UFC 294: Khamzat Chimaev defeats Kamaru Usman by decision, improves to 13-0

Khamzat Chimaev improved to 13-0 with a majority decision win over Kamaru Usman in the co-main event of UFC 294 from Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on Saturday.

Chimaev wasted no time in getting to work. In the early stages of the fight, he went for a single leg. While Usman initially defended well, Chimaev persisted and knocked the Nigerian Nightmare to the ground.

From there, he dominated the round, spending the majority of it on Usman's back and threatening with submissions.

The fight slowed significantly in the second round. Chimaev chose to strike in a slow kickboxing match rather than press the wrestling issue for the majority of the round. He did get a takedown with 30 seconds left in the round, but he didn't use it well.

This set up a fascinating third and final round. Usman began with a strong rally. He controlled the distance and landed some solid boxing, but his momentum was halted when Chimaev switched levels and landed a double-leg takedown.

Usman eventually made his way back to the feet in the final 30 seconds, where both men put the finishing touches on their respective cases to win the feet.

SportsLigue