Live Now! UFC Baku ‘Fiziev vs. Torres’ play-by-play, results & round scoring

Sherdog’s live
UFC Baku coverage will begin Saturday at 9 a.m. ET/6 a.m. PT.
The event is also known as
UFC Fight Night 280.

BETTING
PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Abdullaev
(-120); Nascimento (+100)

Round 1

Native son Abdullayev looks to get the Baku crowd amped up against
fellow debutant Nascimento in this welterweight matchup. Jim
Perdios is the referee. Both men are orthodox to start things off,
Nascimento sliding around the outside as Abdullayev stakes out the
center of the cage. Nascimento is one stocky dude for this
division. Nascimento reaches out with a low kick. Abdullayev
answers with one of his own. The crowd gets loud for a moment, but
through the first two minutes, this is a tentative affair.
Abdullayev starts to come forward, switching stances and backing
the Brazilian off, but there is still very little offense
happening. Abdullayev touches the chest with a front kick. He is
pursuing, but not cutting off the cage, and Nascimento is able to
avoid being corralled. Abdullayev stalks forward and eats a jab to
the body. Abdullayev, with 90 seconds to go in the round, raises
his hands in a what-gives gesture as Nascimento continues to give
ground. Abdullayev finally walks his man into the fence and
explodes with a flurry of punches that mostly glance, but still
represent the best offense of the round by either man. Nascimento
clinches and spins Abdullayev into the fence. Perdios breaks them
up and it looks like a low blow. He calls time-in and the horn
sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Abdullayev
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Nascimento
Tudor Leonte scores the round: 10-9 Nascimento

Round 2

They slap hands to open Round 2 and go back to work on the feet.
Nascimento lands a calf kick. Abdullayev is again coming forward
but struggling to close the distance. Nascimento retreats, then
plants his feet and runs Abdullayev right onto a counter right.
Abdullayev wades into the pocket and connects with an overhand
right. Nascimento continues to slide around the outside of the
cage, and Abdullayev chases, swinging that overhand right. Perdios
stops the action and warns Abdullayev to keep his fingers tucked.
At the midpoint of the round, Abdullayev is still marching forward,
pawing with the lead hand, as the more mobile Brazilian uses
lateral movement to play the matador. Nascimento again plants and
meets Abdullayev with a counter right. Ninety seconds to go and
it’s still a footrace with occasional punching. Abdullayev is
getting more frustrated by the second and finally stands, throws
his hands up and looks at the ref, who dutifully has a brief talk
with Nascimento. In the last 30 seconds of the round, Abullayev
runs forward, pins Nascimento against the fence and throws a long
stream of punches, many of which land, one after the horn.

Sherdog Scores

Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Abdullayev
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Abdullayev
Tudor Leonte scores the round: 10-9 Abdullayev

Round 3

Abdullayev comes out for Round 3 at a sprint, swinging with both
hands. They collide and both men land a few shots, Abdullayev
getting the better of it, and they spill to the ground. Abdullayev
drops a few hammerfists, but Nascimento uses a single-leg to stand
back up. They clinch near the center of the cage and Nascimento
punishes the body with hooks from both hands. They disengage and
Abdullayev enters the pocket, then drops levels for a nice
double-leg, grounding the Brazilian with ease. He stands over him
for a few seconds, then follows him to the ground, landing in half
guard and dropping punches. Nascimento powers back to his feet and
Abdullayev shoves him to the ground again with a hand to the chest.
Abdullayev can’t secure top position, as Nascimento squirms and
scoots, but eventually corrals him, ending up in full guard with
two minutes to go. Nascimento closes his guard and controls
Abdullayev’s posture, staving off any real ground-and-pound but
also consigning himself to working from the bottom. With under a
minute left in the fight, Abdullayev stands up out of Nascimento’s
guard.
He dives back in with a huge punch and Nascimento is hurt. The
crowd erupts as their hometown fighter goes for broke. Nascimento
is in survival mode but seems to be in control of his faculties
when Perdios jumps in for the stop. It seems awfully
early, and Nascimento gets up shaking his head in disbelief.

