The UFC’s return to Russia featured a slew of fantastic finishes and an unexpectedly tight battle in the co-main event.
The co-feature bout at UFC on ESPN+ 7 was a barnburner between Islam Makhachev and the debuting Arman Tsarukyan. The grappling-heavy fight ended in a unanimous decision victory for Makhachev on scores of 30-27, 30-27, and 29-28.
While those scores don’t reflect how exciting the fight was, the duo were recognized by the UFC for their efforts, as they took Fight of the Night honors. As such they’ll both bank an extra $50,000.
There were also a pair of Performance of the Night bonuses.
Magomed Mustafaev (14-3 MMA, 3-1 UFC) got the show started off with a bang, as he made short work of Rafael Fiziev in a lightweight bout (6-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC). Mustafaev used a spinning back kick to the head to set up a first-round finish, just the third time in UFC history that technique has been utilized to end a fight.
Sergei Pavlovich (12-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC), meanwhile, put his stamp on the evening’s events with a a nasty uppercut which spelled the end of his fight with Marcelo Golm (6-2 MMA, 1-2 UFC).
Mustafaev and Pavlovich both take home $50,000, as well.
UFC on ESPN+ 7 took place Saturday at Yubileyniy Arena in St. Petersburg, Russia. The attendance was announced as a sellout 7,236. Gate figures were not announced.
For complete coverage of UFC on ESPN+ 7, check out the UFC Events section of the site.
