Nicolas Dalby welcomed ONE Championship alum Saygid Izagakhmaev to the octagon as part of UFC Qatar’s preliminary card, in a welterweight fight.
Izagakhmaev opened the bout by firing a right cross, but Dalby immediately clinched and pressed him to the cage. They spent some time trading knees in that position until the referee broke them apart. Dalby went back to working his kicks, mixing high and low targets, and again pushed Izagakhmaev to the fence. This time Izagakhmaev managed to briefly reverse, but Dalby rotated off and shot a takedown. Izagakhmaev’s base held strong, allowing him to land on top, though Dalby stood up quickly and closed the round with Izagakhmaev once more backed against the cage.
Dalby opened round two with a clean head kick, but Izagakhmaev immediately answered with a takedown. Dalby used the fence to stand, yet Izagakhmaev was more insistent in the clinch this round, driving takedown attempts and repeatedly dumping Dalby—though he struggled to keep the Dane grounded for long. When space opened, Izagakhmaev shot again but was stuffed, and Dalby’s attempted outside trip backfired, giving Izagakhmaev back control. It was the second time Dalby’s offensive grappling cost him. Still, Dalby scrambled well, turning into Izagakhmaev’s guard and finishing the round on top.
In the final round they clinched almost immediately, and Izagakhmaev returned to grinding against the cage. Dalby created brief separation, only to drive right back in, wearing Izagakhmaev down. Even when Izagakhmaev found space, he couldn’t generate offense and allowed Dalby to bully the exchanges. He shot multiple takedowns with limited success, managing to knock out Dalby’s base once, but Dalby popped up instantly. The fight closed with Dalby firmly in control as Izagakhmaev struggled to mount any meaningful offense.
Official Result: Nicolas Dalby def. Saygid Izagakhmaev by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
