A battle of of debuting featherweights with tons of potential on the UFC Hamburg FS1 prelims turned into an incredibly entertaining bout — in which Nad Narimani out-wrestled Khalid Taha.
Khalid Taha and Nad Narimani entered UFC Hamborg as fighters brimming with potential. The pair shined on the European regional circuit prior to getting into the UFC. Taha sported a 12-1 record with wins in RIZIN among other promotions, though he normally competed at bantamweight. Narimani on the other hand was a star in Cage Warriors and even got a win over rising star Paddy Pimblett.
In what was a great showcase for both fighters talents, Khalid Taha and Nad Narimani had plenty success in the first two rounds. Nad Narimani however had the edge with his grappling and wrestling specifically. We knew going into the bout that Nad had a very grappling focused game, as that’s how he defeated Pimblett in Cage Warriors. And that’s what played out at UFC Hamburg.
Big shots from Taha, but @NadNarimani hits a well-timed takedown at #UFCHamburg pic.twitter.com/k5K9ROaw5D
— UFC Canada (@UFC_CA) July 22, 2018
As the third started, Taha knew he needed to rally and Narimani took him down and remained on top for a little bit before Taha attempted to scramble. Then, Narimani got Taha’s back. Taha did everything he could to escape but Narimani wasn’t letting go. Taha got to his feet and tried to shake him off but he couldn’t, at least not initially. Finally, he’d shake free and get on top. But in the end Taha couldn’t get the finish he needed. It was a valiant effort from Taha who was fighting up from his normal weight class, but not enough to get the victory. Instead, the clear-cut unanimous decision went to Nad Narimani.
Nad Narimani def. Khalid Taha by unanimous decisino (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
