Abubakar Vagaev made an immediate impact by earning a hard-fought victory in his UFC debut.
Competing on the UFC Abu Dhabi main card, the Russian welterweight relied on relentless wrestling and clinch control to edge fellow countryman Saygid Izagakhmaev by unanimous decision and kick off his promotional run with an impressive win.
Vagaev wasted no time executing his game plan, scoring an early takedown before repeatedly pinning Izagakhmaev against the fence with relentless clinch pressure. The newcomer chained together trips and takedowns throughout the opening round, preventing his opponent from generating any meaningful offense.
Izagakhmaev found more success in the second round, briefly landing a takedown and escaping the clinch more effectively. However, Vagaev answered with body shots, knees, and enough control time along the fence to remain in command.
The final round saw Izagakhmaev mount a desperate comeback, hurting Vagaev with clean punches and threatening with dominant positions on the mat. Vagaev survived the late pressure and reached the final horn.
All three judges scored the contest 29-28 for Vagaev at UFC Abu Dhabi, extending his winning streak to four while earning a successful UFC debut after a 17-month layoff. Izagakhmaev, meanwhile, fell to 0-2 inside the Octagon.
