Sean Strickland KOs Abus Magomedov, Wants the Title Shot

Sean Strickland defeated Abus Magomedov in the main event of last night’s UFC Fight Night. The American knocked out the German in the second round at 4:20, getting back in the mix for the title shot once again.

This was the 11th KO win for Strickland in his career and definite proof that he bounced back following two losses in very important battles, one against Alex Pereira, the title eliminator at the time, and the other against Jared Cannonier. The latter was a shady split decision defeat, where many analysts and fans believe that the judges scored the cards poorly, believing in Strickland’s victory.

“The title, man. I want the title,” Strickland said following the event.

SEAN STRICKLAND KO’S ABUS MAGOMEDOV IN ROUND 2 😵 🥊 pic.twitter.com/cwf7TPVuX6

— Sportsville (@Sportsville_) July 2, 2023

Though, the way the battle started, just a few believed that Tarzan could actually win this event. He was severely beaten in the opening round, with Magomedov landing 32 hits, almost three times as many as his rival, who had 11.

Though, his cardio and resilience, plus certain adjustments, flipped the situation into the octagon, and Strickland began pounding hard in the second period, slowly breaking Magomedov. The American’s defense had become much better, and Magomedov managed to record 15 punches until the end of the fight, which would be in the next two and a half rounds.

Strickland’s boxing was perfect, and he inflicted 81 significant strikes, 80 of which to Magomedov’s head, enough for him to eventually finish the bout.

Unlike his rival, Magomedov was without breath in the second round, trying to survive and often watching the clock checking how much was left until the end. Strickland was confidently walking ahead, waiting for his chance to strike, pressuring the rival against the fence and throwing a barrage of punches. One such opportunity came, and he sent a left hand to Magomedov’s chin, quickly following it with a right sending the German down to the mat.

From there on, it was a routine for Tarzan, and the judge in the ring, Mark Smith, had to stop the bout.

Robert Whittaker won't be underestimating Dricus du Plessis.

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— MMA Fighting (@MMAFighting) June 25, 2023

This was the fifth loss in his career for Magomedov, who had 25 wins and one draw before. On the other side, Strickland posted his 27th victory, also having five defeats.

As said, his next goal is the title, but he will have to wait. Israel Adesanya awaits the better from Robert Whittaker vs. Dricus Du Plessis fight set for next Saturday. For sure, that matchup won’t take place until autumn, meaning that Strickland needs to wait for at least a winter or have another bout in between.

In other fights, Grant Dawson was better than Damir Ismagulov in the co-main event of the night. It was Dawson’s 20th win, with one loss and draw, while Ismagulov posted its third loss in 27 battles. Dawson’s ground game was enough to establish domination and win via unanimous decision, with all three judges scoring 30-27 in his favor.

The battle of two heavyweights, Alexandr Romanov and Blagoy Ivanov, ended with Romanov’s confident unanimous decision victory. Kevin Lee’s comeback to the UFC didn’t go as planned, with him losing to Rinat Fakhretdinov in the first round via guillotine choke, while Ismael Bonfim lost to Benoit Saint-Denise, also via submission in the first round, only this was a rear-naked choke.