Ramazan Kuramagomedov def. Jordan Williams (27-30, 29-28, 29-28)
This one is the clubhouse leader as the best fight of the season thus far.
Over the opening five minutes, the middleweight hopefuls went shot-for-shot, opting to engage in a straight kickboxing match where each man was tagged with a couple quality punches and neither was able to really build or sustain any momentum. Each time one would get the better of things for a piece, the other would hustle back, drawing level while showing toughness and tenacity.
Early in the second, it looked like Kuramagomedov was poised to seize control, knocking Williams off balance with a heavy low kick and following it up with a jumping knee that appeared to land flush. To his credit, Williams took it without issue, quickly working back to his feet after getting taken down and once again offering his own offense to keep things close heading into the third round.
It was more of the same in the third, as Kuramagomedov attacked with cleaner technique and more fluid striking, only to be countered by the power and resiliency of Williams, who ate several clean shots while refusing to wilt. Down the stretch, they continued to bang it out, both men showing the impact of their 15-minute battle and throwing to the horn.
When the contest ended, Dana White rose to his feet and applauded, giving these two the ovation their efforts deserved. After the nines and tens were tallied, it was Kuramagomedov who came away with the split decision victory, while Williams’ stock certainly rose despite the setback.