The Official Result

Tahir Abdullayev def. Jefferson Nascimento R3 4:28 via TKO
(Punches)

BETTING
PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Matsumoto
(-160); Almakhan (+135)

Round 1

Maybe the best fight on the whole UFC Baku card despite being stuck
in the early prelims, bantamweight up-and-comers Almakhan and
Nascimento go to work under the watchful eye of referee Rich
Mitchell. They touch gloves and go to work In matching orthodox
stances. Almakhan steps forward and lands a jab. Matsumoto feints
with the rear leg a few times, but doesn’t pull the trigger.
Matsumoto goes upstairs with a kick that comes up short. Almakhan
steps into the pocket and throws a flurry of punches that come up
short. Matsumoto flicks out another high kick. Almakhan bursts
forward with another glancing volley of punches. Two minutes in,
Almakhan catches Matsumoto with a hard left hand that is the
cleanest shot of the fight by either man so far. Matsumoto connects
with a hard calf kick, then another, a few moments later. Almakhan
checks the next one, and nails Matsumoto with a counter that takes
him off his feet. Matsumoto springs back up but is hurt. He shoots
for a takedown, which Almakhan defends, but gets a few crucial
seconds to recover. Matsumoto is still hurt and recovering, but
with a minute to go in the round, he steps forward, lands a pair of
hooks and clinches, then drives Almakhan to the fence and works for
a takedown. Almakhan defends well, but Matsumoto picks up and slams
him right before the horn.

Sherdog Scores

Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Almakhan
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Almakhan
Tudor Leonte scores the round: 10-9 Almakhan

Round 2

Matsumoto lands first with a right hook. They separate, reengage
and Matsumoto connects again. Matsumoto changes levels for a
double-leg takedown, and looks close to getting it, but Almakhan
sprawls and keeps his feet. They disengage and go back to work at
distance. Matsumoto goes to work with kicks to the lead left leg of
Almakhan. Almakhan counters with his right cross. Matsumoto lands a
two-piece upstairs. Almakhan sidesteps a Matsumoto advance and
clocks him with a clean left. Matsumoto shakes it off, but it looks
like it hurt. Matsumoto drives Almakhan to the fence, where he
grabs a single-leg. Almakhan defends the takedown well and they
disengage. Matsumoto touches with a body kick, then another, then a
front kick to the midsection. Almakhan is largely wearing the
kicks, looking to counter rather than evade. Matsumoto runs
Almakhan to the fence but can’t get a takedown going. They collide
in the pocket, with both men landing several punches. Matsumoto
lands a spinning back elbow at the clapper, then a glancing flying
knee before the horn. Close round.

Sherdog Scores

Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Matsumoto
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Matsumoto
Tudor Leonte scores the round: 10-9 Matsumoto

Round 3

Matsumoto has a cut over the left eye that has been capably
addressed by the cutman between rounds, and he’s on the front foot
to kick off Round 3. There are a few tentative exchanges in the
pocket, and Matsumoto waves his arms to the crowd. Ninety seconds
into the round, Matsumoto is the aggressor, but neither man has
truly put a stamp on the round. Referee Mitchell halts the action,
as Matsumoto drags his extended fingers across the eye of Almakhan.
With a warning and a few seconds to recover, they go back to work.
Almakhan gives ground, but lands his left hook, then lands it
again. Matsumoto comes up short with a left head kick, then throws
a right high kick that glances off the guard of the Kazakhstani.
Matsumoto shoots for a takedown near the fence and succeeds in
dragging Almakhan to his seat at the base of the cage, but Almakhan
bounces back up. They return to the center of the cage, but
Matsumoto quickly walks Almakhan back to the cage. Almakhan punches
his way off the fence. Almakhan throws a high kick that lands
solidly on the forearm of Matsumoto. They meet in the center of the
Octagon at the 10-second clapper, but neither man lands anything of
consequence before the horn, and they walk off with arms raised.

