Tajikistan’s Muhammad Naimov beat Venezuela’s Erik Silva in a featherweight opening bout at UFC Mexico City that did not end in a way that anyone expected.
Naimov got off to a hot start in the promotion with a knockout of Jamie Mullarkey and followed that up with a decision win over talented featherweight Nathaniel Wood. His opponent, Erik Silva, came in with an 0-1 record in the UFC and a fourteen month layoff. When the dust settled,
Naimov threw a spinning wheel kick that partially connected to Silva’s head, causing Silva to stumble and fall as the commentary speculated about an injured foot they may have seen. He got back up and Naimov instantly took him down, only for the referee to step in and stop the fight at Erik’s behest. Silva lay in pain on the octagon floor with an unclear ankle injury, while Muhammad celebrated his victory.
Despite the unclear, quick, and bizarre ending, Naimov earnedc his third straight UFC win and inched closer to true contender status. He gave his unique, cylindrical hat to post-fight interviewer Paul Felder and drew massive cheers from the Mexico City crowd when he yelled, “Viva Mexico!”
Official Result: Muhammad Naimov def. Erik Silva by TKO (ankle injury), Round 1, 0:44
