Zabit Magomedsharipov looked very sharp with his striking in the first two rounds of his fight with Calvin Kattar tonight at UFC Fight Night 163, but came under fire himself in the final round, before emerging with a unanimous decision victory.
Round One:
The main event is underway in Moscow.
Magomedsharipov with a punch and a leg kick. Double jab for Magomedsharipov. Magomedsharipov looking for a knee, but Kattar counters with a punch to the head.
Magomedsharipov steps into a leg kick. Double jab again from ZaBeast. Leg kick for Kattar. Oblique kick from Magomedsharipov.
One-two for Kattar. Back to the leg kicks from Magomedsharipov and then a side kick. Double jab and then another punch behind it as he switches stance.
leg kick from Kattar. Body kick for Magomedsharipov. Right hand for Kattar and misses on an uppercut. jab for Magomedsharipov.
Front kick to the chest from Magomedsharipov. Missed kick from Magomedsharipov and Kattar lands a leg kick.
Missed front kick upstairs from Kattar. Magomedsharipov’s low kick knocks Kattar off-balance as he’s trying to throw a punch.
Punch and a leg kick from Magomedsharipov and then a hook kick attempt that’s not far off landing clean.
Front kick from Kattar to the body. Zabit steps into an elbow and then punches behind it. Clever movement there from him to set that flurry up.
Nice right hand for Kattar as Magomedsharipov steps in. jab for Kattar. Now threatening with an uppercut. Magomedsharipov tries for a spinning backfist. He ends the round doubling up on punches to the body.
Round Two:
Kicks and punches from Magomedsharipov to start the second round. Now a side kick to the body and another one for good measure.
leg kick from kattar. Three leg kicks in quick succession from Zabit. Now an oblique kick. Triple jab from Magomedsharipov.
Now an inside leg kick from ZaBeast. he tries for a spinning backfist. Oblique kick again. kattar’s kick and punches coming up short.
leg kick for Magomedsharipov. jab to the body from Kattar. Double jab from Jattar. Now Magomedsharipov trying on a single, but nothing doing.
Zabit working that double jab and then goes for an uppercut. Suddenly Zabit spins to the back and clinches up looking for a takedown, but Kattar does well to defend that and is soon back to striking range.
nice counter left from Magomedsharipov, but Kattar lands afterwards too. Body punch from Zabit. jab for him again and a hook for Kattar.
Another punch finds a home for Magomedsharipov. Uppercut and a right hand from Kattar, nicely done.
jabs exchanged. Good head movement from Zabit. He tries a capoeira kick upstairs. Right hand gets through for Kattar to end the round.
Round Three:
Jabs being exchanged in the center of the Octagon to start the round. Leg kick for Zabit and then a Low blow to Kattar forces a stoppage.
Quickly back to it they go. Quick jabs from Zabit and then a nice dig to the body. leg kick for Magomedsharipov.
Leg kick for Kattar. Kattar moving forward with urgency now. Still not able to get into range properly though and then Zabit lands with hooks.
Spinning elbow attempt from Magomedsharipov and then a left hook. Zabit tries for a takedown that’s stuffed.
Double jab and a right hand for Kattar. Body punch lands for Kattar. Now he gets a right hook off at close range.
Left hook for kattar and then another. Suddenly Kattar is stepping things up and lands hard again.
Magomedsharipov backing up a lot. Jab lands for Zabit. Now a body punch. Kattar just misses with an uppercut.
Right hand for Kattar. Uppercut now for Kattar. Jab for him and then a punch to the body.
Magomedsharipov doesn’t look tired, but his output has slowed a lot. Kattar tries for a flying knee, but Zabit scoops him out of the sky and puts him to the mat.
Kattar immediately landing short hooks to the head from his back. Magomedsharipov trying to up his work rate too, but isn’t able to land anything meaningful before the round ends.
Decision:
A fun fight then, with Magomedsharipov looking very slick and classy for much of the fight on the feet, but then Kattar showing he’s a threat too in the closing round. No doubt that Magomedsharipov is the winner overall though, earning a unanimous decision victory (29-28 x3).