Sherdog Scores

Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Matsumoto (29-28 Matsumoto)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Matsumoto (29-28 Matsumoto)
Tudor Leonte scores the round: 10-9 Almakhan (29-28 Almakhan)

The Official Result

Jean Matsumoto def. Bekzat Almakhan via Unanimous Decision (29-28,
29-28, 29-28)

BETTING
PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Donchenko
(-525); Berggren (+400)

Round 1

Donchenko and short-notice foe Berggren meet in this welterweight
prelim attraction. Herb Dean draws his first referee assignment of
the evening. Berggren is southpaw, Donchenko orthodox, leading to a
couple of awkward exchanges early, and Donchenko lands a kick that
strays to the cup. There is no real break in the action, though,
and they go back to work. Berggren switches stances a few times but
comes back to southpaw. Donchenko lands a sweeping right hook to
the head that hurts Berggen, but he covers up against the fence and
recovers. Donchenko walks into a hard body kick. Donchenko punches
his way into the clinch and shoves Berggren to the fence, where the
Swede reverses him. They disengage and return to the center of the
cage. Berggren connects with a step-in knee and a punch upstairs,
and Donchenko answers with a straight to the body. Donchenko lands
a hard leg kick, then a pair of punches to the body. Donchenko with
another hacking kick to the left leg of Berggren. The horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Donchenko
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Donchenko
Tudor Leonte scores the round: 10-9 Donchenko

Round 2

They touch gloves and go back to work. Donchenko goes right back at
the legs of Berggren, hitting the lead leg in either stance,
following up with punches to the body. Berggren counters with
punches to the head. Berggren catches Donchenko coming in with a
clean left hand, which the Ukrainian shakes off.
Donchenko goes upstairs with a right head kick that smashes into
Berggren’s head right through his raised guard. The newcomer drops
to his seat near the fence and Donchenko follows at a
sprint. Berggren is getting back to his feet by the
time Donchenko gets there, but a pair of hooks put him back down
and Dean steps in for the stoppage.

The Official Result

Daniil Donchenko def. Theodor Berggren R2 1:35 via TKO (Head Kick
and Punches)

BETTING
PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Reyes (-160);
Ofli (+135)

Round 1

Ofli, who really really looks like the illegitimate love child of
Merab Dvalishvili and Anthony Pettis, squares off against Reyes in
this featherweight clash. Rich Mitchell is on referee duty. Ofli is
the shorter man, and he slides forward, feinting and throwing his
jab, as Reyes looks to counter. Reyes looks a full weight class
larger. Ofli goes southpaw for a moment, then switches back. Ofli
steps into the pocket and lands a hard overhand right that stings
the Colombian. Reyes goes on the offensive and backs Ofli away with
some big swings. Ofli connects with a low kick on the advancing
Reyes, then a right cross to the body. Two minutes to go in Round 1
and Ofli is giving ground, switching stances and throwing
well-timed counters, while Reyes loads up on big shots that miss.
Ofli drops Reyes with a beautiful short right hand, then swarms
with punches as referee Mitchell looks on closely.
Reyes is trying to recover, and Ofli stops the torrent of
ground-and-pound, switching to an arm-triangle choke. He locks it
up, squeezes, and waits patiently for two or three
seconds. The tap comes, and Mitchell steps in for the
save. Very impressive work by Kaan Ofli.

The Official Result

Kaan Ofli def. Javier Reyes R1 4:16 via Submission (Arm-Triangle
Choke)

BETTING
PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Ruziboev
(-225); Pulyaev (+180)

Round 1

Lanky middleweights Ruziboev and Pulyaev engage at a word from
referee Marc Goddard. Pulyaev is southpaw, Ruziboev orthodox.
Pulyaev is mobile early, circling around the outside as Ruziboev
moves more conservatively, cutting off the cage and reaching out
with range-finding jabs. Ruziboev grabs a snatch single-leg and
dumps Pulyaev to his seat at the base of the fence. Pulyaev stands
back up, and Ruziboev drags him to the canvas once more, moving to
the Russian’s back and going supine in the middle of the cage with
nearly three full minutes to work. Pulyaev guards his neck and
tries to sit up, but Ruziboev is ultra-patient, locking up a
modified body triangle, boxing Pulyaev’s ears with short punches
and looking for a chance to reapply the choke. This is like
watching a python swallow a goat. Ruziboev sinks an arm under the
chin and squeezes, and Pulyaev is astral traveling within seconds.
The man is out cold, eyes wide open, and Goddard steps in for the
save. Ruziboev gets up to celebrate, leaving Pulyaev facedown and
snoozing. Wow.

