In the first minute of the match, the Kazakhstani nearly created a sensation by knocking the Russian down with a right overhand, but Nurmagomedov was able to move his opponent and regain his composure, and then for more than two rounds he did not deviate from “his father’s plan,” throwing knockdowns and controlling Almakhan in the parterre.
However, the debutant of the world’s strongest league did not allow himself to be finished and held on until the final siren, and Nurmagomedov won the fight by unanimous decision with scores of 30-25 and 30-26 twice.
In a post-fight interview, Umar Nurmagomedov, ranked thirteenth in the UFC’s lightweight division, stated that he wants to see third-ranked Corey Sandhagen as his next opponent, expressing his hope that the fight will have challenger status.