It didn’t take long for Usman Nurmagomedov to prove that he is going to be a problem as the Bellator MMA Lightweight champion in his first-ever title defense, earning a first-round submission win over Benson Henderson in the main event of Bellator 292 in San Jose, California.
After a brief feeling out process, Nurmagomedov caught Henderson off guard with a perfectly-executed question mark kick that landed flush on Henderson’s left cheek. Once “Smooth” went crashing to the canvas, Nurmagomedov dove in to finish off his masterpiece.
Decisive finish from the champ!@Usmannmgdv kicks off his #BellatorLWGP campaign with a HUGE win.
#Bellator292 | LIVE NOW | @SHOsports pic.twitter.com/af7yIvZjlE
— Bellator MMA (@BellatorMMA) March 11, 2023
But he had to work for it a bit because despite not completely shaking off the cobwebs, Henderson fended off Nurmagomedov’s initial rear-naked choke attempts. Not one to give up, Nurmagomedov kept looking for the choke and eventually got it.
The Lightweight champion improves to 17-0, 6-0 inside the Bellator cage, and will now face off against the winner of the upcoming quarterfinal fight between Mansour Barnaoui and Brent Primus, who will collide at Bellator Paris on May 12, 2023.
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