The Official Result

Nursulton Ruziboev def. Andrey Pulyaev R1 3:58 via Technical
Submission (Rear-Naked Choke)

BETTING
PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Yakhyaev
(-550); Walker (+425)

Round 1

The heaviest bout at UFC Baku features unbeaten 205-pound prospect
Yakhyaev against fellow up-and-comer Walker. The referee is Jim
Perdios. They touch gloves and Yakhyaev absolutely levels Walker
with his very first punch, a tight right hook to the jaw. He
pounces, drops a couple hammerfists and Perdios is there for the
save. One of the 10 fastest finishes in UFC history, an animated
gif of a fight, is over.

The Official Result

Abdul-Rakhman Yakhyaev def. Julius Walker R1 0:08 via KO
(Punches)

BETTING
PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Hasanov
(-180); Nolan (+140)

Round 1

The final undercard bout of UFC Baku features Nolan, back down at
his preferred weight class after his short-notice middleweight
debut earlier this year, against another hot prospect in Hasanov,
who represents the host country. Nolan walks out to Creedence
Clearwater Revival’s “Fortunate Son,” and UFC color commentator and
former multi-divisional contender Paul Felder could stand to
re-read the lyrics. Both men are in orthodox stance. Rich Mitchell
is on referee duty. Hasanov steps into the pocket, grabs a
single-leg almost casually, and hoists Nolan for a takedown. Nolan
gets back up and Hasanov returns him to the ground, moving to
Nolan’s back and throwing a nice uppercut under the arm. Nolan gets
back up and Hasanov puts him back on the ground at the base of the
fence. Nolan is patient, doesn’t panic and stands yet again. This
time, Hasanov peels him off the fence and dumps him near the center
of the cage. An on-screen readout tells us that Hasanov is 6-for-8
on takedowns so far, but it feels like 26-for-28. Ninety seconds to
go and Hasanov is still absolutely glued to Nolan, who has made his
way back to the fence. Hasanov gets another takedown, landing in
half-guard and looking to isolate an arm. Hasanov rears up and
drops a couple of big hammerfists which, despite the complete
wrestlef**cking, represent pretty much the only damage all round by
either man. The horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Hasanov
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Hasanov
Tudor Leonte scores the round: 10-9 Hasanov

Round 2

Hasanov gets a takedown instantly in the center of the cage. Nolan
is once again active, slippery, refusing to concede the position,
and springs back to his feet. Hasanov yanks him away from the cage
by main force and dumps him back to the ground. Nolan gets back up
and meets Hasanov’s next entry with a glancing knee. Hasanov gets
the takedown but he is definitely looking winded. Hasanov gets a
wrestling ride on the turtled Nolan and throws a couple of hard
punches from behind. Nolan gets back up and both men are breathing
hard. Nolan catches the incoming Hasanov with an uppercut. Hasanov
is exhausted and hurt, and the momentum is shifting. Hasanov stems
the changing tide with another takedown, and he’s kneeling over
Nolan at the base of the fence. Under a minute to go in the round
and Nolan gets back up once again. Hasanov grabs a single-leg and
takes a breather as Nolan wide-legs and uses an underhook. Hasanov
drags Nolan away from the fence and hauls him down for what feels
like his 317th takedown of the fight, right before the horn.

Sherdog Scores

Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Hasanov
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Hasanov
Tudor Leonte scores the round: 10-9 Hasanov

Round 3

The final round opens, and the lack of any takedown attempts in the
first 45 seconds speaks eloquently to the level of Hasanov’s
fatigue. Nolan is chipping away with nice accurate single strikes,
but simply winning the round will not be enough. Hasanov is
throwing back single strikes, enough to keep things close. Nearly
two minutes in, Hasanov tries for his first takedown of the round,
but it’s a labored thing, bending at the waist and punching
forward, and Nolan shucks him off easily. A moment later, Hasanov
gets a beautiful scoop and slam in close quarters. Nolan gamely
gets back to all fours, then crawls towards the fence. Hasanov
knows what’s coming, and stops his foe short of the chain-link that
has helped him back to his feet (legally) so many times in this
fight already. A minute left and Hasanov is stuck to Nolan’s back,
keeping him on the ground, keeping him away from the fence, and
while Mitchell warns him to work, Nolan isn’t doing much either.
Hasanov steps to mount, then gets onto the back when Nolan goes
onto all fours. The horn sounds on an absolutely grueling
welterweight bout.

Sherdog Scores

Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Hasanov (30-27 Hasanov)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Hasanov (30-27 Hasanov)
Tudor Leonte scores the round: 10-9 Hasanov (30-27 Hasanov)

The Official Result

Farman Hasanov def. Eric Nolan via Unanimous Decision (30-27,
30-27, 30-27)

BETTING
PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Aliskerov
(-280); Ferreira (+220)

Round 1

Middleweights are up again, this time in the form of offense-minded
maulers Aliskerov and Ferreira. The third man in the cage is Marc
Goddard. Both men are in orthodox stance but as Aliskerov advances,
Ferreira switches to southpaw, and then back. Ferreira comes up
short with a sweeping overhand right. Aliskerov meets his next
entry with a level change and runs him to the fence. Ferreira grabs
an underhook but Aliskerov hoists and dumps him anyway. Ferreira
turns his back in order to stand and manages to disengage without
giving up back control. They separate and Aliskerov promptly boots
him to the cup in the next exchange. Goddard halts the action and
warns Aliskerov while the Brazilian catches his breath. When they
go back to work, Aliskerov lands a hard low kick. Aliskerov nails
Ferreira with a knee up the middle. Ferreira backs up to the cage
and Aliskerov comes in behind a flying knee, then seamlessly drops
for a double-leg takedown, hauling Ferreira down and away from the
fence. Beautiful mixing of the martial arts there. With 90 seconds
left in the round, Aliskerov is in Ferreira’s full guard near the
warning track, throwing short punches to the ribs while Ferreira
closes his guard and controls his posture. Ferreira opens up his
guard and looks for some possible offense from his back, elevating
his hips for an armbar or triangle. Aliskerov lets Ferreira up and
lands a right hand before the horn.

Sherdog Scores

Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Aliskerov
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Aliskerov
Tudor Leonte scores the round: 10-9 Aliskerov

Round 2

Aliskerov throws a high front kick that misses short. He meets
Ferreira’s next entry with a push kick up the middle. Ferreira is
struggling badly to navigate the reach of the taller, longer
Aliskerov; he’s eating a strike or two on the way in every time,
and even when they don’t do a ton of damage, they disrupt whatever
Ferreira was planning to do. Like clockwork, as I type that,
Ferreira wades into the pocket and runs right into a perfectly
timed level change. Aliskerov deposits him on the canvas and, as
Ferreira scrambles, ends up kneeling over him in an almost
north-south position. Aliskerov looks to isolate an arm for a
kimura or armbar. Ferreira escapes but gives up his back. Aliskerov
is draped all over him, but Ferreira is patient and methodical, and
gets back to his feet without giving up back mount. Aliskerov
drills Ferreira with two punches, but there isn’t much behind them.
Ferreira steps forward and throws punches, and several land before
Aliskerov gets onto his hips and drags him back to the canvas.
Ferreira escapes back to his feet around the 30-second mark, and
Aliskerov hustles him back to the ground again. Ferreira looks for
a calf slicer as Aliskerov stands over him, but can’t get it before
the horn.

Sherdog Scores

Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Aliskerov
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Aliskerov
Tudor Leonte scores the round: 10-9 Aliskerov

Round 3

Ferreira surges forward and throws a pair of big punches that
bounce off of the high guard of Aliskerov. Ferreira with a high
kick that just touches. Aliskerov has slowed drastically, but
Ferreira has been too wild to capitalize in the early going.
Aliskerov with a long jab and a front snap kick, backing Ferreira
up to the fence, and when Ferreira rebounds from the cage,
Aliskerov uses a trip to spin him down to the floor with ease.
Aliskerov goes into Ferreira’s guard. Ferreira shrimps, then goes
onto all fours, but before he can explode to his feet, Aliskerov
slides into back mount and locks up a body triangle. Serious
tactical blunder by Ferreira, and Aliskerov is fishing for a choke.
Ferreira is wise to it and fights off the choke, and tries to twist
out of back mount, but ends up in a very uncomfortable-looking
sideways mount. Aliskerov, in no hurry to go anywhere, squeezes
with his legs and drops punches. Under 90 seconds to go and
Aliskerov has completely taken over the fight. Ferreira goes to all
fours with 30 seconds to go and Aliskerov is on his back, dropping
punches from back mount until the horn. Dominant performance by
Ikram Aliskerov.

