Tahir Abdullayev wins UFC Baku debut via questionable stoppage

Tahir Abdullayev won his UFC debut at UFC Baku on Saturday, but the stoppage that gave him the victory has drawn immediate scrutiny.

The welterweight opener between Abdullayev and Jefferson Nascimento was a low-output affair through two rounds, with referee Jim Perdios at one point warning Nascimento for inactivity, per MMA Fighting. Then in the third round, Perdios waved off the fight at 4:28 while Abdullayev was landing strikes from top position but Nascimento appeared to still be defending. Nascimento protested briefly after the call, though the result stood.

Abdullayev likely headed to decision win before stoppage

All three judges had the fight scored even heading into the final frame, according to the report, meaning Abdullayev's third-round work would have been enough to take a decision had the bout gone the distance. Instead, the official result goes down as a technical knockout.

The win moves Abdullayev to 20-3 in his professional career, while Nascimento loses for the first time after starting 13-0 as a pro. Both fighters were making their UFC debuts.

Reported via:

• MMA Fighting — UFC Baku video: Awful stoppage mars Tahir Abdullayev knockout win in opener