Fighting out his contract at UFC Vegas 9 was Michel Pereira, the flashy, acrobatic striker who had dazzled fans since joining the promotion last year.

The only problem, through three fights, Pereira had a 1-2 record, though thanks in part to a DQ loss (illegal knee) against Diego Sanchez in his last fight. A fight he had otherwise been dominating. For what was clearly the most important bout of his UFC career, Pereira was matched up with Zelim Imadaev — a fighter who would no doubt be happy to stand toe-to-toe with the Brazilian.

Out of the gate we saw a more reserved Michel Pereira. A few front kicks and some jabs dotted the early landscape of the fight before he began to unleash on some overhands that stung Imadaev. As Imadaev got more comfortable and moved forward, Pereira pushed off of the cage and landed a superman punch followed by a big knee. That opened the flood gates for more craziness, which included an attempted showtime kick among other things. He returned to simplicity with a doubled up jab followed by a big right hand to the temple that dropped Imadaev. The round opening ended with another superman punch off the cage and some Pereira dance moves.

Michel Pereira back to his usual antics 🕺 #UFCVegas9 pic.twitter.com/fwItI0pTgU

— UFC (@ufc) September 6, 2020

Pereira backed Imadaev up immediately to start the second, but was hit with a solid counter, which forced him to respect the hands of the Russian. That respect only lasted so long though, and Pereira mixed in a somersault kick that couldn’t have missed by much more. Pereira got back to work with more big right hands and knees in the occasional clinch. A late exchange saw both men swinging at the end of the round, but Imadaev could not land much in either of the first two rounds.

More jabs and a straight to the body started round three for Pereira. He ripped combinations off with little regard for Imadaev’s returns. “Demolidor” landed another super man punch that appeared to stun Imadaev. Pereira even worked in an open hand slap to the face of Imadaev. After a brief dance routine, Pereira added another straight right hand that snapped the head of his opponent back. After some showmanship, Pereira got in on a suplex and jumped his opponent’s back for a rear naked choke. Referee Chris Tognoni stopped the fight for what appeared to be a tap, but there was certainly some debate about it. While it might have changed the official method of victory, it didn’t change the victor in a fight that was all Pereira.

https://twitter.com/ufc/status/1302419443293847555

Post-fight, Jorge Masvidal was the target of a call-out by Pereira. Which is the fight we didn’t know we wanted, but do.

Official Result: Michel Pereira def. Zelim Imadaev by Submission (rear-naked choke), Round 3, 4:39

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Every fighter has their go-to moves, especially specialists within certain martial arts disciplines. Their own signature styles that can lead to spectacular finishes. Whether it’s a scary-good rear-naked choke that fighters just can’t seem to avoid once going to the ground or crazy power in a straight left hand that has dropped even granite-chinned fighters with ease, each fighter has a particular finishing move or sequence. Moves that have stuck in fan’s minds and come to define and describe their careers within the cage.

This week we will take a look at some fighters with only a few (5 or less) fights in the UFC, rather than those fighters that are long time UFC veterans with a bunch of finishes with the promotion. 

Augusto Sakai (15-1-1 MMA, 0-2 UFC)

Total Number of Pro MMA Finishes: 11

Via KO/TKO: 11

Via Submission: 0

Total Number of UFC Finishes: 2

Via KO/TKO: 0

Via Submission: 0

Augusto Sakai has a 73.3% win finishing rate over the course of his professional mixed martial arts career.

Sakai has some very slick striking, especially the fluidity with which he is able to throw some very effective punches. Sakai’s fight and finish against Marcin Tybura was a perfect demonstration of the type of boxing and dirty boxing offense that the heavyweight is capable of.

Sakai has put together some good combinations in order to finish his opponents with weapons other than his hands including a head kick and knee finish back in 2014 under the Bellator promotional banner. Sakai also showed off his diverse striking techniques with his 2018 UFC debut win over Chase Sherman.

WIPED. HIM. OUT.

