Abubakar Nurmagomedov Split Four UFC Welterweight
Abubakar Nurmagomedov’s UFC welterweight run began on November 9, 2019, and included four fights through June 2023. He earned two unanimous-decision victories between a submission defeat in his debut and a later split-decision loss.
Experience before the Octagon
Nurmagomedov had been a professional since 2011 and competed in World Series of Fighting and PFL before joining the UFC. His earlier record included a 2016 victory over John Howard.
His final pre-UFC appearance was an October 2018 draw with Bojan Veličković. That result preceded a move into the UFC welterweight division and an opening assignment against David Zawada.
Two decision wins followed the debut
Zawada submitted Nurmagomedov with a triangle choke at 2:50 of the first round. The debut therefore ended quickly and left Nurmagomedov seeking his first victory inside the promotion.
He secured that breakthrough against Jared Gooden at UFC 260 on March 27, 2021. A three-round unanimous decision was followed by another unanimous decision over Gadzhi Omargadzhiev at UFC 280 on October 22, 2022.
Dos Santos ended the winning sequence
Nurmagomedov next faced Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos on June 3, 2023. Their welterweight contest reached the final bell, and dos Santos won by split decision.
Those four recorded appearances produced a balanced UFC ledger: two victories and two defeats. The results distinguish the successful middle stretch of the campaign from the losses on either side, with both Nurmagomedov victories coming over the full three-round distance.
Sources
- UFC: early career notes and first three promotional results
- UFC: dos Santos’s June 3, 2023, split-decision victory
- Sherdog: professional record and earlier promotions
