, Pereira’s pace slowed, allowing Magomedov to become more active and score effectively in the subsequent rounds. Magomedov ultimately secured the final two frames from all three officials, marking consecutive victories and his sixth win in seven UFC appearances.
Another significant outcome on the main card was Matheus Camilo’s TKO victory over local favorite Nazim Sadykhov. Camilo silenced the crowd by landing a swift right hand early in the first round, stopping Sadykhov at 1:31 of Round 1. The two fighters, who had previously trained together, cautiously exchanged strikes in the initial moments of the bout. As Sadykhov advanced, Camilo landed a right hand to his temple, causing Sadykhov to fall and leading to the finish. This explosive performance by Camilo, who is 25 years old and holds an overall record of 11-3 with seven finishes, is expected to build momentum in the lightweight division.
Historic Submission and Other Main Card Results
Asu Almabayev achieved a notable victory by submitting Charles Johnson with a Suloev stretch at 3:33 of Round 3. Almabayev, a fighter from Kazakhstan, maintained control throughout the fight, demonstrating superiority in both striking and grappling exchanges. Johnson managed to minimize damage and return to his feet multiple times, but Almabayev consistently prevented him from initiating offense. Late in the third round, Almabayev applied the Suloev stretch, forcing Johnson to tap out. This marked Almabayev as the fourth fighter in the promotion’s history to win via this specific submission technique, following Kenny Robertson, Aljamain Sterling, and Zabit Magomedsharipov.
The main card also featured other decisive results. Ikram Aliskerov defeated Brunno Ferreira by unanimous decision, with all judges scoring the bout 30-27. Additionally, Abus Magomedov secured a submission victory over Michal Oleksiejczuk with a guillotine choke at 3:25 of Round 1. These bouts contributed to a dynamic event that saw three of the first five main card fights conclude inside the distance.
The preliminary card also offered several finishes. Kaan Ofli, an Australian fighter with Turkish roots, secured his third UFC win and second finish in the promotion by defeating Javier Reyes via arm-triangle choke at 4:16 of Round 1. Ofli, who entered the fight as an underdog, pushed the pace, knocked down Reyes with a right to the chin, and then secured the submission. Other preliminary card results included Tahir Abdullayev’s TKO victory over Jefferson Nascimento at 4:28 of Round 3, and Daniil Donchenko’s TKO win against Theodor Berggren at 1:35 of Round 2.
The event, also known as UFC Fight Night 280, took place on Saturday, June 27.
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Source: ufc.com
Mason Reed
Sports reporter covering football, basketball and international competitions.