🇧🇷 @AugustoSakai can really let his punches go! #UFCVegas9 pic.twitter.com/VQHJZAv1uV

— UFC (@ufc) September 3, 2020

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Pereira (23-11, 2NC) has found mixed success since landing in the UFC off the back off a viral in-cage moonsault during a fight for South Korean promotion ROAD FC. The 27-year old known as “Demolidor” entered the UFC in May 2019 with a flying knee knockout of Danny Roberts.

His high-flying, explosive, and frankly exhausting style didn’t work as well at last year’s UFC Vancouver card, where he wound up being beat in a decision against Tristan Connelly. He was faring better against Diego Sanchez at UFC Rio Rancho earlier this year, but landed an illegal knee, resulting in a DQ loss.

He’ll look to turn things around against Imadeav (8-2), who has lost both his octagon outings thus far. The Russian fell to Max “Pain” Griffin in his promotional debut, then dropped (more accurately, was dropped) a fight to Danny Roberts, ending up finished in the second round.

The UFC’s September 5 card does not have an official location or event name announced. However, it is expected to be headlined by a heavyweight match-up between Alistair Overeem and Augusto Sakai.

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Zelim Imadaev was served up the first loss of his career last time out, when he lost to Max Griffin at UFC 236. Imadaev’s antics outside the cage didn’t help matters, and on Saturday at UFC Moscow, he needed to turn things around against Danny Roberts. Roberts, a former boxer, had been with the UFC since 2015, and was looking to snap a two-fight losing streak.

Imadaev immediately opened the action Saturday with a high kick. Roberts stayed mobile early, circling then changing levels, pressing his opponent back to the fence. Imadaev showed excellent balance to stay standing. The pair would then engage in some back and forth, with Roberts focusing on movement. However a kick led to a slip for Roberts, and he nearly ate a flying knee as a result. Imadaev then went on the attack, but Roberts changed levels and secured a takedown. One that was short-lived, however.

The second round opened with Roberts attacking his opponent’s lead leg. In a grappling exchange by the fence, Imadaev would land a check hook, catching Roberts. Roberts would answer with a couple of strikes back out in the open, but he was soon under fired and forced to take the fight down again. He could not, however, keep Imadaev down. Instead, the Dagestani fighter would pop back up, and the pair would wind up trading in a clinch, with Imadaev getting the better of things there. Roberts however landed a massive knockout blow just prior to the end of the round! The buzzer-beat left hand to the chin sent Imadaev crashing to the canvas, and the ref immediately waved the fight off.

"HE SPUN HIM 3️⃣6️⃣0️⃣!"@DanHotChocolate says good night! #UFCMoscow

➡️ Watch more now on ESPN+ ⬅️ pic.twitter.com/RxfM8yYvL6

— UFC (@ufc) November 9, 2019

Official Result: Danny Roberts def. Zelim Imadaev by knockout, Round 2, 4:54

The post UFC Moscow Results: Danny Roberts Shocks Zelim Imadaev with Crushing KO appeared first on Cageside Press.

Former light heavyweight title challenger Volkan Oezdemir and top contender Ilir Latifi have been rebooked to UFC Newark, alongside other bouts. ESPN’s Fight Center added the bout last night alongside four others.

Oezdemir and Latifi were supposed to face off at UFC Stockholm on June 1, but a back injury on fight week for Latifi forced him to withdraw.

Oezdemir (15-4) has lost his last three contests in the Octagon. It should be noted, however, that they were to current heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier, top contender and former title challenger Anthony Smith, and top prospect Dominick Reyes. The bout with Reyes was the most recent for Oezdemir, where Oezdemir lost a close split decision in London back in March. The 29-year-old holds a 3-3 record in the UFC, with knockout victories over Misha Cirkunov and Jimi Manuwa.

