Prior to UFC 242, Muslim Salikhov hadn’t competed inside the cage since a brutal knockout victory over Ricky Rainey in April 2018.
On Saturday, the Russian picked up right where he left off.
In the opening round of his welterweight contest with Nordine Taleb (15-7 MMA, 7-5 UFC), “The King of Kung Fu” Salikhov (15-2 MMA, 2-1 UFC) blasted the Frenchman with a brutal overhand right. No follow-up shots were needed as a dazed Taleb crumpled to the canvas.
Check out Salikov’s brutal knockout of Taleb at UFC 242 in the video below:
The bout marked the first time Salikhov had competed since he was suspended by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency for an out-of-competition sample collected in June 2018.
In March, Salikhov was cleared by USADA after an investigation deemed his positive test a result of “pulsing.” Salikhov’s situation drew comparisons to that of Jon Jones’ failed test in early 2019.
The victory is Salikhov’s second under the promotion’s banner. In 15 career victories, Salikhov has won 12 of them inside the distance. Ten of his finishes have been via strikes, with the other two coming by submission.
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