Damir Ismagulov Scores Spinning-Kick KO in Hometown Return
Damir Ismagulov knocked out Oberdan Tenório with a spinning back kick at Alash Pride 100 in 2024. He next stopped Alan Patrick at Alash Pride 108 in 2025.
A late opponent change
Ismagulov had been scheduled to face former UFC fighter Adriano Martins. Martins withdrew for undisclosed reasons, and Tenório stepped in on short notice. The change gave the main event a different challenge, but Tenório was an experienced veteran with a long professional record. The bout was a three-round lightweight contest at Alash Pride 100, held in Ismagulov’s home country.
The opening-round finish
The ending came quickly. Ismagulov drew a defensive reaction, then turned into a powerful spinning back kick that landed cleanly and dropped Tenório. The referee stopped the contest at 2:12 of round one. The finish was recorded as a knockout, giving Ismagulov his second win since his final UFC appearance and his first knockout since 2018, according to MMA Fighting’s event report.
A reset after the UFC
Ismagulov left the UFC after consecutive unanimous-decision losses to Arman Tsarukyan in December 2022 and Grant Dawson in July 2023. Those defeats followed a five-fight UFC winning streak that included decisions over Joel Álvarez, Thiago Moisés, Rafael Alves and Guram Kutateladze. His UFC record stood at 5–2. After the Dawson fight, he returned to regional competition with wins over Dmitry Klimov in July 2024 and Tenório in September.
Why the knockout stood out
The highlight was more than a dramatic finish in front of a home crowd. Ismagulov had built his reputation in the UFC through measured distance, timing and clean combinations, while most of his promotional wins came by decision. The spinning kick showed how a patient striking game can create an opening for an unusual finish: the feint drew Tenório’s attention, then Ismagulov’s rotation delivered the decisive strike. It was a sharp, efficient sequence rather than a long exchange.
A notable homecoming
Alash Pride 100 gave Ismagulov a chance to compete before fans in Kazakhstan after years on the international circuit. The result added another knockout to a career that had largely been built on decision victories and extended his winning run outside the UFC. The event record lists the finish at 2:12 of round one; Sherdog’s Alash Pride 100 results confirm Tenório as the opponent and the spinning back kick as the method.
What followed the homecoming
Ismagulov returned at Alash Pride 108 on May 27, 2025, and stopped Alan Patrick by second-round TKO at 4:33. Sherdog’s fight record lists the win after the Tenório knockout.
Ismagulov’s performance made the homecoming memorable and showed that his sharp counterstriking remained a threat beyond the UFC. It stands as a compact snapshot of his style: patient reads, precise timing and a sudden finish when an opponent commits.
