Undefeated Russian MMA fighter Khabib Nurmagomedov defeated American Al Iaquinta in the main event of UFC 223 and took over the title of the organization in the lightweight division.
Nurmagomedov started the fight as a second number, giving his opponent the initiative, so Khabib was looking for the right time for the takedown. At the end of the first minute, the Russian was able to transfer his opponent to the ground, confidently controlling the fight until the end of the five-minute period. Iaquinta managed to get up several times, but time after time Khabib dragged him into his element.
The second round began by the same scenario: Iaquinta tried to attack in the stance, but found himself on the ground again. Khabib confidently dominated the fight and made several attempts to submissions, but the American defended himself successfully.
In the third segment of the battle, Iaquinta did not invent anything new and managed to convey only a few jabs to his counterpart. Nurmagomedov was confident and acted from the stance, having a clear advantage. In the fourth round Khabib continued to work on his feet and totally dominated his rival.
In the final round, Iaquinta became noticeably more active and desperately tried to win by knockout, but Nurmagomedov continued to work with calm and confidence. In the middle of the five-minute round Khabib still managed to make a takedown and several times tried to hold a suffocating reception, but Iaquinta stood up to the end.
Thus, Khabib Nurmagomedov won by unanimous decision (50-44, 50-43, 50-43) and became the new UFC lightweight champion.
Watch the full video of the battle:
