Susurkaev Turned a Four-Day UFC Turnaround Into a Debut
Baisangur Susurkaev submitted Eric Nolan on August 16, 2025, at UFC 319 in Chicago. The middleweight bout at United Center ended with a rear-naked choke at 2:01 of the second round, completing a rapid transition from Dana White’s Contender Series to the UFC.
A Tuesday knockout opened an immediate opportunity
Susurkaev had earned attention with a first-round knockout on the opening episode of that week’s Contender Series. The UFC then added him to the Saturday card against fellow promotional newcomer Nolan.
The scheduling created an unusually compressed turnaround: a Tuesday appearance followed by a UFC debut four days later. Rather than waiting for a later event, Susurkaev accepted another assignment during the same fight week.
Nolan arrived with momentum of his own
Nolan entered on a four-fight winning streak, with his previous three victories coming by knockout. The matchup therefore paired two newcomers carrying recent finishing success into their first UFC appearances.
The official event lineup placed their middleweight bout on the preliminary card. Both men made their promotional debuts that evening, with Susurkaev’s recent Contender Series performance supplying an additional point of interest.
The second round delivered a different finishing method
Susurkaev secured the submission before the midpoint of the second round. The rear-naked choke gave him a UFC victory through grappling after the striking finish that had brought him onto the roster earlier in the week.
His debut consequently added a second win within four days and established an immediate result in the middleweight division. Nolan’s winning run ended as Susurkaev completed the short-notice opportunity with another finish.
Sources
- UFC: Tuesday Contender Series win, Saturday addition and Nolan’s preceding streak
- UFC: Nolan opponent and official rear-naked-choke result
- UFC: preliminary-card placement
- UFC: Nolan’s promotional debut
