Highlights! Historic Underdog Survives Round One Onslaught, Gets Tapped Out

Isaac Dulgarian vs. Brendon Marotte squared off earlier tonight (Sat., Sept. 7, 2024) at UFC Vegas 97 LIVE on ESPN/ESPN+ from inside UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada. Dulgarian made history as the biggest favorite in UFC history, but Marotte made him work for the second-round arm triangle finish.

Dulgarian is a decorated wrestler, and he didn’t hide his intentions. His first powerful takedown came just seconds into the fight, and his heavy pressure allowed him to advance into mount quickly. Marotte spent most of the round avoiding the arm triangle choke and absorbing elbows, unable to get back to his feet or create any offense from his back.

In desperation, Marotte tried to channel Jorge Masvidal with a big flying knee to start the second. The maneuver landed him on his back, where Dulgarian went right back to work from the mount. This time, he was able to sink in the choke fully and force the tapout.

Check out the final moments below:

After the tapout, Dulgarian is back in the win column following his first professional loss to Christian Rodriguez last time out. Marotte, conversely, is now 0-2 in the Octagon and may have made his last walk as a UFC fighter.

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