By The Numbers: Usman Nurmagomedov vs. Alexandr Shabliy
All challengers look the same to Usman Nurmagomedov, even those who happen to rise out of his homeland.
The undefeated American Kickboxing Academy rep will put his Bellator MMA lightweight championship on the line against fellow Russian Alexandr Shabliy in the Bellator Champions Series 4 headliner on Sept. 7 at the Pechanga Arena in San Diego. Nurmagomedov has now held the 155-pound title for 652 days. He last competed at Bellator 300, where he laid claim to a five-round unanimous decision over Brent Primus on Oct. 7. However, the result was later overturned to a no contest when it was revealed that Nurmagomedov had tested positive for a banned substance in a prescription drug. Shabliy, meanwhile, steps into the spotlight with a nine-fight winning streak in tow. He last saw action on Nov. 17, when he outpointed Patricky Freire to a unanimous decision across five rounds at Bellator 301.
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26: Years of age for Nurmagomedov, who was born on April 17, 1998 in Kizilyurt, Russia.
6: Nurmagomedov wins by submission, accounting for
35% of his career total (17). His methods of choice: three
rear-naked chokes, two guillotine chokes and one armbar.
Nurmagomedov owns eight other wins by knockout or technical
knockout (47%) and three more by decision (18%).
105: Seconds needed for Nurmagomedov to dispose of Roman Golovinov with punches under the UAE Warriors banner on Nov. 29, 2019. Nearly five years later, it remains his fastest finish to date.
5: Countries in which Nurmagomedov has suited up as a mixed martial artist. In addition to an 8-0 mark in his native Russia, he has gone 5-0 with one no contest in the United States, 2-0 in the United Arab Emirates, 1-0 in Kazakhstan and 1-0 in Saudi Arabia.
100: Combined victories between the six men—Freire, Benson Henderson, Christopher Gonzalez, Patrik Pietila, Luis Muro and Mike Hamel—Nurmagomedov has beaten as a member of the Bellator roster. They boast a .637 cumulative winning percentage at 100-57.
31: Years of age for Shabliy, who was born in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, on April 18, 1993.
12: Shabliy victories by knockout or technical knockout, accounting for 50% of his career total (24). His list of Bellator victims: Primus and Tofiq Musayev. Shabliy holds seven other victories by submission (29%) and five more by decision (21%).
51: Rounds completed by Shabliy as a professional mixed martial artist. He has gone the distance on seven different occasions and carries a 5-2 record in those bouts.
3: Sub-minute stoppages on the Shabliy resume. He put away Lukasz Bugara with a guillotine choke in 49 seconds on Aug. 5, 2011, punched out Tarkan Ali Erokcu in 17 seconds on Dec. 15, 2012 and took out Michael Doyle with punches in 34 seconds on April 14, 2013. All three of those appearances fell under the auspices of the Professional Fighting Championships organization.
.675: Cumulative winning percentage between the three men—Eduard Vartanyan, Arsen Ubaidulaev and Mamour Fall—who have defeated Shabliy. They sport a combined record of 52-25.
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