Sherdog Scores

Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Aliskerov (30-27 Aliskerov)
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Aliskerov (30-27 Aliskerov)
Tudor Leonte scores the round: 10-9 Aliskerov (30-27 Aliskerov)

The Official Result

Ikram Aliskerov def. Brunno Ferreira via Unanimous Decision (30-27,
30-27, 30-27)

BETTING
PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Almabayev
(-250); Johnson (+200)

Round 1

The UFC Baku main card is about to get a jolt of caffeine, as
there’s nothing quite like a men’s flyweight scrap to break up the
grind. Almabayev and Johnson are ready to go. The third man in the
Octagon is Herb Dean. The fourth man in the Octagon is Johnson’s
hair. Both men are in orthodox stance, and immediately trade fast
kicks, Johnson to the legs, Almabayev to the body. Johnson is
switching stances frequently in the early going. Almabayev stalks
forward, stance-agnostic: he’s simply kicking the front leg,
whichever it happens to be. Almabayev nails Johnson with a left
hook, then another. That one draws an acknowledging nod from the
American. Almabayev steps into the pocket and, with Johnson perhaps
expecting the left hand again, instead grabs a single-leg and
treetops him for an easy takedown. Almabayev parks in Johnson’s
spidery guard, and Johnson does not let him get comfortable, using
his arms and butterfly hooks to keep him off balance. Almabayev
stands up out of Johnson’s guard, and when Johnson sits up, he
slaps on a guillotine choke. Johnson fights the hands diligently,
and Almabayev gives up on the submission. Almabayev lets Johnson
up, and takes him right back down, this time into side control.
Johnson regains guard just before the 30-second mark. The horn
sounds with Almabayev dropping punches from full guard.

Sherdog Scores

Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Almabayev
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Almabayev
Tudor Leonte scores the round: 10-9 Almabayev

Round 2

The flyweights meet in the middle of the cage and unleash a flurry
of punches on each other, with both men landing. Almabayev stalks
forward behind a pawing lead hand, then spins and digs a heel kick
into Johnson’s midsection. Almabayev lands a right hand. Johnson is
still in possession of his faculties and defending himself, but
he’s getting lit up right now. Almabayev tags Johnson with a punch
that knocks him down, mostly off-balance, and Johnson springs back
up. Almabayev throws another spinning back kick, and this one lands
squarely on Johnson’s johnson with a “clock” that can be heard
halfway to Samarkand. Joe Rogan, in his compound outside of Austin,
Texas, screams about Thai steel cups. Dean gives Johnson a respite
and Almabayev a warning, and they go back to work. Almabayev
secures a glass-smooth takedown and is all over Johnson, staying
snug in top position as Johnson scrambles and looks for a knee
shield to get some separation. Almabayev drops a couple of hard
punches, then looks to take Johnson’s back. Johnson defends well,
getting back to full guard, but Almabayev is relentless, and he
makes his way to Johnson’s back as Johnson kneels in the center of
the cage. At the 10-second clapper, Almabayev tries for a
rear-naked choke, but can’t get anything going before the horn.

Sherdog Scores

Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Almabayev
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Almabayev
Tudor Leonte scores the round: 10-9 Almabayev

Round 3

Johnson’s corner tells the former Olympic steeplechaser between
rounds that this is a sprint, not a marathon, and he comes right
out with a couple of long punches and a front kick before giving up
yet another easy takedown. Almabayev blunders into a reverse
triangle choke and it looks uncomfortable, but not immediately
threatening. Johnson gives up the choke and Almabayev settles into
his half guard, heavy and low on top. Johnson is active on bottom,
scrambling and offering a dozen different looks, and Almabayev just
floats brilliantly, staying a step ahead of everything. Johnson
turns his back and Almabayev sinks in a body triangle, taking back
mount in the middle of the cage with half the round left.

