Satybaldiev Chained a Knockdown Into a Rare Ezekiel-Choke
Uran Satybaldiev submitted Diyar Nurgozhay on August 23, 2025, at UFC Shanghai. The light heavyweight contest ended with an Ezekiel choke at 2:45 of the first round, giving Satybaldiev his first UFC victory after an earlier short-notice debut at heavyweight.
A right hand created the first submission opportunity
Satybaldiev dropped Nurgozhay with a straight right and followed him to the canvas. The knockdown allowed him to move immediately from striking into submission work rather than giving his opponent room to recover.
He initially attacked with a kimura as Nurgozhay tried to regain position. Nurgozhay freed his arm, but escaping the first threat did not end the danger on the ground.
The next transition brought a different choke
Satybaldiev settled on top inside Nurgozhay’s guard and adjusted into an Ezekiel choke. The pressure forced the tap before the opening round reached its final minute.
The sequence connected several phases without a pause: a clean knockdown, an arm attack and then a choke from top position. Nurgozhay solved the first submission problem but could not stop the transition that followed.
A return to light heavyweight produced the breakthrough
Satybaldiev had lost a unanimous decision to Martin Buday in April after accepting that heavyweight fight on short notice. Before joining the UFC, he had defended the LFA light heavyweight title against Leon Soares in March.
Back at his usual weight class, the Kyrgyz fighter secured a clear rebound. His Shanghai victory reflected both the punching threat that created the opening and the submission flexibility needed to finish once the first hold was defended.
Sources
- UFC: debut, LFA title defense and official Ezekiel-choke result
- Sherdog: knockdown, kimura escape and choke transition
