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Dagestan has another champion. On Saturday night at the 3Arena in Dublin, Ramazan Kuramagomedov shocked the MMA world by winning a unanimous decision over Jason Jackson in the main event of Bellator Dublin to claim the welterweight title.
Kuramagomedov came out strong, overpowering the first three rounds with relentless pressure, strategic distractions, precise striking, and superior grappling. His early performance built a significant lead over the reigning champion. However, the intensity of his initial rounds seemed to take a toll, as Kuramagomedov appeared completely exhausted heading into the championship rounds. This allowed Jackson to rally, controlling the grappling exchanges and relentlessly attacking with submissions from the top position. Despite Jackson's late surge, Kuramagomedov survived until the final bell, securing a hard-fought decision victory.
Reflecting on his performance, Kuramagomedov said,
"I knew it was going to be tough, but I prepared for this moment my entire life. This belt means everything to me and to the people of Dagestan."
In the co-main event, Paul Hughes made an impressive debut in the Bellator cage, finishing Bobby King in the second round. Hughes, who recently signed with the PFL, faced early adversity as King dropped him in the opening moments. However, the Irishman quickly regained composure and dominated the fight with his ground-and-pound, leading to a TKO stoppage just before the end of the second round.
Arlene Blencowe once again proved her dominance over Sinead Kavanagh in a featured main card bout. Blencowe, who narrowly won their first encounter in 2017, left no room for doubt this time. She dropped Kavanagh twice before securing a guillotine choke to finish the fight.
In another thrilling main card bout, Dalton Rosta narrowly edged out Norbert Novenyi Jr. in a back-and-forth contest. Rosta controlled the early rounds with his wrestling, but Novenyi mounted a strong comeback in the final round, delivering significant damage. In the end, Rosta’s early efforts were enough to earn him a majority decision victory.
The main card opener saw Darragh Kelly extend his professional record to 6-0 with a quick submission victory over Mathias Poiron. The rising Irish star, known for his exciting style, continued to impress by securing a guillotine choke and finishing the fight in under 90 seconds.
Earlier in the evening, Kasum Kasumov secured a bantamweight title shot against Patchy Mix by defeating Mattheus Mattos with a dominant unanimous decision. Kasumov’s wrestling proved too much for Mattos, improving his professional record to 16-1.
This action-packed event showcased the emerging talent and established stars of Bellator, promising more thrilling fights in the future.