Almabayev is riding a bit high but switches from a body triangle to
conventional hooks, then grabs Johnson’s leg, wraps the body
triangle back up and hits a Suloev stretch! Are you
kidding me? After such a wrestling and grappling masterclass, what
a perfect valedictory by Asu Almabayev.

The Official Result

Asu Almabayev def. Charles Johnson R3 3:33 via Submission (Suloev
Stretch)

BETTING
PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Sadykhov
(-250); Camilo (+200)

Round 1

Long Island, New York’s favorite Azerbaijani, Sadykhov, faces off
against Camilo in this lightweight feature, with Rich Mitchell set
to officiate. Sadykhov comes out southpaw, Camilo orthodox, but
Sadykhov is switching stances constantly in the opening exchanges.
Sadykhov is coming forward, maneuvering Camilo around the cage,
herding him with half-speed kicks, trying to walk him into the
fence.
Camilo catches Sadykhov coming in with a brutal right hand that
drops him in a heap. Sadykhov covers up as Camilo pounces and drops
three or four big hammerfists onto his raised arm and glove, at
which point Mitchell dives in for the rescue. The Baku
crowd erupts in boos and Sadykhov springs up to protest, but he had
taken several flush shots while doing nothing but shell up. Debate
will ensue, but it goes down as a TKO win for Camilo, who climbs
the Octagon fence and lets out a jubilant roar that echoes in the
suddenly hushed arena.

The Official Result

Matheus Camilo def. Nazim Sadykhov R1 1:31 via TKO (Punches)

BETTING
PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Magomedov
(-350); Pereira (+275)

Round 1

Middleweight human highlight reels “Shara Bullet” and “Demolidor”
feature in the co-main event. Both men are in orthodox stance. Herb
Dean is the referee. After a few tentative early exchanges, Pereira
levels Magomedov with a right hand. He follows the Dagestani down,
raining down punches as Magomedov defends himself. Pereira shucks
the legs out of the way to clear the path for heavier ground shots,
but “Shara Bullet” backs him off with upkicks. Pereira adjusts and
dives back down, ending up in Magomedov’s wide-open goard. Referee
Dean warns Magomedov for pulling Pereira hair. A few seconds later,
Dean stops the action, stands Pereira up, warns Magomedov again for
pulling hair, then restarts them in guard without taking a point.
What are we even doing here? If that isn’t a point deduction, what
are rules even for? There is no accidental pulling of hair. Pereira
is still in guard, dropping short but stinging hammerfists, and has
to dodge another upkick. Pereira takes Magomedov’s back and is
working to secure the position when Magomedov spins into his guard
and takes top position. The crowd roars. “Shara Bullet” stands up
out of Pereira’s guard. The horn sounds.

Sherdog Scores

Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Pereira
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Pereira
Tudor Leonte scores the round: 10-9 Pereira

Round 2

Referee Dean gives Magomedov another warning for the repeated hair
pulls before the second round starts. Magomedov flicks out a fast,
hard kick to the body of Pereira. Pereira is on his toes, bouncing
around the perimeter, and Magomedov tags him with a pair of
lightning-fast kicks: one to the leg, one to the body. Pereira
resets and comes forward southpaw. Magomedov is throwing sparse
offense, but Pereira is throwing back even less. Pereira measures
“Shara Bullet” for another massive right, but it comes up just
short. Magomedov is walking Pereira around the cage, touching him
with sporadic body kicks, and when Pereira explodes into the
pocket, he meets him with a nicely timed knee. Under a minute and a
half to go, and the round is still defined by a lot of circling and
not a lot of punching. Pereira plants and flurries, and a few of
the shots glance off the guard of Magomedov. The horn sounds just
as Pereira throws a rolling thunder kick

Sherdog Scores

Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Magomedov
Brian Knapp scores the round: 10-9 Magomedov
Tudor Leonte scores the round: 10-9 Magomedov