Said Nurmagomedov didn’t waste much time bringing fans to their feet in the main card opener of UFC 294.
Nurmagomedov (18-3 MMA, 7-2 UFC) shared the octagon with Muin Gafurov (18-6 MMA, 0-2 UFC) to start off the pay-per-view portion of the event at Ethihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. The bantamweights didn’t spend much time in the cage together though, as Nurmagomedov tapped Gafurov at 1:13 of Round 1.
Starting things off working on the outside with quick kicks to the legs and head, Nurmagomedov kept Gafurov’s defense on high alert early. The first takedown attempt would be the last, as Nurmagomedov slapped on a slick guillotine choke that Gafurov couldn’t escape.
SAID NURMAGOMEDOV IN JUST OVER A MINUTE 🤯
Guillotine gets the tap to open the #UFC294 main card! pic.twitter.com/rdtAxNpOd6
— UFC (@ufc) October 21, 2023
Nurmagomedov bounced back into the win column in fast fashion, erasing the memory of a unanimous decision loss to Jonathan Martinez in his last outing in March. Prior to that setback, Nurmagomedov was on a four-fight winning streak that included two other guillotine submissions and one TKO finish.
Gafurov walks away with his second consecutive loss, as he has struggled to find his footing in the UFC. The Tajikistan-born fighter won two consecutive LFA bouts in 2022 leading to his UFC debut in June.
Up-to-the-minute UFC 294 results include:
- Said Nurmagomedov def. Muin Gafurov via submission (guillotine choke) – Round 1, 1:13
- Muhammad Mokaev def. Tim Elliott via submission (arm-triangle choke) – Round 3, 3:03
- Trevor Peek def. Mohammad Yahya via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27 30-27)
- Javid Basharat vs. Victor Henry declared no contest (accidental groin strike by Basharat) – Round 2, 0:15
- Sedriques Dumas def. Abu Azaitar via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- Mike Breeden def. Anshul Jubli via knockout (punches) – Round 3, 3:00
- Muhammad Naimov def. Nathaniel Wood via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- Viktoriia Dudakova def. Jinh Yu Frey via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- Shara Magomedov def. Bruno Silva via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27 30-27)
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 294.
