Brahimaj’s Guillotine Caught Goff During a Reworked Welterweight Matchup
Ramiz Brahimaj defeated Billy Ray Goff by technical submission at UFC APEX in Las Vegas on May 31, 2025. The welterweight contest ended with a guillotine choke at 3:16 of the first round after late changes had brought the opponents together.
Visa problems changed the original pairings
Brahimaj had been scheduled against Oban Elliott, while Goff was due to face SeokHyeon Ko. Visa issues removed Elliott and Ko from those assignments, prompting UFC to match Brahimaj with Goff instead.
The revised pairing preserved an appearance for both men. It also created a fresh tactical matchup during fight week rather than allowing either athlete to complete his original assignment.
A takedown attempt exposed the finishing opportunity
Brahimaj initially took Goff down, but Goff returned to his feet. When Goff then attempted his own takedown, Brahimaj attacked the neck and adjusted into a high-elbow guillotine.
Goff lost consciousness in the hold, producing a technical submission. The finish gave Brahimaj consecutive first-round victories after his knockout of Mickey Gall in November 2024.
The submission fit an established career strength
Brahimaj’s earlier UFC victories included rear-naked chokes against Sasha Palatnikov in August 2021 and Micheal Gillmore in February 2022. His grappling had repeatedly supplied decisive outcomes.
The Goff victory followed a different kind of finish against Gall, showing both striking and submission success during his renewed run. Brahimaj later added another guillotine victory against Austin Vanderford in October 2025, extending the sequence to three wins.
Sources
- UFC: visa-related opponent changes
- UFC: takedown exchanges and high-elbow guillotine
- UFC: Gall, Palatnikov, Gillmore and Vanderford results
- UFC: official technical submission, time and event details
Article Tags
Ramiz Brahimaj, UFC, MMA
