Saygid Izagakhmaev VS Abubakar Vagaev

Abubakar Vagaev utilized his elite grappling pedigree to grind out a victory over his highly-touted compatriot, Saygid Izagakhmaev. The bout was a grueling, wrestling-heavy affair, with Vagaev consistently neutralizing Izagakhmaev's offense by controlling the pace and dictating the position of the fight. Whenever Izagakhmaev tried to build striking momentum or push the pace, Vagaev stifled him with timely takedowns and smothering top control. After three hard-fought rounds, Vagaev's calculated and suffocating game plan earned him a unanimous decision victory, with all three judges scoring the contest 29-28 in his favor.

Saygid Izagakhmaev, trained in the Khabib Nurmagomedov lineage with thirteen career submission victories, bounces back from a UFC debut loss against Abubakar Vagaev, a Khamzat Chimaev training partner and former two-time ACA welterweight champion with a 24-4 record built on smothering pressure. Two Dagestani-school grapplers meet in an intrastyle chess match decided by who controls position more effectively against an opponent who shares the same fundamental philosophy.