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.
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).
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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).
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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.
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