5 most explosive moments from UFC Fight Night: Curtis Blaydes vs. Chris Daukaus
Sandwiched between the hugely successful UFC Fight Night in London and the highly anticipated UFC 273 pay-per-view, last night’s UFC Columbus show flew somewhat under the radar. Nevertheless, it turned out to be a largely entertaining show to watch.
Sure, UFC Fight Night: Curtis Blaydes vs. Chris Daukaus didn’t feature too many finishes, but the ones it did have were explosive. It also featured one of the best fights of 2022. So with some wonderful knockouts, tapouts and all-out brawling on offer, this show had everything that you’d want as an MMA fan.
Here are the five most explosive moments from UFC Fight Night: Curtis Blaydes vs. Chris Daukaus.
#5. Aliaskhab Khizriev debuts in the UFC in style with a slick submission
Russian prospect Aliaskhab Khizriev garnered quite a bit of hype coming into his UFC debut last night, largely because of his impressive 13-0 undefeated record. Khizriev's record comprises a win over dangerous veteran Rousimar Palhares and a victory on Dana White’s Contender Series.
Last night, he didn’t disappoint, as he dealt with late-notice opponent Denis Tiuliulin with relative ease. He dispatched Tiuliulin with one of the more explosive submissions we’ve seen recently.
The fight was a strange one in many ways, as both men were widely booed in the first round, seemingly for the simple crime of being Russian. Neither man really established true dominance in the first round, but that changed in the second.
Khizriev managed to hit a takedown off the back of a scramble midway through the round, and before Tiuliulin could even react, ‘The Black Wolf’ practically shot up onto his back like a spider wrapping up a fly. He slapped on a fight-ending rear-naked choke to complete a successful UFC debut.
Sure, Khizriev isn’t likely to receive the title fight he called for in his post-fight interview any time soon. It was still an excellent debut for him, marked off with a submission that was both rapid and explosive in comparison to most rear-naked chokes. Hopefully, he can get back in action soon.