Sean Strickland delivered his first finish in nearly three years by defeating unranked opponent Abus Magomedov via a second-round TKO stoppage in the main event of UFC Vegas 76, after initially struggling due to an early eye poke and Magomedov’s aggressive start.
Sean Strickland took a risk when he decided to face an unranked opponent in the main event at UFC Vegas 76. However, he proved himself on the mat, successfully achieving his first knock-out in nearly three years. His opponent, Abus Magomedov, fell victim to a second-round TKO stoppage at Strickland’s hands. Although off to a shaky start, with Strickland suffering an eye poke and an onslaught of attacks from Magomedov, he managed to survive the initial assault and retaliated decisively as Magomedov began to wear down in the second round.
Maintaining a relentless offense, Strickland managed to bring down Magomedov with a combination of attacks which sent the Russian fighter to the ground. The punishment continued with no chance for Magomedov to regain his footing, resulting in referee Mark Smith calling a halt to the battle at 4:20 in the second round. Despite Magomedov’s rapid commencement of attacks, Strickland admitted to appreciative entertainment from the rush. “At the end of the day, we’ve got five rounds of fun,” Strickland said, undaunted by the initial powerful performance.
Magomedov was fierce in his attack from the start, swiftly following the restart of the match after a disruptive early eye-poke incident. Undeterred, Strickland retaliated with his consistent jabs, against Magomedov’s assortment of kicks and strikes, some of which landed with a thunderous thud several times in the early stages of the round. Despite an aggressive offensive onslaught, Strickland managed to exude solid defense throughout the fight as he continually sought to land counter punches on his opponent. The tide shifted notably when Magomedov transitioned into the second round with significantly less movement due to noticeable struggles with his conditioning – an opportunity Strickland seized upon.
Strickland successfully managed to back Magomedov against the cage, in a tireless bout of punches in quest for a decisive win. Eventually, he managed to drop his opponent to the canvas with a fierce combination of attacks, displaying control and dominance on the mat. Despite a waiting game from Magomedov for referee intervention, it was clear Strickland had executed a powerful narrative of resilience and determination on the mat. Following this match, he has amassed back-to-back wins following a couple of earlier losses. “I want the title,” declared Strickland after the fight, as Israel Adesanya awaits his next assignment, suggesting that this is only the beginning of his ambition as a fearsome middleweight contender.