Latifi (14-6, one no contest), is also coming off a loss. The 35-year-old most recently lost to Corey Anderson by unanimous decision at UFC 232. Prior to that, Latifi defeated Tyson Pedro and Ovince St. Preux in convincing fashion. The Swedish veteran has competed in the UFC since 2013, totaling a record of 7-4 in the Octagon.

The following bouts were also added to the card:

• Antonina Shevchenko (7-1) vs. Lucie Pudilová (8-4) – flyweight
• Gerald Meerschaert (29-11) vs. Trevin Giles (11-1) – middleweight 
• Zelim Imadaev (8-1) vs. Salim Touahri (10-3) – welterweight
• Darko Stosic (13-2) vs. Kennedy Nzechukwu (6-1) – light heavyweight

UFC Newark will take place at the Prudential Center in New Jersey on August 3. The main event was announced last night, as former interim welterweight champion Colby Covington faces former welterweight champion Robbie Lawler.

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Max Griffin is an exciting welterweight looking to snap a two-fight losing streak at UFC 236. The Californian was 12-2 when he was signed by UFC to make his debut against top welterweight contender Colby Covington. Griffin is 2-3 with a win over Mike Perry. He’s coming off a tough loss to veteran Thiago Alves.

Zelim Imadaev, a top Russian prospect, will be making his promotional debut at UFC 236. Imadaev is 8-0 with all of his wins coming via stoppage, five of which have come in the first round. He’s knocked out his last three opponents in the first round, including a 13-second knockout in his last appearance. Fight Nights Global has been the home of his last three appearances.

The fight got off to an interesting start. Max Griffin attempted to take Imadaev down along the cage but was stopped by Imadaev holding the fence. The referee took exception to this and took a point away very early in the fight. Griffin was able to get a takedown after action resumed and spent the majority of the round on Imadaev’s back, hunting for a rear-naked choke. After getting to the feet, Imadaev nailed Griffin with a spinning elbow, then nearly landed a wheel kick. Griffin survived the rest of the round in the clinch against the cage.

Max Griffin’s wrestling was the story of the second round, as he was able to get Imadaev down repeatedly at will. However, this took a toll on him as he was visibly tired near the end and was rocked on the feet by his opponent. Imadaev landed several hard shots to the body and a knee to the head, but Griffin survived again.

Both men did what they wanted in the final round. Imadaev was able to land heavy shots on the feet, but Griffin’s wrestling helped him avoid serious damage. The majority of the round was spent in the clinch, and both fighters threw shots with bad intentions as time expired.

Max Griffin def. Zelim Imadaev by Majority Decision (29-27 x2, 28-28)

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Underrated undefeated Russian prospect Zelim Imadaev has signed a contract with the UFC, and has been in talks since November. First reported by Russian journalist Adam Zubayraev, the story was later confirmed by ESPN’s Ariel Helwani. A debut date and opponent has yet to be announced.

Zelim Imadaev
6’0″
Welterweight
23-years-old
Moscow, Russia
Xtreme Couture
8-0
8 KO/TKO

How Does Zelim Imadaev Fare in the UFC?

Zelim Imadaev is another good Russian prospect the UFC has made a move on in 2018. At only 23-years-old, Imadaev has yet to reach his prime as he still is developing his striking defense and cardio. With that said, it hasn’t been too much of a problem as he has stopped all his fights in completely one-sided fashion. On the feet, he has knockout power in his hands and solid kickboxing. He’s excellent with chain-wrestling and positional grappling. The Russians have a thing for a dominant top game and while he is not near the likes of Khabib Nurmagomedov or other Dagestanis, it’s a great tool of his. Overall, he’s a good talent with a high ceiling who can be a top guy a few years from now.

Who Should Zelim Imadaev Fight?

With the UFC coming to Russia in the first quarter of 2019, there’s no doubt he should be on that card but the opponent would be the big question. A fight with someone like Ottman Azaitar makes for a good challenge as Azaitar is the former Brave CF champion. Azaitar is a newly-signed UFC fighter as well waiting for a debut and both show promise.

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