Umar Nurmagomedov has been touted by many as the heir apparent to Khabib in the octagon. He showed another reason why he’s getting that hype with a dominant win over Brian Kelleher at UFC 272.
Nurmagomedov (14-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) made light work of Kelleher (24-13 MMA, 8-6 UFC) in their featherweight bout on Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, securing a rear-naked choke for the finish at the 3:15 mark of Round 1.
After putting the pressure on from the outset, Nurmagomedov eventually found his way to the back of Kelleher, got his forearm under the neck and squeezed until he got the top.
Check out the highlight of the finish below (via Twitter):
Nurmagomedov stays undefeated!
Where have we heard that before? 🤔 #UFC272 pic.twitter.com/ZLg4mEAGSh
— UFC (@ufc) March 6, 2022
That's a proud coach 🙌 #UFC272 pic.twitter.com/2gFrfaAdtQ
— UFC (@ufc) March 6, 2022
The BW division has a problem on its hands 😤
[ @UNmgdv | #UFC272 ] pic.twitter.com/q4P9IbeyGf
— UFC (@ufc) March 6, 2022
Nurmagomedov, 26, is the cousin of Khabib. He has now earned both of his UFC wins by submission.
“I’m very happy that I got a win over such a hard opponent,” Nurmagomedov said in his post-fight interview with Joe Rogan. “I’m ready to fight just a week from now.”
