In Kyle Bochniak, Zabit Magomedsharipov faced a man that had no issue bringing the fight straight to him.
Magomedsharipov (18-1 MMA, 6-0 UFC) faced Bochniak (8-5 MMA, 2-5 UFC) at UFC 223 in 2018, where the Russian was a sizable betting favorite.
Despite the pre-fight odds, Bochniak wasn’t the least bit intimidated by Magomedsharipov’s size, technique, and skill as he bit down on his mouthpiece and swung for the fences.
Magomedsharipov was happy to engage, and clipped Bochniak on numerous occasions as he made him pay for his wild entries. He worked the body early, using an array of wild spinning techniques, and showed off his grappling, as he landed multiple takedowns during the fight.
In Round 3, Bochniak continued to show his heart by pressing forward, but Magomedsharipov remained calm. With about a minute to go, Magomedsharipov showed signs of fatigue and Bochniak tried to capitalize with a late flurry, but it was too little, too late. After 15 minutes, Magomedsharipov was awarded the unanimous decision on all three judges’ scorecards.
Magomedsharipov remains unbeaten inside the octagon, and has since picked up impressive victories over fellow featherweight contenders Jeremy Stephens, and Calvin Kattar.
Check out Magomedsharipov’s classic battle with Bochniak in the video above.
UFC free fight: Zabit Magomedsharipov and Kyle Bochniak earn 'Fight of the Night' honors in slugfest
