Submission of the year? Ex-UFC fighter Brandao performs stunning armbar in Dagestan (VIDEO)
Former UFC featherweight Diego Brandao performed a stunning helicopter armbar against Murad Machaev in their fight in Dagestan on Saturday. The finish could easily be in the running for the MMA submission of the year.
The Fight Night 58 main event between Dagestan native Machaev and Brazilian Brandao, organized in the southern Russian city of Kaspiysk by Russian MMA promotion Fight Nights Global, attracted over 8,000 spectators on Saturday night.
And while local hero Machaev’s second round defeat may not have been the result Dagestani fans had hoped for, it was definitely one of the best submissions 2017 has seen so far.
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The first round saw a typical wrestler versus striker scenario, where Sambo and Freestyle Wrestling artist Machaev constantly looked to take down Brandao, who seemed to be looking for a stand-up fight.
Brandao, who himself comes from a jiu-jitsu wrestling background, didn’t hesitate to showcase his wrestling skills to the full after the first round.
After yet another takedown at the beginning of the second session, Machaev looked to pound strikes from the top position on Brandao, who was lying on his back. But the Brazilian then pushed his opponent with both legs, momentarily sending him up in the air, before wrapping his legs around Machaev’s left arm to pull it to his body for an armbar.
Machaev had to tap immediately, much to the disappointment of the home crowd, and recorded just the second loss in his professional MMA career. His record now stands at 20 victories and two defeats.
A disappointed Machaev didn’t waste any time in calling for a rematch, and used the post-fight interviews in the cage to demand another matchup against the Brazilian.
“I’d love it too,” replied Brandao.
“He (Machaev) is a great fighter. I came here because the best fighters are here in Dagestan.”
Although it’s not yet known if the pair will fight again, that helicopter armbar is sure to go down in the MMA history books.
