Filipino-American fighter Mark Striegl had a dose of reality after suffering defeat in his much-awaited UFC debut.
Said Nurmagomedov of Russia only needed 51 seconds to hand Striegl his first loss in the promotion in their bantamweight bout, the first match of the night in UFC Fight Island 6 in Abu Dhabi Saturday (Sunday morning, Manila time).
“I feel great. I didn’t have to get injured or anything, it was over pretty quick. I have great balance. I’m good on the ground," said Nurmagomedov.
Nurmagomedov's solid counter left sent Striegl down the canvas before unloading vicious punches straight to the Fil-Am's face.
The 28-year-old Russian continued the ground and pound action but the referee had to stop the match as Striegl remained defenseless on the ground.
Nurmagomedov improved to a 14-2 record while Striegl, 32, had an 18-3-0-1NC slate, chalking up a loss in his Octagon debut.