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Floyd Mayweather Backed UFC Star Delivers Brutal Beatdown on Colby Covington, Leon Edwards’ Ex-Rival as Makhmud Muradov Hands Bryan Barberena Third Straight Loss at UFC London

Published 07/22/2023, 2:29 PM EDT

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UFC London on July 22 at The O2 Arena rested on fans’ expectations as the UFC’s caravan moved to London. The stacked fight card, brimming with new-and-upcoming fighters, offered them a path to glory and a push to their careers. While the fans waited for the main card, a fight on the prelims card involving the middleweights attracted the eyeballs.

Makhmud Muradov squared off against UFC veteran Bryan Barberena. Both fighters come into the fight on the heels of a two-loss streak and targeted a return to the winner’s column. However, it appeared ‘Mach’ had the upper hand, as he had the backing of Floyd Mayweather. Notably, he is the only MMA fighter represented by ‘The Money Team’, Mayweather’s management company. On the other hand, ‘Bam Bam’ had an uphill task as he tried to adjust to the new 185 lbs division with his recent move up.

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Notably, the Uzbekistani fighter swept the judges’ scorecard and won the fight via unanimous decision.

What happened in the fight at the UFC London?

Barberena started the fight as he assumed the aggressor’s role but found himself receiving a well-attempted takedown. Muradov clinched and worked his way around Barberena, near the cage. While he consumed a lot of energy, Barberena constantly fought his way back and maintained his calm. The two sized each other in the middle of the octagon and targeted an opening. But also didn’t fear landing devastating blows.

via Imago

Muradov landed a beautiful right and set him up for a takedown. Barberena escaped the clinch by giving up his back. Following this, in the second round, Barberena appeared a bit messy as Muradov landed some jabs and caught him with a hook to the back of his head.

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That sent Barberena flying, and Muradov followed up with some combinations. However, the 18-10 record holder, unfazed, engaged in a brawl and threw punches. Muradov never allowed Barberena to gain momentum as he resorted to grappling. With only 30 seconds left, the two clashed their heads, and the referee had to stop the fight for a brief interval. Muradov ended round 2 with a high takedown and also bagged the round.

In the final round, Barberena’s corner advised him to be the man. But Muradov was quicker throughout the fight and looked for openings. And thus threatened to knock out Barberena on multiple occasions.

via Imago

The UFC veteran took the shoots on his chin. But again, both fighters got involved in a head clash and this time warranted a doctor’s checkup. Later on, Muradov was declared the winner by a unanimous decision, as Barberena suffered a third consecutive defeat.

How did the fans react to the exciting fight?

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What do you this exciting fight at the UFC London? Let us know in the comments below.

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Written by:

Rohit Lohan

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Rohit Lohan is a UFC writer at EssentiallySports, with a passion for the sport that has spanned over a decade. His fascination with MMA stems from the thrill of knockouts, and he strives to bring that same level of excitement to his writing. Rohit's love for gripping stories is reflected in his articles, where he masterfully weaves together the latest news with compelling narratives.
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Edited by:

Sherjeel Malik