Nazim Sadykhov takes full credit for doctor stoppage

LAS VEGAS – Sure, a physician stopped Nazim Sadykhov’s battle vs. Ismael Bonfim at UFC Struggle Evening 251
on Saturday.

Why? Due to injury. And who triggered injury?

“I don’t need to hear that there was a language barrier,” Sadykhov advised MMA Junkie and different reporters at a post-fight information convention on the UFC Apex. “I don’t need to hear that. I triggered injury. I kicked him laborious.”

By the scoring standards of the Unified Guidelines of Combined Martial Arts, injury is the aim. Sadykhov (10-1-1 MMA, 3-0-1 UFC) triggered that when he drilled Bonfim (20-5 MMA, 1-1 UFC) with a slick query mark kick in Spherical 1. It wasn’t injury brought on by a poke or one other type of foul. It wasn’t even a minimize that stopped the battle. It was straight-up injury from a strike – a strike that Sadykhov revealed he particularly had put emphasis on throughout battle camp.

“These head kicks we have been setting these up all camp,” Sadykhov stated. “I don’t know in the event that they caught it backstage within the cameras, however we have been setting that head kick up within the again. We have been working that head kick within the again. That head kick was coming all night time, extra from me within the boxing division, within the wrestling division. It was coming all night time.

“I don’t know what the language barrier or what it was, however I checked out that man earlier than the beginning of Spherical 2 and he didn’t appear like he needed to be there.”

Sadykhov, 30, has discovered consistency in outcomes regardless of a scarcity of consistency in frequency of competitors. Saturday’s bout was his first since November 2023.

However over the previous yr, Sadykhov has realized rather a lot as he’s developed a regiment of a time-split between Syndicate MMA in Las Vegas and his authentic house fitness center of Longo and Weidman MMA (LAW MMA) on Lengthy Island in New York. Sadykhov thinks the recipe will proceed to be a working one.

“I acquired a spot out in Vegas. I’m collabing now with Ray Longo and John Wooden. It’s a killer camp I’ve now. I’m prepared for extra. I undoubtedly need to get again in there – hopefully April, if one thing opens up, (I can battle once more). I solely have a sore calf, sore ankle. I’ll be again within the fitness center comparatively quickly preparing for the following one.”