UFC 169 results, photos: Rashid Magomedov busts up Tony Martin to win debut

NEWARK, N.J. – Former M-1 welterweight champion Rashid Magomedov made his UFC debut at 155 pounds and showed a particularly Russian toughness against fellow newcomer Tony Martin.

Magomedov gritted through a cinched armbar to rally in later rounds with superior striking, which earned him a unanimous decision on judges’ scorecards.

The lightweight bout was part of the preliminary card of today’s UFC 169 event at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. It streamed on UFC Fight Pass ahead of additional prelims on FOX Sports 1 and a main card on pay-per-view.

The 6-foot-1 Martin didn’t use his considerable height to pick at Magomedov, but rather initiated a clinch, where he executed a picture-perfect takedown that put him in side control.

On the mat, he immediately went to work, securing a kimura that put Magomedov in big trouble. Although Magomedov was able to escape, Martin segued to an armbar and torqued his arm, which brought a visible grimace to the Russian’s face but didn’t finish him.

In the second frame, Martin wasted little time in initiating a clinch. But it was Magomedov that did damage when the two hit the mat, landing shots that prompted swelling under Martin’s left eye. Martin escaped to his feet, but the fight’s momentum seemed to shift. Martin was hesitant to engage, and when he did, Magomedov won exchanges.

Magomedov scored early with a right hand in the final frame and managed to fight off Martin’s initial takedown attempts. Then, in a sudden shift of strategy, he secured a guillotine to threaten a tapout and welcomed Martin to his feet with a kick to the head and punches. Running on fumes, Martin pushed again for the clinch, where he ra down the clock.

Separated with a minute left, Magomedov chased a finishing sequence, but had to wait for a doctor to clear the busted-up Martin to compete. Time ran out before a highlight reel could be cut.

Judges nonetheless saw the fight the same, awarding Magomedov unanimous 29-28 scores.

“I’m really proud of my UFC debut,” Magomedov said. “Actually, I had no plan for this fight. I just stepped up at the octagon and tried to put on a good show. My opponent was really tough, but I got a really great victory with a good performance. I’m just looking forward to what’s next for me in the UFC.”

Magomedov (16-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) extends his current win streak to nine while Martin (7-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC) suffers the first loss of his pro career.

Up-to-the-minute UFC 169 results include:

• Rashid Magomedov def. Tony Martin via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
• Neil Magny def. Gasan Umalatov via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)

For complete coverage of UFC 169, stay tuned to the UFC Events section of the site.

John Morgan and Matt Erickson contributed to this report on-site in Newark.