Umar Nurmagomedov maintains the undefeated streak shared by him, former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov and Bellator lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov. Umar Nurmagomedov kicked off the UFC Fight Night main card with an emphatic knockout in Las Vegas on Saturday night.
Nurmagomedov befuddled Barcelos with a diverse striking game from the moment the fight started. Crisp jabs and front kicks to the head and body were just some of the techniques Nurmagomedov used to mask his movements. Nurmagomedov launched a fight-ending sequence in the final 20 seconds of Round 1 that required a replay just to catch what happened. Nurmagomedov stepped in with a failed knee to the head and immediately followed with a sneaky left hand that put Barcelos to sleep. The subsequent ground-and-pound shots were definitive but unnecessary.
OUT. OF. NOWHERE!!!!!!!
— UFC (@ufc) January 15, 2023
[ @UNmgdv | #UFCVegas67 | Live on ESPN+ ] pic.twitter.com/yxQSPU4lQG
During his post-fight interview with UFC commentator Paul Felder, Nurmagomedov confessed that he had no clue how he landed the punch. Nurmagomedov, in search of a quick turnaround, challenged anyone in the UFC bantamweight division to fight him in March.
Nurmagomedov improved to 16-0 with the first KO of his UFC career and second KO overall. Umar Nurmagomedov, Usman Nurmagomedov (16-0) and Khabib Nurmagomedov (29-0) are now a combined 61-0 in MMA.
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