Aliev’s Left Hands Kept Rock Under Pressure Throughout His
Nurullo Aliev defeated Shem Rock by unanimous decision at UFC Qatar on November 22, 2025, at ABHA Arena in Doha. All three judges scored the lightweight preliminary contest 30–27 for Aliev after fifteen minutes of striking exchanges, takedown attempts and fence work.
The debutant faced immediate pressure on the feet
Rock entered the UFC after competing in Oktagon MMA. He escaped an early takedown attempt, but Aliev soon found a left hand that disrupted him and established the more forceful striking rhythm.
Aliev repeatedly advanced behind punches and drove Rock toward the fence. Rock attempted to answer at kicking range, while the heavier connections continued coming from his opponent.
Defending takedowns did not solve the striking problem
Rock resisted wrestling entries and tried to create space in the second round. Aliev continued landing left hands and added a takedown after another damaging connection.
The newcomer worked back up using the fence. His resilience prolonged the contest, but he had difficulty making his own attacks force Aliev to abandon the forward pressure.
A third-round takedown could not reverse the contest
Rock secured a takedown and briefly reached mount in the final round. Aliev escaped to his feet, threatened a choke during another wrestling exchange and later completed a takedown of his own.
The fight reached the final horn without a stoppage. The identical scorecards reflected Aliev’s consistent success across the rounds, while Rock’s late positional opportunity proved insufficient to overturn the earlier damage and sustained pressure.
Sources
- UFC: official preliminary results, date and venue
- Cageside Press: striking pressure, takedown defense and third round
- UFC: official bout history
