Sean Strickland improves to 27-5 with TKO win over Abus Magomedov in UFC Vegas 76
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Published 03/07/2023 at 08:35 GMT
Sean Strickland looked briefly like he might have made a big mistake in accepting a fight with unheralded Dagestani Abus Magomedov after being on the back foot for much of the first round on Saturday night in Las Vegsas, but he delivered a brutal reminder of his title bona fides in the second as he battered Magomedov to the extent that the referee felt compelled to call the fight over.
Sean Strickland vs. Abus Magomedov Staredown
Image credit: Getty Images
Sean Strickland continued his push for a UFC title shot with a dominant TKO win over Abus Magomedov in Las Vegas on Saturday night.
Strickland, the World No. 7, was facing a relative newcomer in Dagestani Magomedov and entered the bout as a hot favourite.
However, suffering a nasty poke in the eye in the first round, he found himself surprisingly on the back foot.
Magomedov continued to land blows on Strickland's body and head, even managing to take down the Californian late in the opening frame.
But the Dagestani had put everything into his first round assault without inflicting sufficient damage on Strickland.
It was a different fight in the second round as Strickland's experience began to tell.
Usually a more conservative fighter, Strickland sensed Magomedov's fading strength and pushed aggressively forward.
The American took over and began to brutalise his opponent. Strickland just kept coming and Magomedov had no answer.
With a little over four minutes on the clock in the second round, the referee was forced to intervene and stop the fight.
Strickland admitted after the bout that he was still seeing double from the eye poke, but that hadn't stopped him completing a ferocious victory.
The Californian has now won seven of his nine fights since returning from a two-year injury layoff in 2020. He is also now 2-0 in the light heavyweight division.
Interviewed immediately after his victory, Strickland was clear: "I want the title."
He was referring to his desire to meet light heavyweight title holder Jamahal Hill in the Octogon.
Hill has previously trained with Strickland and even gave him crucial advice ahead of a bout with Alex Pereira.
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