There were few finishes at UFC Abu Dhabi on Saturday, but there were some interesting fights. In a highly tactical main event, Umar Nurmagomedov remained undefeated as he handed Cory Sandhagen a loss (50-45, 49-46, 49-46).
The judge’s scores were appropriate, and while that may suggest the fight was a blowout, it was not.
Nurmagomedov was able to secure multiple takedowns, but Sandhagen defended them well, didn’t allow his opponent to enjoy much control time, and all but one time quickly got to his feet.
While the takedowns played a role in the decision, Nurmagomedov also did the better work striking with one-two combinations, leg kicks, and power straights to the body. Sandhagen was No. 2 in the division coming into the fight, and Nurmagomedov was No. 10.
It’ll be interesting to see if he is elevated to No. 2, which would leapfrog multiple fighters–including Deiveson Figueiredo, who scored a one-sided win over Marlon Vera earlier on the card. Figueiredo was No. 6, and Vera was No. 4 before the fight, so you’d expect the former to be at No. 4 at least.
We’ll have to see how high Nurmagomedov rises and where Figueiredo ends up. Shara Magomedov’s complete striking toolbox was on display in the co-main event. He used his kicks as jabs and power strikes to control and bloody Michał Oleksiejczuk en route to an easy unanimous decision win.
The two men won the first Fight of the Night bonus awarded since July 13’s UFC Fight Night Denver when Jean Silva and Drew Dober got the nod.
After the fight, Magomedov called out Nick Diaz for UFC 308, which is back in Abu Dhabi.
UFC Abu Dhabi Results
- Umar Nurmagomedov def. Cory Sandhagen via unanimous decision
- Sharabutdin Magomedov def. Michał Oleksiejczuk via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
- Deiveson Figueiredo def. Marlon Vera via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
- Michael Chiesa def. Tony Ferguson via submission at 3:44 of Round 1 (RNC)
Chiesa made this quick. It was easy for Michael Chiesa to secure a takedown and to take Ferguson’s back to get the submission.
Ferguson’s eighth straight loss. After the fight, he refused to confirm his retirement. He left one glove in the Octagon, saying, “Just in case,” but moments later, he said, “It’s not time.”
- Mackenzie Dern def. Loopy Godinez via unanimous decision (29-28×3)
- Joel Alvarez def. Elves Brenner via TKO at 3:36 of Round 3
Alvarez had the bounce, swagger, length and striking acumen to dismantle and finish Elvis Brenner. Alvarez looked like a potential contender as he delivered a patient performance en route to the TKO win over Brenner.
Here is the finish:
- Azamat Murzakanov def. Alonzo Menifield via KO at 3:18 of Round 2
Murzakanov remained undefeated with a destructive finish of Alonzo Menifield. While he showed some toughness, Menifield was outclassed in the striking department and has now lost two fights in a row by stoppage. The performance earned him a bonus.
Here is the finish:
- Kaue Fernandes def. Mohammad Yahya via TKO at 4:45 of Round 1
Fernandes was poised and impressive as he played spoiler to Mohammad Yahya, the only fighter on the card from Abu Dhabi. Fernandes’ set things up with an excellent leg kick attack but ultimately a combination to the head finished the fight. This performance earned the second bonus.
Here is the finish:
- Shamil Gaziev def. Don’Tale Mayes via unanimous decision (30-27×3)
- Guram Kutateladze def. Jordan Vucenic via unanimous decision (29-28×3)
- Sam Hughes def. Victoria Dudakova via split decision (30-27, 28-29, 29-28)
- Jai Herbert def. Rolando Bedoya via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
- Sedriques Dumas def. Denis Tiuliulin via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
