UFC Las Vegas: Dagestan's Said Nurmagomedov suffers second UFC loss in close decision 

Said Nurmagomedov and Jonathan Martinez locked horns on the main card of UFC Fight Night 221. Going into the fight, Nurmagomedov was on a four-fight win streak that included three finishes.

However, his solid run of form came to and end at the hands of Jonathan Martinez, who etched out a close unanimous decision victory over the Dagestani. Martinez handed Nurmagomedov his only second loss under the UFC banner (overall three losses).

Said Nurmagomedov came out as the aggressor in the first round. His dynamic striking was on full display, landing shots on Martinez from different angles. The Russian disguised his takedown attempts with his dynamic striking. Nurmagomedov managed to land a takedown during one such flurry. He quickly took Martinez's back and got under his chin.

Martinez maintained his composure and defended the choke efficiently. Nurmagomedov attempted to readjust his grip, only for Martinez to break free.

Martinez appeared to have a good read on the timing of Nurmagomedov's takedown attempts in the second round. Martinez coerced the Russian into a stand-up battle as Nurmagomedov tried to carry the fight to his desired terrain. While Nurmagomedov held his own in the striking exchanges, it appeared that Martinez had the advantage on the feet.

In the end, Jonathan Martinez eked out a unanimous decision victory (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) and handed Said Nurmagomedov his second loss inside the UFC octagon. Martinez, meanwhile, extended his win streak to 5-0. His last loss came at the hands of Darvey Grant back in March 2021.

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MMA fans cite "robbery" following Said Nurmagomedov's unanimous decision loss to Jonathan Martinez at UFC Las Vegas

Although it was a closely contested bout, MMA fans and analysts felt strongly that Said Nurmagomedov had done enough to get his hand raised against Jonathan Martinez at UFC Fight Night 221.

Martinez, according to several fans, was unable to capitalize on positions where he clearly had the advantage. Meanwhile, Said Nurmagomedov attempted multiple submissions and tried to dictate the pace from the start. From their perspective, this was enough for the Russian to get the nod on the judges scorecards.

Reacting to Nurmagomedov's loss on Twitter, one fan wrote:

"Honestly Martinez didn't do enough on that fence to win the 3rd, Said almost had the sub. Great first round but 2 and 3 were a snoozefest on the fence."

Another fan demanded an explanation as to how Nurmagomedov lost the fight while still being the betting favorite when the fight concluded:

"Someone explain to me how Nurmagomedov was -550 live odds at the end of the fight and lost by unanimous decision. This makes zero sense. #ufcfightnight"

Another fan wrote:

"Nurmagomedov outstruck Jonathan Martinez 99-75.. I honestly think Said won.."

Check out some of the tweets below: