Russian MMA fighter Magomed Zainukov, representing Khabib Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev's team, secured a convincing victory in his UFC debut, reports infohub.kz.
The 31-year-old competed on the main card of the Fight Night event in Abu Dhabi, UAE. His opponent in the lightweight division (up to 70.3 kg) was another UFC debutant, Polish fighter Damian Ziębicki.
The bout went the full three rounds. Zainukov dominated throughout and won by unanimous decision (30-27 on all three judges' scorecards).
In his pro MMA career, Zainukov, who fights under the nickname 'Chanko,' has won all nine of his fights. For the 24-year-old Ziębicki, this defeat was his first, leaving him with a record of 10 wins.
In another main card bout, another fighter from Khabib's team, Saygid Izagakhmaev, made his debut. The Russian lost by unanimous decision (29-28) to fellow Russian Abubakar Vagaev, who is from Khamzat Chimaev's team, in the welterweight division (up to 77.1 kg).