Said Nurmagomedov secures 73-second stoppage victory over Muin Gafurov at UFC 294
The Ultimate Fighting Championship returns to us today, October 21, 2023, for UFC 294, going down live from the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.
Headlining the event is a championship rematch at 155 lbs between UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev (24-1) and UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski (26-2).
Co-headlining the event is a middleweight affair between former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman (20-3) and fellow top contender Khamzat Chimaev (12-0).
Opening up the main card tonight was a bantamweight contest between Said Nurmagomedov (18-3) and Muin Gafurov (18-6). Nurmagomedov came into the bout off a defeat to no. 11 ranked Jonathan Martinez back in March, while Gafurov lost his promotional debut to John Castaneda three months later in June.
Continue reading to see how our UFC 294 main card opener went down:
Official Result: Said Nurmagomedov def. Muin Gafurov via submission (ninja choke) at 1:13 of round one
Nurmagomedov opens up the bout with a couple flashy kicks, forcing Gafurov to close the distance and attempt a takedown along the fence. Nurmagomedov reacts accordingly, quickly wrapping up his signature ninja choke for the early submission finish just 73 seconds into the opening round.
Said Nurmagomedov gets back to his winning ways today at UFC 294 following a disputed decision defeat Jonathan Martinez, picking up his fourth finish in his last five wins.
Said Nurmagomedov puts Muin Gafurov to sleep with a sneaky, slick ninja choke at #UFC294 pic.twitter.com/W9Dt2xUIKg
— Shakiel Mahjouri (@Shak_Fu) October 21, 2023
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