Murtazali Magomedov put the featherweight division on notice with his debut performance, which was punctuated by a rare submission.
Magomedov (11-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) took on Melsik Baghdasaryan on the main card of UFC Fight Night 279 at the Meta APEX in Las Vegas. It was the first fight in the UFC for the Dana White’s Contender Series signee, and he didn’t need much time to get his hand raised by locking up a unique variation on a twister submission at 1:17 of the first round.
First, Magomedov lit up Baghdasaryan (8-4 MMA, 3-3 UFC) with a few sharp strikes on the feet. He then got a takedown and found a way to wrap his opponent up with a twister variation, which he says he has worked on in the gym. It was certainly effective, as Baghdasaryan quickly tapped as soon as Magomedov began cranking.
Check out video of the submission below (via X):
WHAT JUST HAPPENED 😳
Murtazali Magomedov gets the QUICK tap in R1 in his UFC debut!
[ #UFCVegas119 | LIVE ON @ParamountPlus ] pic.twitter.com/LpVXynVlt4— UFC on Paramount+ (@UFConParamount) June 21, 2026
Magomedov remains undefeated, and has kicked off his UFC career with a big highlight. He’s now 11 fights into his career, and has finished each opponent he’s faced.
Up-to-the-minute UFC Fight Night 279 results:
- Murtazali Magomedov def. Melsik Baghdasaryan via submission (twister) – Round 1, 1:17
- Vinicius Oliveira def. Andre Fili via TKO (strikes) – Round 2, 4:56
- Kevin Borjas def. Andre Lima via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
- Bia Mesquita def. Melissa Mullins via submission (armbar) – Round 1, 3:16
- Mitch Raposo def. Allan Nascimento via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
- Gaston Bolanos def. Michael Aswell via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- Levan Chokheli def. Leon Shahbazyan via TKO (strikes) – Round 1, 0:23
- Luana Santos def. Karol Rosa via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
- Shane Collins def. Otari Tanzilovi via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC Vegas 119: Murtazali Magomedov twists opponent for rare submission
