The introduction of Baisangur Susurkaev to the UFC audience has been unlike any other.
The feature preliminary bout of UFC 319 at United Center in Chicago saw a battle between debuting middleweights Susurkaev (10-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) and Eric Nolan. After being signed to the UFC’s roster on Tuesday following his appearance on Dana White’s Contender Series, Susurkaev now has his first victory in the promotion just four days later with a submission at 2:01 in Round 2.
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The opening round was a competitive one. Susurkaev started out showing his comfort on the feet by taunting a little bit while hunting for openings, but Nolan (8-4 MMA, 0-1 UFC) proved he wasn’t going to be a pushover. Susurkaev got a takedown and a few mat returns, but Nolan got back to his feet and wobbled Susurkaev with a late combination.
Susurkaev landed a couple of hard leg kicks early in Round 2, severely damaging Nolan’s knee. This led to a takedown and ground-and-pound. Nolan tried to stay calm and protect himself, but Susurkaev slipped an arm under the neck for the choke.
Check out video of the finish below (via X):
With the result, Susurkaev picks up his second professional win within a week to reach his 10th overall. The promotion has strapped a rocket to his back by not only signing him to the UFC after his finish on DWCS, but giving him a four-day turnaround to compete on the same card as his friend Khamzat Chimaev. That’s not to forget Susurkaev was added to the pre-fight press conference with the rest of the main card.
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Nolan stepped up for the challenge on super-short notice too, but came away with the loss in his first UFC fight, ending a four-fight winning streak.
Up-to-the-minute UFC 319 results include:
Baisangur Susurkaev def. Eric Nolan via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 2, 2:01
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC 319 video: Baisangur Susurkaev picks up second finish in five days