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The Tiger Muay Thai standout held his ground in the Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight division, as he cut down Manuel Torres with a spinning wheel kick and follow-up punches in the second round of their UFC Fight Night 280 main event on Saturday at the National Gymnastics Arena in Baku, Azerbaijan. Torres (17-4, 5-2 UFC) checked out 15 seconds into Round 2.
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Fiziev (14-5, 8-5 UFC) was the aggressor from the start and tore into the Dana White’s Contender Series graduate with punishing leg kicks throughout much of the first round. Torres countered sporadically and managed to get his counterpart’s attention with a stiff jab, but he failed to make real headway. Early in the second round, Fiziev sat down the Entram Gym product with a perfectly placed wheel kick and dropped him again with a crushing right cross. Hammerfists followed and sealed Torres’ fate.
Meanwhile, Sharabutdin Magomedov followed his modus operandi and leaned heavily on kicks to all levels in a unanimous decision over ex-Serbian Battle Championship titleholder Michel Pereira in their three-round middleweight co-headliner. All three cageside judges scored it 29-28 for Magomedov (17-1, 6-1 UFC).
Pereira (32-15, 10-6 UFC) had his chance and missed it. He floored Magomedov with a straight right in the first round, backed it up with standing-to-ground punches and settled into full guard, at which point he bloodied the Russian’s nose with punches and elbows. However, Pereira once again had issues with his gas tank, and his output dropped significantly over the final 10 minutes. Magomedov capitalized, as he attacked the Brazilian’s abdomen and lower extremities with kicks while keeping himself out of danger.
The 32-year-old Magomedov has notched back-to-back wins since his February 2025 defeat to Bellator MMA veteran Michael Page.
Further down the main card, Xtreme Couture’s Matheus Camilo sprang the upset and dispatched the favored Nazim Sadykhov with punches in the first round of their lightweight showcase. Sadykhov (11-3-1, 4-2-1 UFC) succumbed to blows 1:31 into Round 1, losing for the second time in as many outings.
The 25-year-old Camilo (11-3, 2-1 UFC) lulled the Azerbaijan native into a false sense of security on the feet. He tested the waters with inside leg kicks, then walked Sadykhov into a crushing straight right. The Ray Longo disciple folded where he stood and tried to shield himself in a defensive shell, only to be met with a series of hammerfists that prompted the stoppage.
Camilo has recorded eight victories across his past nine appearances.
Elsewhere, former M-1 Global champion Asu Almabayev took care of Charles Johnson with a Suloev stretch kneebar in the third round of their flyweight feature. Johnson (19-9, 8-7 UFC) waved the white flag of surrender 3:33 into Round 3, suffering the first submission defeat of his 28-fight career.
Almabayev (24-3, 7-1 UFC) dominated virtually every second of the match. He blasted Johnson with low kicks, left hooks to the head and body, overhand rights and even a few stepping knees. Almabayev also forced the Fusion X-Cel rep to defend multiple fronts, pairing completed takedowns with positional advances and the ever-present threat of the submission. He secured his final takedown in the third round, maneuvered behind Johnson, isolated the skulleted American’s left leg and procured the tapout.
The 32-year-old Almabayev will enter his next assignment on the heels of three consecutive wins.
Deeper into the draw, KHK MMA Team standout Ikram Aliskerov mixed the arts beautifully in a comprehensive performance, as he outstruck, outwrestled and outgrappled Brunno Ferreira to a lopsided unanimous decision in their three-round middleweight attraction. All three judges turned in 30-27 scorecards for Aliskerov (18-2, 5-1 UFC).
A flummoxed Ferreira (15-4, 6-4 UFC) had no answer for the riddle with which he was presented. Aliskerov punched in combination, targeted the body with kicks and unleashed the occasional flying knee. More importantly, he executed takedowns in all three rounds, moved to dominant positions and either piled up points with ground-and-pound or flirted with chokes.
Aliskerov, 33, has rattled off three straight victories.
Finally, former Superior Fighting Championship titleholder Abus Magomedov disposed of Michel Oleksiejczuk with a guillotine choke in the first round of their middleweight appetizer. Oleksiejczuk (22-10, 10-8 UFC) met his end 3:25 into Round 1, his three-fight winning streak having run its course.
Magomedov (29-7-1, 5-3 UFC) dropped his Polish counterpart to a knee with a perfectly timed standing elbow, gave chase with punches, bit down on the guillotine and let his squeeze do the rest. Oleksiejczuk tapped, then lost consciousness before referee Jim Perdios could pry the two men apart.
The 35-year-old Magomedov has won four of his past five bouts.
Continue Reading » UFC Baku Prelims: Nursulton Ruziboev, Kaan Ofli, Daniil Donchenko, Tahir Abdullayev excel on finish-laden undercard
This article first appeared at Recent News on Sherdog.com
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