Contender Series winner Abdul Rakhman Yakhyaev made his octagon debut at UFC Qatar on Saturday, making it in style against Rafael Cerqueria in a light heavyweight fight.
Style points had to be given for this one, with Yakhyaev getting the job done in little more than 30 seconds. That, after having an equally quick night at the office when he won his way into the UFC on Dana White’s Contender Series.
As for Cerqueria, he’d won three straight, and had his back against the wall in Doha, Qatar.
Yakhyaev opened the fight and ended it, as noted, in style. He came out with a spinning wheel kick that barely missed. All in sync, he threw a series of punches to a roundhouse that landed on the chin, dropping the Brazilian. Yakhyaev mat returned him to his butt and took the back and finished with an rear-naked choke all in well under a minute.
In his post-fight interview, Abdul Rakhmon Yakhyaev told Michael Bisping that the fast start and impressive performance had been the plan all along, adding that he’d either wanted a very quick finish, or to end the fight at the end of the opening round.
Official Result: Abdul Rakhman Yakhyaev def. Rafael Cerqueria via submission (rear-naked choke), 0:33
